Oilers' Neal expected to make season debut vs. Leafs

Edmonton Oilers forward James Neal has been activated off the injured reserve and is expected to be in the lineup for the club's rematch with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, the team announced.

The 33-year-old was removed from the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list last Friday, and he returned to practice this week.

The veteran winger tallied 19 goals and 31 points over 55 games during his first campaign with the Oilers in 2019-20. The Calgary Flames traded him to Edmonton for winger Milan Lucic in July 2019.

A consistent goalscorer, Neal was on pace last season to crack the 20-goal mark over an 82-game slate for the 11th time in 12 NHL campaigns.

There are two years remaining on his current deal beyond this season at an annual cap hit of $5.75 million.

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