Mitch Marner is expected to return for the Maple Leafs on Saturday

The Maple Leafs are expected to activate Mitch Marner for the game Saturday, David Alter of The Hockey News reports. Marner has been on long-term injured reserve since Dec. 2 due to a shoulder injury. Marner suffered the injury in practice. The injury came just as Marner was playing well as he had two goals and four assists in his previous five games.

Marner doesn’t have the name recognition of Austin Matthews or John Tavares but is one of the best forwards in the game when healthy. The Maple Leafs are playing a different brand of hockey this season. In past years they played a wide-open style and have been criticized because although that style is fun to watch, it’s hard to win consistently, especially in the playoffs if your forwards aren’t backchecking. This season those forwards are coming back to help their defensemen. The Leafs still play in what might be the toughest division, Atlantic, in the NHL, but perhaps this is the season they get by the Lightning, Panthers, and/or Bruins.

The Maple Leafs will take on the Senators on Saturday. The Leafs are -130 (-1.5) on the puck line, -345 on the money line, with an over/under of six, over (-124), under (-102). You can find the lines and props for this game and all others at FanDuel.com.