The Montreal Canadiens have won five in a row, but they would welcome Mike Cammalleri back into the lineup as soon as possible. The Montreal Canadiens have won five in a row, but they would welcome Mike Cammalleri back into the lineup as soon as possible. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)

1. Canucks could convince prospect to turn pro

With his sophomore season over at the University of Minnesota, Vancouver Canucks first-round pick Jordan Schroeder told the Vancouver Sun he will decide by the end of the week whether to turn pro or return to school for a third year.

The 19-year-old centre, who helped the United States to the world junior title in Saskatoon earlier this year, slumped this season. He scored nine goals and 28 points in 37 games with the Gophers after checking in with 13 goals and 45 points in his freshman season. If he does turn pro later this week, the 5-foot-8, 175-pound forward could join the Manitoba Moose of the AHL for the remainder of the season.

2. Critical game for Habs at MSG

The Montreal Canadiens can go a long way to securing a playoff spot with a win against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden tonight. If the seventh-place Habs can extend their win streak to six games they would go seven points up on the ninth-place Rangers with 11 games remaining. The Rangers have a game in hand.

There is some doubt as to whether centre Tomas Plekanec will play for Montreal. He left practice on Monday and the Canadiens called up forward Ben Maxwell from the Hamilton Bulldogs in case Plekanec can’t go.

Montreal coach Jacques Martin also stated on Monday that injured forward Mike Cammalleri and defenceman Marc-Andre Bergeron would not be available when the Canadiens visit the Toronto Maple Leafs this Saturday.

3. Red Wings hope for Hudler return

Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland remains hopeful that Jiri Hudler will rejoin the NHL team next season. He departed last summer to sign a two-year deal with Moscow Dynamo of the Kontinental Hockey League. Holland and head coach Mike Babcock have kept in touch with Hudler this season. Holland was told by Hudler’s agent that he has an escape clause after the first season, which ended for Hudler when Dynamo was upset and eliminated from the playoffs by Spartak last weekend.

"I've texted or talked with him on and off," Holland told the Detroit Free Press. "My plan was to go over to Russia next week, catch a game, take Jiri out to supper, try to court him a little bit. Now that they've been eliminated, I don't know what Jiri's plans are. I texted him and told him to take a week to 10 days to sort things out. Once he knows what he's doing, I can decide what I'm doing.

"I know Jiri has told me he has special friends in the Red Wings' locker room, that he thought it was special to play for the Wings. But as special as it was, he still went to the KHL."

4. Ducks face long odds without stars

The Anaheim Ducks have gone a dismal 1-4-1 since the Olympics and have to make up 10 points with 14 games remaining if they have hope to make the playoffs this spring. To boot, their best player Ryan Getzlaf has aggravated his left ankle injury and sniper Teemu Selanne has a sprained left shoulder.

Getzlaf has scored only once in the six games since the Olympics. If the Ducks continue on their current path they will miss the post season for the first time since 2003-04.

5. Wild sign U.S. college free agent

The Minnesota Wild signed free-agent University of Massachesetts-Amherst centre Casey Wellman early Tuesday. It was expected to be a two-year, $1.8-million US deal and there is a chance the 22-year-old could be in the lineup against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.

Wellman, who scored 23 goals in 36 matches this season. The 6-foot-1 forward hails from Brentwood, Calif. and is the son of former major league infielder Brad Wellman, who played for the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City Royals in the 1980s.