Mike Commodore's on-again, off-again season is off again, for now.

The Blue Jackets defenseman will miss tonight's game against the Colorado Avalanche in the Pepsi Center because of a charley horse in his left leg.

"I had one of these earlier in the year in the other leg," Commodore said. "Hopefully, it's just day to day. As soon as the blood gets out of my leg, I should be fine. We have lots of other defensemen who can play, so that's probably the smart choice."

Commodore, who has missed 18 games this season with various injuries and fitness issues, was hurt late in Saturday's 3-2 overtime win in St. Louis when he checked Blues forward T.J. Oshie hard in the corner.

He left practice yesterday after only a few minutes on the ice.

"I ran (Oshie) pretty hard against the boards," Commodore said. "I thought it would be OK a while after that game, but it's still a little tight, a little sore."

With Anton Stralman and Milan Jurcina both over the flu, the Blue Jackets have seven healthy defensemen available tonight.

In practice yesterday, Mathieu Roy spent time in Commodore's usual place next to Jan Hejda on the No. 1 pair. Fedor Tyutin and Stralman skated on the second pair and Kris Russell and Milan Jurcina were the third pair.

If that holds, Marc Methot likely would be a healthy scratch tonight.

Flu times two

Stralman missed the past two games and left winger Kristian Huselius missed Saturday's game in St. Louis because of the flu, but both expect to play tonight.

It's the second bout of the flu for each this season.

"It's unbelievable," said Huselius, who is believed to have had the H1N1 virus during training camp. "This one was totally different, just a stomach flu. It was nothing like the first one."

Neither Stralman nor Huselius opted to get a flu shot from the medical staff earlier this season.

Stralman said he'd likely get one next season; Huselius wavered.

"I've heard a lot of people say they got sick when they take it," he said. "I don't want to go through that, either."

Silly season

The next four weeks figure to be a wild ride in the NHL, starting with the blockbuster trades on Sunday involving Calgary, Toronto and Anaheim.

The Winter Olympics are later this month, followed by the trade deadline March 3.

Nobody loves the banter more than Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock, but enough is enough, he said.

"This is the silly season," Hitchcock said. "Between the Olympics and the trade stuff you've got trade rumors flying everywhere, you've got newspaper reporters calling you in the middle of the night wanting to know something.

"It's the perfect time to change your phone number."

aportzline@dispatch.com