VANCOUVER – Ryan Kesler is back. So can the same be said for the Vancouver Canucks?

After treading water through a long slate of injuries, Kesler’s return against the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday gives the Canucks four legitimate NHL centers for the first time all season. With Derek Roy added at the NHL Trade Deadline, the question is whether they also are back as legitimate contenders in the Western Conference.

Coming off consecutive Presidents' Trophies as the NHL’s top regular-season team, and two years removed from Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, Vancouver certainly hasn’t looked the part this season. The Canucks have been notably absent from the contender conversations dominated by the Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks and a Los Angeles Kings team that hasn't changed much since eliminating Vancouver in five games last season en route to the Stanley Cup.

"I think that's fair," captain Henrik Sedin said. "But if you look at the team we’ve had this year and the guys that were missing, we have done a tremendous job keeping it together and staying in the race. You have to look at the positive instead of looking at us not winning the Presidents' Trophy. We haven’t had the lineup we want -- or need -- to be successful in the playoffs."

Barely two weeks into April, it has already been a pretty good month for Alex Carpenter.

Just days after leading Boston College to the 2013 Frozen Four and being named a Second Team All-American, the sophomore forward was named the New England Division I Player of the Year by the American Hockey Coaches Association.

That same day, she made her debut at the IIHF Women's World Championship as she suited up for the U.S. national team. In Tuesday's gold-medal game at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Carpenter can earn another honor with a win over Canada.

NEWARK, N.J. -- Ilya Kovalchuk is not ready to return to the New Jersey Devils' lineup yet, but the team isn't going to wait too much longer to bring him back.

The Devils are 0-3-4 and have scored 12 goals since Kovalchuk went down with a right shoulder injury March 23. They have fallen into ninth place in the Eastern Conference heading into their NBC Sports Network Wednesday Night Rivalry game against the Boston Bruins at Prudential Center (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TSN2).

"We're not going to put his safety in jeopardy," Devils coach Peter DeBoer said Tuesday, "but we're not going to wait until he's 100 percent to get him back. That's not realistic."

Kovalchuk practiced Tuesday for the first time since he was put on injured reserve March 24.

Minnesota Wild forward Dany Heatley had arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder Tuesday.

According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the procedure was performed at the Cleveland Clinic. There is no timetable for Heatley's return, but according to the newspaper, Wild coach Mike Yeo said he hopes the surgery allows Heatley to come back prior to the end of the regular season.

RALEIGH, N.C. - Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jussi Jokinen won't have to wait long to face the team that traded him.

Jokinen, dealt from the Carolina Hurricanes on April 3, returns to PNC Arena on Tuesday night for his second game with the Penguins. He earned a reputation as a reliable and versatile forward in four-plus seasons in Carolina, but became expendable as the Hurricanes took a steep tumble from first place in the Southeast Division.

Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said Tuesday he does not expect to have center Darren Helm back in the lineup this season.

Helm has been bothered by back problems this season and played in one game, Jan. 25 against the Minnesota Wild.

"He's not going to play hockey … this year, I don't think," Babcock said after the team's practice Tuesday. "So we've got to get ourselves into the playoffs and be ready to go without him."

Every season we see numerous NHL players go down with injuries. Sometimes they're long-term injuries and other times they're nothing more than a day-to-day concern. This is nothing new to fantasy owners, and it's something we all have to make decisions about on a daily basis when setting our rosters.

However, this season we seem to have seen even more than the normal amount of injuries. Maybe it's due to the long layoff before the season began, maybe it's because of the shortened training camps, or maybe it's just plain bad luck. But with just under three weeks of regular season action remaining, there are several key players out of their respective lineups.

Instead of our usual "Trending Upward" and "Trending Downward" sections, let's break down the most notable injuries that are likely to have an effect in your fantasy league, and then provide you with some advice on what to do if you own any of these players.

The 2012-13 season is hurtling toward the finish line. In fact, the regular season ends Saturday, April 27, just a mere 18 days away. Although the finish line clearly is in sight, the Stanley Cup Playoffs qualification picture is far less in focus. To help make sense of the many permutations that exist for the playoffs, NHL.com's Playoff Push Primer looks at some of the biggest movers and shakers among the postseason hopefuls.

Teams that clinched Monday night: None.

Teams that can clinch Tuesday night: The Pittsburgh Penguins can clinch the Atlantic Division with a win against the Carolina Hurricanes; the Anaheim Ducks can clinch a playoff spot if the Los Angeles Kings beat the Dallas Stars.

Playoff Positions to be claimed: 14

Days remaining in regular-season: 19

Total games remaining in regular season: 140

Tuesday's schedule

Philadelphia at NY Islanders -- The Islanders are closing in on their first playoff spot since 2007 and can leap as high as sixth with a win and a regulation loss by the Ottawa Senators. The Flyers have won seven straight at Nassau Coliseum, and need to extend it to eight if they have any hope of climbing into the Eastern Conference's top eight. They enter the night 12th in the conference, five points out of eighth.

Many believed the Montreal Canadiens would be a "bubble team" at this point in the season -- a squad that missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2011-12 but possibly could contend for a spot this season.

Instead, heading into their game Tuesday against the Washington Capitals, the Canadiens found themselves sitting atop the Northeast Division and three points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the lead in the Eastern Conference.

Certainly, it's helped that standout defenseman Andrei Markov has been able to stay on the ice. Markov, 34, has 24 points (seven goals, 17 assists) in 38 games. Combine that with the Norris Trophy-type season P.K. Subban is enjoying (he's tied for the team lead with 32 points in 32 games) and the goaltending Carey Price has provided, and the Canadiens (25-8-5) have had a chance to win on a nightly basis.

At the end of the day, though, the bulk of credit has to go to coach Michel Therrien. That's why, at the three-quarter mark of the schedule, Therrien has earned NHL.com's nod for the Jack Adams Trophy.

Here we go again.

For a 15th straight time, the United States and Canada will square off in the gold medal game of the International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship, slated Tuesday at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Ont., at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The countries have met in the final of all 14 world championship games, starting with the inaugural contest in Ottawa in 1990.

The teams met one week ago in preliminary-round competition when Canada rallied from a 2-0 third-period deficit on goals by Rebecca Johnston and Catherine Ward en route to a 3-2 shootout decision. Canada finished first in Group A with a 3-0 record, scoring triumphs over the U.S., Switzerland and Finland.