Flames LW Stillman to undergo exploratory shoulder surgery

  One of four Flames to play in each of the team's first 37 games, Stillman will have exploratory arthroscopic surgery, which will determine the length of his absence from the lineup.

  Stillman was a minus-2 with one shot in a 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, when he aggravated a nagging injury. He said the same shoulder has been dislocated twice in his career.

  "It's been an on-going thing for a couple of months now and it just seems to be getting worse and worse every game," he said.

  Stillman, 26, was unsure when he would return to the lineup, saying it could be sometime in January or April as long as he was ready for the playoffs.

  "I want to play as soon as I can," he said.

  Stillman has been part of one of the league's most surprising teams. The Flames are 7-3-3 in their last 13 games and are just three points behind first-place Colorado in the Northwest Division.

  A versatile forward who also can play center, Stillman emerged as one of the Flames' best players the previous two seasons. In 1998-99, he matched a career high with 27 goals and recorded a team-best 57 points.

  This season, Stillman has six power-play goals, three game-winners and nine assists, ranking fourth on the team with 21 points. However, he is a team-low minus-10.

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