Ovechkin 'not feeling well'

Caps star expected to play Friday

Alex Ovechkin left practice early Tuesday, but the reigning NHL MVP is expected to play in the Washington Capitals' season opener Friday at Atlanta.

Ovechkin skated off the ice at the team's home arena after less than 15 minutes.

"He'll be OK. He'll be playing Friday," coach Bruce Boudreau said at the Capitals' annual media day event. "You know, it's nothing serious at all, but, I mean, it would be prudent for me not to say why he went off."

Another Capitals forward, Alexander Semin, also missed practice time Tuesday -- and also is in the team's plans for Game 1.

"He should be fine," Boudreau said. "Not feeling well."

The team later said both players were dealing with nagging injuries.

Forward Quintin Laing, meanwhile, cleared waivers and was assigned to AHL club Hershey.

He was one of three players -- along with defenseman Karl Alzner and forward Chris Bourque -- who were cut Monday to set the season-opening roster.

"Those were the most difficult cuts we've had to make here," general manager George McPhee said. "I think it suggests we've got a pretty good team now and we're deep."

KINGS RE-SIGN O'SULLIVAN: The Kings re-signed restricted free agent center Patrick O'Sullivan to a three-year contract Tuesday.

Terms of the deal were not announced.

O'Sullivan had 22 goals, 31 assists and 36 penalty minutes playing all 82 games for the Kings last season. He ranked fourth on the team for points (53), goals and assists, while he tied for the club lead with three short-handed goals.

SHARKS PUT McLAREN ON WAIVERS: The San Jose Sharks put defenseman Kyle McLaren on waivers Tuesday, possibly ending the oft-injured veteran's 4 1/2-year tenure with the club.

McLaren, a 12-year NHL veteran, had three goals and eight assists while battling constant knee injuries last season, undergoing surgery in January.

He appeared in two preseason games with the Sharks, who didn't even allow him to skate in intrasquad scrimmages while attempting to move him.

FLAMES' WARRENER, ERIKSSON PLACED ON WAIVERS: The Calgary Flames placed veteran defensemen Rhett Warrener, Anders Eriksson and forward Jamie Lundmark on waivers Tuesday to get below the salary cap.

ISLANDERS' LEE RETURNS TO N.Y.: Injured New York Islanders defenseman Chris Lee flew back to New York on Tuesday morning after being hospitalized overnight in Florida following a hard hit in a preseason game against the Panthers.

Lee was removed from the ice on a stretcher with 11:02 left in the third period of the Islanders' 6-0 loss after being checked into the boards from behind by Rostislav Olesz.

The 28-year-old defenseman underwent a series of tests at Broward General Hospital and was cleared to fly home. Lee was conscious and had movement when he was taken to the hospital.

BRUINS KEEP ROOKIE WHEELER, CUT FIVE: The Boston Bruins cut five players from their roster Tuesday and kept promising rookie forward Blake Wheeler, a first-round draft choice in 2004.

The Bruins released forward Peter Schaefer and planned to waive him and assign him to Providence of the AHL.

They also placed forwards Nate Thompson and Jeremy Reich on waivers for the purpose of assigning them to Providence, and assigned defenseman Matt Hunwick to Providence and forward Carl Soderberg to Malmo in Sweden.