While defenseman Ryan Ellis is still several months away from returning to Nashville’s lineup as he continues to recover from knee surgery back in September, the Predators are set to welcome fellow blueliner Yannick Weber to the lineup as they announced that he was activated off injured reserve following practice on Friday.
Weber last played on October 12th against the Stars where he was injured in a collision with center Martin Hanzal. The Preds opted to wait until Tuesday to place him on IR, however, they back-dated the placement so that he wouldn’t have to spend the minimum one week with that designation. Through four games this season, Weber has been held off the scoresheet while averaging just over ten minutes per game in ice time.
To make room on the roster for him, the team placed center Nick Bonino on IR. He suffered a lower-body injury on Saturday and while it’s not specified in the announcement, it’s likely that Bonino’s placement was similarly back-dated which would make him eligible to be activated following the weekend. This is already the second time he has missed action since joining Nashville as he missed all of the preseason while recovering from a fractured tibia sustained during the Stanley Cup Final with Pittsburgh.