"Unless he has a setback, he is good to go Friday," head coach Ken Hitchcock said, according to Mark Stepneski of Inside Edge.
The 32-year-old has been out since Jan. 4 and has missed 41 games overall this season with a knee injury, but is on pace to return after missing the team's last 15 contests.
"I feel okay. It's been really long. I've never dealt with anything like this before, so it is just something I've had to be patient with," Methot said. "I'm here working my tail off every day, so I'm hoping that when I do come back, I'll be prepared and well-conditioned."
Methot has been limited to just 16 games - having gone pointless - since being plucked from the Ottawa Senators by the Vegas Golden Knights during the expansion draft before he was flipped to the Stars.
If practice lines stay true, Methot will slot in on the third pairing alongside Stephen Johns.
Elliott was injured during a shootout win Saturday over the Arizona Coyotes. He played the entire 65 minutes and faced the first two shootout skaters before taking Clayton Keller's stick to the mask in the third round and falling awkwardly.
With Elliott now out for the majority of the playoff drive, the Flyers' postseason hopes lay in the hands of career backup Michal Neuvirth, who will temporarily form a tandem with Alex Lyon who was recalled from Philadelphia's AHL affiliate Tuesday.
In Elliott's first season with the Flyers, he's posted a respectable 21-11-7 record go along with a 2.72 goals-against average and .908 save percentage through 41 games.
Elliott was injured during a shootout win Saturday over the Arizona Coyotes. He played the entire 65 minutes and faced the first two shootout skaters before taking Clayton Keller's stick to the mask in the third round and falling awkwardly.
With Elliott now out for the majority of the playoff drive, the Flyers' postseason hopes lay in the hands of career backup Michal Neuvirth, who will temporarily form a tandem with Alex Lyon who was recalled from Philadelphia's AHL affiliate Tuesday.
In Elliott's first season with the Flyers, he's posted a respectable 21-11-7 record go along with a 2.72 goals-against average and .908 save percentage through 41 games.
Granlund was injured last week during Vancouver's loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning when he landed awkwardly on his ankle after getting hit along the boards by Ryan Callahan.
The Finnish centerman hasn't played since last Thursday against Tampa, and despite the severity of the injury and pending surgery, Green isn't ready to rule out Granlund for the remainder of the season.
Granlund has registered eight goals and four assists in 53 games played.
In the first Winter Olympics without NHL players since 1994, anything could happen.
With the first men's game set for puck drop Wednesday morning, theScore takes a stab at predicting what will happen with each of the top seven countries competing.
Olympic Athletes from Russia: Kovalchuk averages 1.5 goals per game
Having scored at least 30 goals in 10 NHL seasons before his early exit to the KHL, Ilya Kovalchuk will establish himself early in the tournament as one of the best goal scorers at the Olympic games.
Though he'll have a target on his back, Kovalchuk will use his all-world shot to snipe goals on a regular basis against lesser skilled units, averaging at least one and a half per contest by the end of the tournament.
Sweden: 17-year-old Dahlin wins best D-man
Dahlin is hands-down the biggest name in the men's hockey tournament to have never appeared in the NHL, though that is set to change rather soon.
The projected top pick of the 2018 NHL entry draft will be one of the most gifted players in the tournament at just 17 years old. After fellow Swede Erik Karlsson took home the best defenseman award at Sochi 2014, Dahlin will continue the tradition by shutting down opposing offenses and winning the 2018 title for himself.
Canada: Scrivens steals crucial win with 50-save performance
The 31-year-old former NHL journeyman will be one of the familiar-but-not-famous personalities to lead Canada's quest to defend gold.
While the boys in red and white may take some time for everyone to get on the same page, they should get through their opening-round opponents (Switzerland, Czech Republic, and South Korea) to move on to the quarterfinals. However, Scrivens will need to stand on his head to keep them alive for the semifinals, stopping over 50 pucks en route to a big win.
Finland: Team will allow no more than 6 goals throughout entire tournament
One thing you can always count on with the Finnish team is strong goaltending. Though the Finns won't have the likes of Pekka Rinne or Tuuka Rask, their group of puck stoppers in PyeongChang will be a stout bunch helped out by solid team defense.
Wiithout much offensive fire power, Finland will play a tight, low-scoring style in each contest, resulting a tournament-best defense as it allows less than six goals throughout the entire event.
Czech Rep.: Francouz named best goaltender
Pavel Francouz has become a star in the KHL over the last two seasons, posting GAA's of 1.43 and 1.83 as one of the league's best goaltenders.
The Czech Republic team will be short on offense, needing to rely on the man between the pipes to compete in any contests. Francouz will use the Olympic stage to prove he's more than just a KHL star, leading the tournament in total saves by a wide margin and picking up the best goaltender award.
