The Vancouver Canucks on Monday recalled center Andrew Ebbett from Chicago of the American Hockey League, and re-assigned center Jordan Schroeder to the AHL.

In five games earlier this season with the Canucks, Ebbett had no points, two penalty minutes and four shots on goal, while averaging 11:50 of ice time per game.

Schroeder, who played his first 22 NHL games this season, has two goals and three assists.

The mindset of the Tampa Bay Lightning at the NHL Trade Deadline is a topic now being addressed with more regularity.

Inconceivably, the Lightning sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings -- eight points adrift in both the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference -- thanks, in large part, to a 4-13-1 streak that has all but erased memories of their rather torrid start to the season.

Yet, general manager Steve Yzerman still believes his club has the goods to develop into a Stanley Cup Playoffs-caliber team.

The Ottawa Senators enter Sunday sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 6-2-2 mark in their last 10 games, and they've continued winning despite losing their best forward (Jason Spezza, back), their best defenseman (Erik Karlsson, Achilles tendon) and starting goaltender (Craig Anderson, ankle) to injuries. The team also is missing forward Guillaume Latendresse (neck) and defenseman Mike Lundin (concussion).

As the 2013 Trade Deadline approaches, Ottawa general manager Bryan Murray finds himself in an interesting position: Does he look to replace the injured players? Or does he wait it out with the roster he has and hope Spezza and Anderson return -- Karlsson is out for the season -- prior to the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

"You make judgments accordingly," Murray told the Ottawa Sun. "I have to see if [Spezza] is going to come back in a time frame that will help us. I have to see if Latendresse and Lundin are going to be ready to play.

"If our numbers are getting close to our regular lineup [in the near future], then you probably have more ambition, if you're in the playoff hunt, to say, 'Let's make sure we make it and let's pay the price to do it.'"

The Philadelphia Flyers opted to stay off the ice Sunday morning, ahead of their game Sunday night against the visiting Buffalo Sabres (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TSN2), one day after their 3-0 loss to the Boston Bruins, their third straight defeat.

After the game Saturday, coach Peter Laviolette convened a team meeting, followed by the players having a private meeting.

The defeat dropped the Flyers to 11th in the Eastern Conference standings, and after entering the week with two straight wins, they were swept in games against the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Bruins, two of which they held leads in only to see them given away.

Martin Biron will make his fourth start of the season in goal when the New York Rangers face the Washington Capitals on Sunday afternoon (12:30 p.m. ET, NBC).

In three previous starts and one relief appearance, Biron has a 1-1-1 record with a 2.50 goals-against average and .911 save percentage.

Braden Holtby (9-7-0, 2.87 GAA, .911 save percentage) will be in net for the Capitals.

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."