San Jose Sharks leading goal scorer Tyler Toffoli, who sat out three games because of a lower-body injury, will return to the ice for Thursday night's game against the visiting Nashville Predators.
Toffoli, 32, left a morning skate last Saturday because of the injury and sat out that night's 4-1 road loss to the New York Islanders.
A 13-year NHL forward, Toffoli has 17 goals and 30 points this season in 47 games. In 859 games with the Los Angeles Kings (2012-20), Vancouver Canucks (2020), Montreal Canadiens (2020-22), Calgary Flames (2022-23), New Jersey Devils (2023-24), Winnipeg Jets (2023-24) and Sharks, the former second-round pick has 551 points (277 goals, 274 assists).
"We were fortunate that [it] didn't linger longer, and to get him back is important," Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. "He's a veteran guy that's won a Stanley Cup (with the Kings in 2014). He's important for this group."
In other Sharks news, forward Walker Duehr will make his team debut Thursday, a day after being claimed off waivers from the Calgary Flames.
"[He brings] some size (6-foot-2, 210 pounds), some speed. [He's a] north-south type of hockey player," Warsofsky said of Duehr, who had one assist this season in 16 games for Calgary.