United States: NCAA talent leads team scoring
Former NHLers Brian Gionta and James Wisniewski will likely serve as the veteran leaders in the locker room for team USA, but it will be those still hoping to earn their shot at the big leagues who take command on the ice.
Too naive to be startled by the big stage, the NCAA talent on the American squad - Troy Terry (University of Denver), Ryan Donato (Harvard), Jordan Greenway (Boston University), and Will Borgen (St. Cloud State University) - will steal the spotlight from their more-experienced teammates by lighting up the opposition.
Switzerland: Every team goal scored by Haas, Suter, or Corvi
With the exception of a few former NHL journeymen, the Swiss team isn't anywhere close to a star-studded group, but it does have a trio of forwards getting hot at the right time in the Swiss-A league.
Gaetan Haas, Pius Suter, and Enzo Corvi have competed against one another the past three seasons as some of the premier local talents in the Swiss-A league. While the rest of the team scrambles to keep the opposition from taking advantage of their goaltending issues, these three snipers will be the only Swiss players to light the lamp in PyeongChang.
Calgary Flames goaltender Mike Smith is considered day to day with a lower-body injury following an MRI that revealed positive news, head coach Glen Gulutzan said Tuesday.
Smith was helped off the ice near the end of Sunday's game against the New York Islanders with what appeared to be a groin injury.
Backup netminder David Rittich will play Tuesday against the Boston Bruins in a game he was originally slated to start. Smith also won't play Thursday against the Nashville Predators, but from there he will be considered day to day, Gulutzan told reporters.
Smith has been an invaluable member of the Flames this season. He ranks second in the league with 47 games started and has a .921 save percentage and a 2.53 goals-against average.
Calgary Flames goaltender Mike Smith is considered day to day with a lower-body injury following an MRI that revealed positive news, head coach Glen Gulutzan said Tuesday.
Smith was helped off the ice near the end of Sunday's game against the New York Islanders with what appeared to be a groin injury.
Backup netminder David Rittich will play Tuesday against the Boston Bruins in a game he was originally slated to start. Smith also won't play Thursday against the Nashville Predators, but from there he will be considered day to day, Gulutzan told reporters.
Smith has been an invaluable member of the Flames this season. He ranks second in the league with 47 games started and has a .921 save percentage and a 2.53 goals-against average.
The NHL trade deadline is less than two weeks away, and general managers of contending clubs are running low on time to make a move to get over the top.
However, there are plenty of talented rental players available, and while it might seem foolish to give up a valuable haul in exchange for just a few months of ice time, it's all worth it if you win the Stanley Cup.
With that in mind, the following three teams should make these suggested trades to improve their championship odds ahead of the postseason:
Evander Kane to St. Louis
Blues receive
Sabres receive
LW Evander Kane
2019 1st-round pick
2018 2nd-round pick
C Jordan Kyrou
The Blues are one of the more well-rounded teams in the NHL. Carter Hutton has given them outstanding goaltending while Alex Pietrangelo and Colton Parayko anchor a stellar back end, but despite their big names up front, they could still use another legitimate scoring threat to aid a middling offense.
Enter Evander Kane, who has 18 goals and 205 shots this year while playing for the lowly Buffalo Sabres. Not only would he add a much-needed scoring threat to St. Louis' top-six forward group, but he'd also provide physicality and grit in the postseason, as evidenced by his 109 hits.
The Blues already gave up their 2018 first-round pick in the Brayden Schenn deal, so they'd have to move their 2019 first-rounder. And while Jordan Kyrou is a promising prospect, their farm system is flooded with other young, skilled forwards.
Meanwhile, the Sabres would have to retain some of Kane's salary to make the trade work. But to obtain a prospect like Kyrou - plus two other draft picks - it would be well worth it.
Rick Nash to Boston
Bruins receive
Rangers receive
LW Rick Nash
2018 1st-round pick
D Jakub Zboril
It's no secret that the Bruins have been one of the best teams in the NHL over the last few months, but what's perhaps most impressive is they've done so without a formidable second line.
A wealthy organization like the New York Rangers would likely have no problem eating some of Nash's contract to make it work, especially since they're very committed to rebuilding.
The emergence of Travis Dermott has given the Leafs just one hole to fill on the back end, and a veteran like Mike Green would give them a balanced defense unit from one to six. Moreover, Green would help a power play that surprisingly ranks in the middle of the pack despite all the firepower up front.
Going the other way, Josh Leivo needs to find a team that can give him a chance, and Borgman will be hard-pressed to ever crack Toronto's top four. With all their organizational depth, the Leafs can also afford to lose a first-round pick.
In the process, Toronto might have to bury Matt Martin's contract in the minors, but the team's had no problem doing so in previous similar situations.
