Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris and Shane Pinto will each return from injury against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; SN1, NBCSCA).
Tkachuk, a left wing, missed two games with a lower-body injury sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off, where he represented the United States. The Senators captain took reps alongside Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux on the first line at practice Friday.
Tkachuk has 44 points (21 goals, 23 assists) in 56 games for Ottawa (29-25-4), which has lost five straight and trails the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets by four points for a wild card in the Eastern Conference.
"This is what it's all about here," Tkachuk said. "I'm excited for this opportunity to kind of show everybody what this group is all about. I know we're in a little bit of a skid right now, but I'm really looking forward to getting on the ice and kind of proving all the doubters wrong."
Norris, a center who missed six games with a mid-body injury, will play on the second line between David Perron and Drake Batherson. He has 31 points (19 goals, 12 assists) in 50 games.
"There's not a ton that you can do when you're hurt other than rehab and do your best and just think about hockey 24/7," Norris said Friday. "I've definitely pictured myself coming back and I think we've got 24 games left. It's really intense and exciting hockey. These are the types of games that you don't want to miss."
Pinto, a center who missed four games with an upper-body injury, will play with Ridly Greig and Michael Amadio on the third line. He was previously a game-time decision against the Florida Panthers on Feb. 8, but the team chose to be extra cautious with his rehab.
Pinto has 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 46 games.
"I think it was that they wanted me for the last 25 [games]; they didn't want to risk anything that early, especially with the [4 Nations Face-Off] break coming up," Pinto said. "So, it worked out."
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