Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice finally delivered some positive injury updates regarding veterans Tomas Nosek and Dmitry Kulikov on Wednesday morning.
The Olympic break is officially over and the entire roster is getting ready to face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.
Both injured skaters officially shed their non-contact practice jerseys and joined the main group for full-speed physical drills.
Paul Maurice just told Joe Rose that Dmitry Kulikov and Tomas Nosek coming out of the non-contact jersey for today's practice.
Kulikov out since Game 2, Nosek since injuring knee over the summer
That incredible development completely shifts the locker room energy as this struggling team desperately fights for a wildcard spot down the stretch.
Florida currently sits on the outside looking in with an ugly 29-25-3 record and a frustrating -17 goal differential.
The defending back-to-back Stanley Cup champions are struggling to find any real consistency during this exhausting 82-game marathon.
Keys players set to return to the lineup
Getting two reliable veteran bodies back on the active roster guarantees they don't have to rely entirely on inexperienced minor league call-ups during a tight playoff push anymore.
Kulikov has been completely sidelined since the very second game of the regular season. He only logged two appearances and a -1 rating before a severe upper-body injury shut him down completely.
Maurice demands a heavy, two-way game from his defensemen and desperately needs his physical edge back on the active penalty kill.
Nosek has not played a single shift for the Panthers this entire year after suffering a devastating knee injury during summer training.
He originally signed a free-agent deal to provide a stable defensive presence down the middle but spent the last six months strictly rehabbing.
Over his NHL career, the 33-year-old Czech native has consistently proven he can handle heavy, taxing minutes against elite Eastern Conference opposition.
His impending return instantly injects some much-needed speed through the neutral zone to help generate controlled entries and consistent offensive output for the bottom six.
Will the Panthers beat the Maple Leafs on Thursday?
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