Although he's not quite 100 percent yet, Ristolainen (not injury related) told reporters Thursday he "feels really close and really good," Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports.

EDGE Analysis

This is encouraging news, as coach Ralph Krueger recently said he was hopeful Ristolainen would be ready to play "in a few weeks." It sounds like Ristolainen should be back sooner than that, but it's hard to pinpoint a definite timeline for the 26-year-old Finn, who is still working on ramping up his conditioning after being sidelined due to the NHL's COVID-19 protocols. The 2013 first-round pick picked up six points through the first 10 games of the campaign before landing on the protocols list.