The Colorado Avalanche have activated defenseman Ryan Wilson from injured reserve and placed forward Milan Hejduk on IR retroactive to March 3.

Wilson, who hasn't played since Feb. 2, has three assists in eight games this season.

Hejduk, who has three goals and nine points in 20 games this season, suffered a torso injury.

The Calgary Flames announced Saturday they have activated center Mikael Backlund from injured reserve. The 23-year-old has been out of the Flames lineup since Feb. 7, when he suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain during the team's 4-3 overtime win against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Prior to his injury, Backlund had three goals and four points in eight games this season.

In order to open a roster spot for Backlund, the Flames reassigned rookie Sven Baertschi to the Abbottsford Heat of the American Hockey League.

New Jersey Devils captain Bryce Salvador, one of five players to appear in each of the team's 82 games last season, did not make the trip to Raleigh, N.C., and will miss the Devils' game Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes with an upper-body injury. Salvador, 37 was named captain in January and has one assist in 24 games this season.

He isn't the only Devils defenseman not to make the trip south. Henrik Tallinder has not played since Tuesday against Tampa Bay and remains out with a lower-body injury. The team's official Twitter feed confirmed Salvador's absence and noted that 20-year-old Adam Larsson would take his place in the lineup.

Here is the Devils projected lineup for the game against the Hurricanes, based on reports from the morning skate:

Defenseman Erik Johnson, who hasn't played since Feb. 11, will return to the Colorado Avalanche lineup Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks (9 p.m. ET, NHLN-US).

Johnson, who missed 11 games with a head injury sustained during that Feb. 11 game against the Phoenix Coyotes, had been skating and traveling with the team for the past 10 days, appearing on the ice in an orange non-contact jersey.

Friday morning, coach Joe Sacco announced that the 24-year-old would be back in the lineup.

"We're excited to have EJ back in the lineup," Sacco said. "Big-body guy for us back there. Puck-moving guy who can get up in the play for us. As far as expectations go for EJ tonight, just play hard, keep it simple. Don't try to do too much right away."

After getting tough news on Patrick Sharp, who will miss 3-4 weeks with an upper-body injury, there was a bit of good for the Chicago Blackhawks, who announced forwards Marian Hossa, Andrew Shaw and Michael Frolik will be available for Friday's game against the Colorado Avalanche (9 p.m. ET, NHLN-US).

Hossa was a late scratch from Wednesday's game against the Avalanche due to an upper-body injury, but told the Chicago Tribune it was not concussion related.

"It was something else," Hossa said following the Blackhawks' morning skate. "Right now I feel much better and sometimes only two days just not practicing [and] taking off helps. I feel much better [Friday] in the morning skate and I should be ready to play."

The Chicago Blackhawks announced forward Patrick Sharp would miss 3-4 weeks with an upper-body injury sustained in Wednesday's game against the Colorado Avalanche. 

TSN's James Duthie reported that Sharp has a separated shoulder, posting on his official Twitter account that Sharp has "a fairly severe AC joint shoulder separation."

In 24 games this season, Sharp has five goals and 18 points.

The Blackhawks meet the Avalanche again Friday at Pepsi Center (9 p.m. ET, NHLN-US), trying to extend their point streak to 25 games to start this season, and 31 stretching to the end of the 2011-12 regular season.

The San Jose Sharks on Friday called up goaltender Thomas Heemskerk from the San Francisco Bulls of the ECHL.

The 22-year-old is 13-17-3 with a 3.16 goals-against average and .904 save percentage in 37 ECHL games this season.

To make room, the Sharks sent forward Bracken Kearns to Worcester of the American Hockey League.

Ian White has met with both general manager Ken Holland and coach Mike Babcock to discuss his future, according to the Detroit News.

White, 28, has been a healthy scratch for the past five games, including a 3-0 win against Edmonton on Thursday night.

According to the Detroit News, White didn't ask for a trade when talking to Holland but does wonder about his future with the Red Wings.

Minnesota Wild forward Cal Clutterbuck was activated off injured reserve Friday, while the club placed goaltender Darcy Kuemper on IR and recalled goalie Matt Hackett from its American Hockey League affiliate in Houston.

Clutterbuck hasn't played since being injured in a Feb. 21 game against Edmonton, on a play in which Oilers forward Taylor Hall received a kneeing major and game misconduct, and later was suspended for two games. Clutterbuck has two goals and four points in 16 games this season.

Kuemper, 22, was recalled when Josh Harding had to be placed on IR due to symptoms from multiple sclerosis and made his NHL debut Feb. 12 in Vancouver. In four games (three starts), he is 1-2-0 with a 2.22 goals-against average and .924 save percentage.

Hackett, 23, played in 12 games for the Wild last season, going 3-6-0 with a 2.38 GAA and .922 save percentage. In 42 AHL games, he is 19-19-3, with a 2.56 GAA and .910 save percentage.

The Washington Post reported that Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green, out of the lineup since Feb. 27, skated by himself Friday prior to the team's practice, the first time since his most recent injury.

Green, on injured reserve with a groin injury, has missed six of the Capitals' past eight games. He was injured during a game Feb. 14 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and returned for back-to-back games Feb. 26 and Feb. 27 against the Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers, playing more than 21 minutes in each.