Gagne, who admitted to feeling the best he's felt in months on Friday during practice at the Skate Zone in Voorhees, N.J., is looking forward to joining his teammates and offering some much-needed offensive assistance. Philadelphia, which is currently 15th in the Eastern Conference with 32 points, has scored just seven goals over its last five games.
"I think any time you get a top-six (forward) back, you're getting a boost to your lineup," said Flyers coach Peter Laviolette. "The name of the game is offense, and the top teams in the League are scoring goals. He gives us more of a threat when he's on the ice."
Gagne, 29, skated alongside captain Mike Richards and Dan Carcillo during practice on Friday. The return of Gagne will certainly provide Laviolette more offensive options.
"It keeps (Jeff) Carter's line (with Scott Hartnell and Danny Briere) intact, and I thought (Claude Giroux's) line (with James van Riemsdyk and Arron Asham) did a good job. It should be a good balance."
"(Friday) was pretty much the first time I enjoyed myself in practice," Gagne said. "I knew the way I was feeling (Friday) that (Saturday) was going to be my first game back, so I'm pretty excited. I have some family coming in for Christmas, and my (6-month-old) son (Matthew) will be there. It's going to be fun to not be by myself when I go back in and play a game."
Gagne, who has a goal and four assists in nine games this season, last played Oct. 25 in a home loss to San Jose. He underwent a pair of surgeries to fix hernias in his groin not soon after.
"I was a little tight (on Thursday) but I felt good (Friday) and I did pretty much everything I would need to do in a game -- I pushed myself on the ice, battled one-on-one and did stop-and-go's," Gagne said.
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.