It finally looks like Tampa Bay Lightning might be getting some of their injured blueliners back into the line-up. While the team wasn’t on the ice for practice on Tuesday, off the ice, the organization made a couple of moves that indicate at least one of their injured defenseman may be ready to go. With the Lightning re-assigning Simon Lundmark and Jakob Pelletier, the door is open for Ryan McDonagh to return to the line-up on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets.

The reassignment of Pelletier wasn’t a surprise given that he was scratched from the line-up after Jack Finley and Gage Goncalves returned from their illness in time for Monday’s game. With the recall of Curtis Douglas from his conditioning stint, there were just too many forwards in the locker room. Pelletier appeared in one game during his most recent stat with the Lightning, skating for 11:53 in the 8-5 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He’ll head back to continue his all-star season with the Syracuse Crunch as the Lightning’s AHL affiliate continues to push for a top spot in the North Division.

It is worth noting that the Lightning opted to send Lundmark, who is a right-shot, down instead of the recently recalled Max Groshev, who is a left-shot. Part of that could be just to get Lundmark playing again as he has appeared in just one game since the beginning of January. There could also be another correlated move prior to the game on Thursday.

If McDonagh is indeed back in the line-up, the Lightning defense will probably roll out like this:

J.J. Moser – Darren Raddysh

Ryan McDonagh – Erik Cernak

Declan Carlile – Max Crozier

Max Groshev

Groshev did get the nod over Carlile in the last outing and teamed up with Erik Cernak for the majority of the game. The converted forward would give the team something they don’t currently have with Hedman and Charle-Edouard D’Astous out of the line-up – a blueliner that can carry the puck out of their zone.

While the Lightning have thrived despite not having McDonagh’s services since December 22, his return will be welcomed by his teammates and coaching staff. The McDonagh/Cernak pairing has long been one of the best the organization have ever had and even though they’ve conceded goals at a higher rate this season (3.29 GA/60), their underlying numbers have been their usual steady self (2.06 xGA/60).

Hedman, D’Astous, and Emil Lilleberg still remain out as of now, with early February still as an assumed return time frame for Hedman and Lilleberg. When asked about D’Astous prior to the game against Utah, Coach Cooper listed him as “day-to-day” and that they would reevaluate after his first week on injured reserve is done.

The Lightning have a tough stretch over the next ten days as the Jets, Bruins, Sabres, and Panthers are all in town prior to the Olympic Break. Having their veteran blueliners back should help them deal with the competition as they look to create some separation in the standings.