Philadelphia — While his teammates filed off the ice after a morning practice in Philadelphia, a frustrated Erik Christensen stood outside the dressing room in street clothes.

A half hour earlier, he watched video of the play in which he injured his knee against Florida on Sunday. He wasn't sure exactly how he injured himself while finishing a check, and the replay was no help.

All he knows is that this knee injury is the latest in a series of bad breaks this season. It's a sprained MCL, and he'll be re-examined by Thrashers doctors on Wednesday after the Thrashers return from their road trip.

He'll miss at least a week, but probably more because there's no point rushing him back when the Thrashers sit at the bottom of the standings.

"It's kind of the way my year went. I had shingles earlier on in the year, then I hurt my shoulder two weeks before I was traded," said Christensen, who was a major piece of the Marian Hossa deal. "Then this. It's been tough, especially lately I was feeling like I was skating better, feeling more comfortable here, getting comfortable with everyone and feeling good all around. To have this happen is really disappointing."

Teammate Todd White knows the feeling. He hasn't played since March 5, and probably shouldn't have played in the game. He's battling a shoulder injury that has been slow to heal.

With Christensen out, White is back in, although he sounded less than confident that his shoulder was ready to take a big hit.

"There's only one way to find out; hopefully on the first shift I get one," said White, whose 37 points trail only Ilya Kovalchuk, Mark Recchi and Eric Perrin on the active Thrashers roster.

"I feel the best I have so far. It's taking a lot longer [to heal]; it's just stayed the same for a long time. I noticed a little bit of improvement the last couple days — we're running out of time to get back in."

Thrashers coach and general manager Don Waddell indicated that White would be eased back into the lineup, most likely on the fourth line. With the promotion of Bryan Little and trade for Christensen, White's role with the Thrashers is evolving.

He spent most of the season centering Kovalchuk's line but, moving forward, that might not be the case anymore.

"Ideally, having Little and Christensen as your high-end centers changes [White's] role. It puts him more in a checking role," Waddell said.

White, who signed a four-year contract worth $9.5 million on the first day of free agency last summer, could also see time on the wing. He's strictly been a center for the Thrashers and before that (with Minnesota), but said he played some wing in the minors and with Ottawa.

He's willing to play wherever he's needed.

"There's a lot less responsibility playing wing. I've played it before and don't mind it at all," White said.

• Note: The Thrashers recalled 6-foot-7 defenseman Boris Valabik from Chicago (AHL) Monday. Waddell said it wasn't likely that Valabik would play against Philadelphia, but wanted to get him up and practicing with the Thrashers before making his NHL debut.