Anaheim Ducks’ Alex Killorn to return to lineup vs. Maple Leafs

Killorn, 34, had been out of the lineup for just over a month after an arthroscopic knee surgery, and is returning much sooner than initially expected when the surgery was announced. He ends up missing just nine games, with the Ducks going 4-4-1 during his absence.

Killorn has been solid when he’s been healthy, although he hasn’t been producing quite as much as he has in recent seasons, with 6 goals and 13 assists for 19 points in 34 games. Should he remain healthy for the rest of the season, he’s on pace for 35 points, which would be his lowest point total in a non-shortened season since his rookie season in 2012-13.

Despite Killorn’s struggles offensively, he continues to be one of the best penalty-killing forwards in the league. Since 2020-21, his 3.1 shorthanded goals above replacement is tied for 17th amongst forwards.

Killorn was originally a third-round pick for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2007 NHL Draft, and after making his NHL debut in 2013, he spent 11 seasons in Tampa, winning two Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021. He then went to free agency in the 2023 offseason, where he signed his current four-year, $6.25 million contract with the Ducks.

The Ducks also announced that winger Brock McGinn has been placed on injured reserve retroactively to February 10th to make room on the roster for Killorn. McGinn has missed the past five games with an upper-body injury.

The Ducks currently sit in seventh in the Pacific Division with an 19-32-2 record, which is the third-worst record in the league. They will look to build off of their 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators when they visit Toronto on  Saturday at 7 p.m. EST.