Devils’ Erik Haula activated off injured reserve

New Jersey Devils left winger Erik Haula is set to return to the lineup after being activated off the injured reserve Tuesday.

Sidelined for the past 12 games due to an ankle sprain, Haula has been limited to 42 appearances on the season in which he has notched five goals and six assists for 11 points with 29 penalty minutes and a minus-six rating.

Skating in his third campaign with the Devils, Haula wrapped up last season with 35 points counting 16 goals and 19 assists coming in 76 games.

Originally chosen by the Minnesota Wild in the seventh round of the 2009 NHL Draft, the 33-year-old Finnish forward has seen 732 career contests with the Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, Boston Bruins, and Devils in which he has secured 147 goals with 180 assists for 327 points. With the Golden Knights in 2017-18, Haula tallied a career-high 55 points. Haula has also reached double-digit goals on seven occasions, highlighted by his 29-goal finish with Vegas in 2017-18. Additionally, the two-way forward has registered 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 points through 73 appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Per PuckPedia, Haula is in the second year of a three-year pact that carries a $3.15-million annual average value.

Haula rejoins a Devils squad that sits third place in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 29-19-6 and 64 points. After falling 4-2 to the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday, the Devils will look to return to the win column Tuesday when the club takes on the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Devils and Penguins have met once previously this season, a late December affair in which New Jersey prevailed 3-0 following a three-point effort from captain Nico Hischier and a 12-save performance from starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom.