It appears Ryan Kesler may finally be ready to return to the Vancouver Canucks lineup.

Kesler was wearing a blue jersey, like the rest of his teammates, at practice today and took a regular shift in the middle between Zack Kassian and Chris Higgins, He also was part of the no. 1 power play unit with the Sedins, Alex Burrows and Alex Edler fuelling speculation he could make his season-debut tomorrow night against the Dallas Stars at Rogers Arena.

The Canucks also announced that centre Manny Malhotra has been placed on Injured Reserve and will miss the remainder of the season.

“The long term health of Manny Malhotra is of utmost importance to our organization,” said Mike Gillis, President and General Manager, Canucks Sports & Entertainment. “Throughout his career Manny has showcased his indispensability through skilled play, being a consummate professional and leader in the room while also continuously giving back to the community. Manny will continue to be a valued member of our organization.”

Malhotra's spot on the fourth line now belongs to Max Lapierre, with Andrew Ebbett taking over as the extra forward.