Forward Philip Varone was called up from the American Hockey League on Wednesday and will make his NHL debut Thursday.

"I don't think words can describe it," Varone said. "Extremely humbled, extremely excited, nervous. I mean, it's been a long time coming. I've worked my whole life for it. When it finally comes you don't expect it."

Varone was a 2009 fifth-round pick (No. 147) of the San Jose Sharks but never signed with the team. He's spent the past two seasons in the AHL with the Rochester Americans. He'll play Thursday on the third line with Marcus Foligno and Brian Flynn.

BUFFALO -- The Buffalo Sabres will have defenseman Henrik Tallinder back in the lineup when they host the Florida Panthers at First Niagara Center on Tuesday.

Tallinder was injured Dec. 29 against the Washington Capitals and missed the past eight games.

"It's always frustrating when you're injured, so it's good to be back with the guys in the locker room and everything that comes with it," Tallinder said.

Sabres interim coach Ted Nolan said Mark Pysyk would sit out so Tallinder can play. Tallinder likely will be paired with Tyler Myers, his usual defense partner.

"We just found out this morning that he's really good to go," Nolan said of Tallinder. "We haven't really had a chance to think about exactly who he's going to go with. Myers seems to be the guy who's really going right now. It could be a big benefit for him to play with the top guy right off the hop."

TORONTO -- Toronto Maple Leafs forward Dave Bolland has been out of action since Nov. 7 when a tendon in his ankle was cut by the skate blade of Vancouver Canucks forward Zack Kassian.

Bolland resumed skating in Toronto this week and spoke to the media Saturday for the first time since getting back on the ice.

DAVE BOLLAND

CENTER - TOR

GOALS: 6 | ASST: 4 | PTS: 10
SOG: 27 | +/-: 4

"It's not like any other rehab when you break an ankle and you can just say six weeks and you're back and it's healed," Bolland said. "You cut a tendon and it's got to re-heal itself. You've got to do the rehab, do the movements with the trainers and in the gym. It's not fun. It's grueling.

"You're always in the gym, you're always doing the things. You want to get back on the ice and you want to play but these are the things you've got to do to get back on the ice. Now I'm at that step back on the ice. Now it's just trying to get back into the game."

Bolland had surgery on the tendon shortly after he sustained the injury. It's a good sign that he's returned to the ice to skate, but it doesn't come without pain.

TORONTO -- The Montreal Canadiens will have a pair of new players in the lineup against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday (7 p.m. ET, NHLN-US, CBC, RDS), with defenseman Nathan Beaulieu and forward Joonas Nattinen drawing in. For Nattinen, it will mark his NHL debut.

"A hat trick, a great night in Montreal. But this'll do, I can do a hat trick here," Nättinen said describing what he pictured happening in his first NHL game. "I'm just trying to enjoy all the minutes I'll get there and play as good as I can for this team."

To make room for Nattinen, Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said Rene Bourque will be a healthy scratch. Nattinen likely will play on a line with rugged forwards Travis Moen and George Parros.

Defenseman Raphael Diaz did not skate Friday or at the morning skate Saturday and appears to be the likely removed for Beaulieu. Carey Price will start in goal.

TORONTO -- The Buffalo Sabres will get defenseman Tyler Myers and forward Drew Stafford back in the lineup against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.

Myers has served his three-game suspension for delivering an illegal check to the head of New Jersey Devils forward Dainius Zubrus and will return to his spot on the Sabres' top defensive pairing.

"I'm not the type of guy that's reckless or looking to injure somebody and I think on that play I was trying to be aggressive," Myers said. "At my height and my size I think it's going to happen sometimes. I have to be aware of it for sure, but I don't think I want to change my game."

Sabres interim coach Ted Nolan says Stafford is ready to go after he missed the past four games with an upper-body injury. He has four goals and 13 points in 41 games this season. Forward John Scott will also suit up against the Maple Leafs. Linus Omark and Marcus Foligno will sit to make room.

BUFFALO -- The Philadelphia Flyers will get Matt Read back in the lineup when they face the Buffalo Sabres at First Niagara Center on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TSN). Read missed the past six games after sustaining a concussion against the Calgary Flames on Dec. 31. He has 10 goals and 19 points this season.

"He's an every-situation player for us," Flyers coach Craig Berube said. "Penalty kill, power play, 5-on-5. He's fast, has the ability to put the puck in the net, so he adds speed. Like I said, he's an all-around kind of player."

Berube said there wouldn't be any limitations and would use Read in all situations.

The Flyers arrived to Buffalo having lost their past two games by a combined score of 10-4.

TORONTO – The recovery for injured Toronto Maple Leafs forward Dave Bolland is going well and the hope is he'll return to skating with the team this week.

"Bolland will hopefully start skating with us after these two games. Thursday is the target date," Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said. "He's had to travel to Montreal to have a new boot specifically designed to relieve pressure around where his injury, the incision, the repair, was done and that boot is supposed to be made available to us after this weekend. Hopefully he'll join our hockey club for practice on Thursday and then that's the road to recovery. The plan is for him to make the road trip with us and practice a week from Monday."

TORONTO – New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur will be playing the role of backup to Cory Schneider for the third consecutive game Sunday night, and it has him thinking about his future.

Brodeur, 41, has not been a backup goalie during his 20-season career spent entirely with the Devils and it has him considering what happens next.

"My heart is," Brodeur told reporters about playing one more season. "My body could be a different story. We'll see. I'll see what the best scenario is for me if it's back in New Jersey or somewhere else. But right now, my heart is here to try and finish strong and prove that I can still be a big impact in hockey games."

TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have more than a four-game winless streak and the New Jersey Devils to contend with Sunday at Air Canada Centre. They're also battling illness.

According to Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle, forwards Tyler Bozak and Jerry D'Amigo, defensemen Mark Fraser and Tim Gleason, and goalie James Reimer all missed the morning skate with some kind of sickness.

"There's either a flu bug or food poisoning," Carlyle said. "There's just too many of them under the weather and having the same symptoms. We don't quite have a finger on exactly what it is. We think that there's people that weren't skating this morning that will be available to us tonight."

BUFFALO -- After having a game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday postponed until Feb. 25 because of a blizzard, the Buffalo Sabres will face the Florida Panthers on Thursday without defenseman Tyler Myers.

Myers was suspended three games for his check to the head of New Jersey Devils forward Dainius Zubrus. The Sabres were already shorthanded on defense without Henrik Tallinder (upper body). Alexander Sulzer will take Myers' spot in the lineup.

"We probably won't see a guy with over 28 minutes or 30 minutes," coach Ted Nolan said of his defense. "You'll probably see a whole lot of them with 15 or 20 instead."

Originally scheduled to play Tuesday, Jhonas Enroth will start in goal. Enroth stopped 44 shots to lead the Sabres to a 3-1 win against the Panthers on Oct. 25.