Cam Fowler no guarantee for Ducks’ season opener

Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler didn’t practice Friday, a day after falling and leaving the ice, and Coach Bruce Boudreau stopped short of saying Fowler would play in the team’s regular-season opener Thursday at Pittsburgh.

Fowler apparently caught an edge at Thursday’s practice, falling to the ice near the boards. He was seen afterward in the dressing room walking gingerly but without any wraps on his legs.

Fowler suffered a knee injury last season, when he also formed the Ducks’ top defensive pair with Ben Lovejoy. Boudreau declined to say if Thursday’s incident was related to the knee, identifying it only as a lower-body injury.

“He’s hopeful to be playing on the trip, we’ll see how it goes day by day,” Boudreau said. “He said he wanted to be on the trip. I don’t know if that means on Thursday or Saturday [in Detroit]. He felt good today ... better ... we’re anticipating both he and [forward Dany] Heatley [groin injury] will play on this trip.”

Boudreau said forward Kyle Palmieri (high ankle sprain) was not expected to play in Saturday’s preseason finale against San Jose at Honda Center, but would accompany the team on its four-game trip that concludes Oct. 15 in Philadelphia.