The New York Islanders could get two defensemen back into the lineup when they host the Dallas Stars on Sunday at 7:30 PM ET. 

Defenseman Scott Mayfield told reporters in attendance on Tuesday that he was ready to go after missing the final four games before the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off break due to a lower-body injury.

Fellow defenseman Ryan Pulock, who missed the final seven games before NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off with an upper-body injury, was in a non-contact sweater on Tuesday and Wednesday but was a full participant in a regular sweater at Thursday's practice, per Newsday's Dennis Gorman.

“It’s good to have guys back. Mayfield and Pulock looked really good today in practice," Roy said. "We’ll see how it goes on Saturday and see if they’re ready to play on Sunday. But yeah, it is encouraging.”

Here's how the Islanders lined up their defense since returning to the practice sheet:

Romanov-DeAngelo

Perunovich-Pulock

Pelech-Mayfield

Dennis Cholowski and Adam Boqvist served as the extra defensemen.

At 2 PM ET, the Islanders placed Cholowski on waivers to create a second and needed roster spot if Mayfield and Pulcok are both to be activated out of injured reserve for Sunday:

Cholowski barely played in the four games after Mayfield went down, with the team essentially running five defensemen, going 1-2-1. 

The 27-year-old, who made the team as the club's seventh defenseman out of training camp, had 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 33 games this season, averaging 12:48 minutes per game. 

The Islanders, who have skated the last three days, will not skate Friday. They'll return to the practice sheet on Saturday, a skate that will likely provide a crystal clear answer for Sunday's lineup. 

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