Stepan (fractured fibula) appears set to return to the Rangers lineup Saturday against the Maple Leafs, Andrew Gross of the Bergen Record reports. With center Chris Mueller returning to AHL Hartford on Thursday, the Rangers already have opened a spot for Stepan's return to the active roster, suggesting he'll be activated from long-term injured reserve in advance of Saturday's game. The team will likely wait for Stepan to complete Friday's full-contact practice before doing so, but barring any unforeseen setbacks, the Rangers should have their No. 1 center back in commission. He required about six weeks to recover from the fracture suffered late in training camp, missing the team's first 12 games of the season as a result.