Coach Todd Richards said Tuesday that Atkinson (upper body) isn't looking like a long-term absence, Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch reports. Atkinson has already been ruled out for the New Year's Eve tilt with the Wild, but his presence on the ice Tuesday suggests he's not especially far off a return. It amounts to a rare bit of good news on the injury front for the Jackets, who have been one of the league's most banged-up teams this season.