Haula has been out of the lineup since the third period of the team's Nov. 25 game versus the Buffalo Sabres.
Haula has been out of the lineup since the third period of the team's Nov. 25 game versus the Buffalo Sabres.
VANCOUVER -- The Devils will begin a four-game road trip on Tuesday night, and it appears a key depth player will return to the lineup.
Erik Haula has missed the team's last three games with a lower-body injury he sustained during his team's 7-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Since then, he had not practiced with his team, and ahead of the Devils game versus the San Jose Sharks, head coach Lindy Ruff provided the following update on Haula.
"(He's) progressing," Ruff said. "I would anticipate him coming on the trip with us."
After playing back-to-back nights, the team was off Saturday and traveled to Vancouver on Sunday. An update had to wait until the team's practice on Monday (1:00 P.M. local, 4:00 P.M. Eastern).
It was then that the team announced that Haula had returned to the ice and joined his teammates at practice for the first time since sustaining his injury. He skated on a line with Tyler Toffoli and Jack Hughes.
"I feel good," Haula said after practice. "I have been skating the past couple of days and feel ready."
"He's doing well," Ruff said. "He got a good practice in. Skated the last couple of days, so encouraging. Opportunity for him to play tomorrow."
Through 18 games, the 32-year-old has 12 points (six goals, six assists). He collected four points in his last five games before his injury, but adding to the scoresheet is not the only way Haula contributes to his team.
"There are areas of the game where he has been very effective," Ruff continued. "He's been effective in the faceoff circle. He can play the wing or center. If you look at penalty killing, he's typically been the guy that goes over the boards first, and it's been a strength of his, and then power play faceoffs too."
The Devils injury list now includes Dougie Hamilton (out indefinitely), Tomas Nosek (out indefinitely), and Nolan Foote (upper body).