Adam Henrique is set to join the action. Roope Hintz might be doing the same.
Henrique will return to the lineup Thursday when his Edmonton Oilers take on the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of the Western Conference final, head coach Kris Knoblauch said.
Dallas counterpart Pete DeBoer added Hintz is a game-time decision.
The Oilers and Stars are tied 1-1 in the best-of-seven series after Dallas picked up a 3-1 home victory Saturday. Edmonton took the opener 3-2 in double overtime.
Henrique suffered a suspected ankle injury in Game 5 of the first round against the Los Angeles Kings before briefly returning for Game 2 against the Vancouver Canucks.
鈥淚t鈥檚 more nerve-racking watching than playing,鈥� the 34-year-old centre said Thursday morning. 鈥淏ut watching the guys, seeing everybody come together and push through and battle, it was certainly great to watch, and see the team continue to get better.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e just itching to be a part of that.鈥�
Acquired from the Anaheim Ducks ahead of the NHL trade deadline, Henrique has a goal and an assist in six playoff appearances this spring. Projected to play on a line with Warren Foegele and Derek Ryan, he combined to score 24 goals and 51 points in the regular season.
Oilers forward Ryan McLeod will be a healthy scratch.
Hintz, the Stars鈥� No. 1 centre, hasn鈥檛 played since suffering an upper-body injury in Game 4 of the second round against the Colorado Avalanche.
The 27-year-old, who took part in an optional morning skate Thursday, has two goals and four assists in 11 playoff games. He put up 30 goals and 65 points in 80 regular-season contests.
鈥淗e鈥檚 just an awesome player,鈥� Stars centre Wyatt Johnston said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 one of the best players in the in the world. You can鈥檛 really replace a guy like that.
鈥淏eing able to get him back, it would be huge.鈥�
McLeod comes out of Edmonton鈥檚 lineup without a point in 14 playoff games.
The 24-year-old has been part of an Oilers鈥� penalty kill that has gone 20 straight short-handed opportunities without giving up a goal.
Knoblauch compared McLeod taking a seat to the 鈥渞eset鈥� the team gave goaltender Stuart Skinner in Games 4 and 5 of the Vancouver series.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot to like about his game,鈥� said the coach. 鈥淎 lot of it is from the penalty kill. He鈥檚 been contributing a lot there with his quickness, his reads. Five-on-five, he hasn鈥檛 been playing quite like he had been 鈥� especially around the middle part of the season.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got a lot of players that are playing well. It鈥檚 been difficult to take anybody out of the lineup.鈥�
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