Ha, now this is why it amazes me that West Coast teams like the San Jose Sharks pull off having their AHL team in places like Worcester (the new home of Claude LeSpear). While their non-Eastern options are limited, and it helps in some ways to have operations and staff based in the clustered East, it also means it's tougher to do moves like this:

Yesterday, the Isles activated Mike Sillinger and returned Tim Jackman and Jeremy Colliton to Bridgeport. Today, Chris Botta reports that Jackman was back at Islanders practice -- along with Mitchell Fritz -- on emergency recall. (But Islanders fans can't pity ourselves: Injuries are running up around the East, particularly with Thursday's foe, the Capitals.)

Nate Thompson is "banged up," Kyle Okposo is still out -- and oh, dependable yet breakable Radek Martinek didn't practice, proving once again that no Martinek injury can be overestimated.

With Thompson "day to day," Richard Park-of-all-Trades played center, while the emergency recalls played on Sillinger's wing. I meant to mention this in my Sillinger welcome, but his absence has allowed Jackman to prove himself as a valuable depth guy. I never mind having him back.