Busy day in Anaheim.
After the Ducks waived d-man Adam Clendening, then learned veteran forward Shawn Horcoff was suspended 20 games for PEDs, the club confirmed that blueliner Simon Despres would draw back into the lineup tonight for the first time since suffering a concussion in October.
“First of all, to have him back, when he’s at his best he was very solid for us,” Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau said, per ESPN. “He’s a big, strong-bodied guy. He can play lots of minutes. What I’m expecting from him today is just a simple game, get his feet wet and do the right things and not try to over do things on his first night.
“If we get that we’ll be very happy.”
The Ducks have been high on Despres since acquiring him from Pittsburgh last season, and inked him to a five-year, $18.5 million extension right at the beginning of this year.
Despres,who missed the last 42 games, is skating on a pairing with Sami Vatanen in advance of tonight’s game in Boston.