Nathan Horton (shoulder) was allowed to partake in some contact drills in practice on Friday. Horton is getting ever so close to returning to action as he has been out all season after undergoing off-season shoulder surgery. He is expected to make his Columbus debut after the Christmas break. "I just kind of go as my soreness tells me," Horton said. "But I did more drills than I usually do. Little bit of bumping, but nothing too much. But it was nice to actually be in that situation where you could get bumped. I had fun. It wasn't physical, but it's more than I've done." Don't expect a lot from Horton this season as it's tough to return in the middle of a season.