Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov will be in the lineup on Monday night when his team faces the Sabres in Buffalo.
Head coach Paul Maurice announced the Finn’s return after the morning skate.
Barkov has missed the past eight games due to a lower-body injury he sustained on Oct. 10 against the Ottawa Senators.
The 29-year-old was trying to stop an empty-net goal when he crashed feet-first into the boards.
Barkov recorded 80 points (23 goals and 57 assists) in 73 games during the regular season last year. He also had 22 points (eight goals and 14 assists) in 24 playoff games to help the Panthers capture their first Stanley Cup.
The Tampere, Finland, native has one assist in two games this season as the Panthers are set to visit his hometown this coming weekend to take on the Dallas Stars as part of the NHL Global Series.