EDMONTON - There was never a doubt Lubomir Visnovsky was going to play for the Edmonton Oilers this season because its not like he had to earn a job at training camp. Matt Ryan Jersey . The only question was when. The Oilers got some good news on that front Thursday as Visnovsky, who is coming off a shoulder injury that ended his 2008-09 season and required surgery, skated in his first full practice. With six-pre-season games remaining, Visnovsky has been cleared for full contact by team medical staff and, barring any complications, is expected to be ready for action when the regular season opens. On a morning when the Oilers trimmed 13 players from their camp roster, seeing Visnovsky on the ice jostling with teammates in his first full practice session since the injury was the news of the day. "Im ready to play the game, an NHL game," Visnovsky said after a 90-minute skate at Millennium Place in Sherwood Park. "Im available. Im waiting. When the coach says, Youre in, youre playing, Im ready for it." Visnovsky, 33, has been on the ice since the Oilers opened training camp, but the talented Slovak defender has been limited to no-contract drills while rehabbing the damaged right shoulder -- the surgery was to repair a torn labrum -- that forced him to miss the final 32 games last season. Visnovsky, injured when slammed into the boards by Dave Bolland of the Chicago Blackhawks last February, has two weeks to knock off the rust in time for the start of the season Oct. 3. "Every hockey player gets frustrated when youre injured," Visnovsky said. "Summer was hard. "One bad shift, one bad hit. I was injured and lost 30 games. I start again, like a young baby, you know? After surgery, my hand was zero power. Now, I feel very good that my shoulder is strong." With Visnovsky, who scored eight goals with 23 assists in 50 games in his first season with the Oilers after being acquired from Los Angeles, back in the fold, theres no mystery when it comes to what Pat Quinns depth chart on defence will look like when camp breaks. "Lubo is a great talent," fellow defenceman Steve Staios said. "You always want to have a guy like that in your lineup. "He plays big minutes for us and we want him to be as healthy as possible, but we have great depth on our defence. When he comes back, itll be big for us." While there is much to be decided in terms of roster spots at forward, Quinns top six on the back end is set with Visnovsky, Sheldon Souray, Dennis Grebeshkov, Tom Gilbert, Staios and Ladislav Smid. "My first year, it was kind of the same thing," Gilbert said of trying to crack a set group as a rookie in 2006-07. "You come to camp, work hard and try to learn as much as you can in a short period of time. Weve got a really good group here, but there are always guys pushing." Souray was second in team scoring to Ales Hemsky last season with 53 points. Gilbert was fourth with 45 points and Grebeshkov was eighth with 39 points. Visnovsky was 11th despite the games he missed. Its a group laden with puck-movers, complemented by stay-at-home types in Staios, Smid and seventh-man Jason Strudwick. "With the depth we have, I think we should challenge ourselves to be right up there with the best defensive corps in the league," Staios said. "Thats a good challenge for us. We have all the attributes to be a great defensive corps." While its unlikely Visnovsky will play against Florida on Friday, he will make his return Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks or Sunday against the New York Islanders in Saskatoon. "I need to play games," Visnovsky said. "I need the challenge of games because in the last seventh months, I havent played hockey. I need the confidence. "My confidence, my mentality is a little bit down. I need the games, shift-by-shift, minute-by-minute and game-to-game, then I will be very good. I will be more comfortable." CUTS MADE: The Oilers sent 11 players to Springfield of the AHL, including Jamie Bates, Jordan Bendfeld, Kelly Czuy, Jesse Dudas, Riley Emmerson, Colton Fretter, Bryan Lerg, Ryan MacMurchy, Matt Nickerson), Andrew Perugini and Cody Wild. ... Dalton Prout was assigned to Barrie of the OHL and Philipe Cornet was sent to Rouyn-Noranda of the QMJHL. The camp roster sits at 48. Steelers James Harrison Jersey . Related readings: China allocates more relief funds for flood-hit south Flood in Qinghai fills streets, clogs traffic Southwestern township isolated by flood Flood control Most flights to and from the Jiangbei International Airport of the city have been delayed. Authentic Gabe Carimi Jersey . Jodie Meeks added 19 points and Brandon Jennings 17 for the Bucks, who won their second straight game. Luke Ridnour scored 10 with four helpers in the win. David Lee ended up with 18 points, seven boards and four assists for the Knicks, who lost their third in a row. Packers Jermichael Finley Jersey .J. -- A bloodied Eli Manning was in some discomfort a day after receiving 12 stitches for a head wound. Lardarius Webb Jersey .A. Dickey takes the hill for the streaking New York Mets tonight when they continue a three-game series with the host Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. New England Patriots Kevin Faulk Jersey . Following a daylong selection process, eight women and four men were picked to hear the federal governments case against the 46-year-old former San Francisco Giants star, who is charged with four counts of lying to a grand jury and one count of obstruction for testifying in 2003 that he never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs. Milwaukee Brewers Paul Molitor Jersey . "They say its bad but they dont do anything. They have to act," the doubles specialist told The Associated Press after the draw for the best-of-five series in Malmo. Ram said the ITF should have put more pressure on Malmo officials who decided to play the first-round matchup in a closed arena because of fears of demonstrations and protests against Israel. Joshua Cribbs Jersey Authentic . Ana Ivanovic hurt her left foot during the opening set of their semifinal at the Cincinnati Open on Saturday, forcing her to withdraw in tears with the rest of her season in doubt. Ahmad Bradshaw Jersey . A boy holds Valentines Day balloons for sale along a roadside in Islamabad Feb 14, 2011. [PhotoAgencies]? 300 kilograms A shopping mall in The Republic of Lithuania built a small house of 17 square meters using 300 kilograms of chocolate. URUMQI: A number of northwest China universities have set up Confucius Institutes in central Asia to promote Chinese language and culture. Confucius Institutes, which are non-profit organizations that work to promote Chinese language and culture worldwide, have recently opened in various central Asian countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Related readings: Confucius Institutes short of teaching materials: expert China?has opened 256 overseas Confucius Institutes Confucius Institutes Help Spread Chinese Culture Globally Many of them were founded by leading universities in northwest China, including Xinjiang Normal University and Xinjiang University, based in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region that neighbors central Asia, and Lanzhou University in Gansu Province. At the end of last year, more than 3,000 students were studying at the Confucius Institutes founded by Xinjiang Normal Uniiversity in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, said Guo Weidong, dean of the universitys school of international cultural exchanges. Eagles Michael Vick Jersey. The demand to learn Chinese language and culture in central Asia is a result of Chinas overall development, said Guo. Confucius Institutes are like a cultural icon, indicating Chinas self-confidence and openness to the outside world. In Kyrgyzstan, many people, including teachers, government employees, college students and businessmen, are now studying Chinese in their spare time, he said. Its sort of trend for young people in Kyrgyzstan to study Chinese, said a Kyrgyz student at the Urumqi-based Xinjiang University. Altogether 282 Confucius Institutes have been set up worldwide at higher education institutions, according to the Beijing-based Confucius Institute Headquarters. They are jointly controlled by Chinese and foreign universities, Confucius was an ancient Chinese philosopher whose thoughts are still cherished today. ' ' '