Islanders' Hamonic to make early return vs. Lightning

Travis Hamonic won't need four-to-six weeks of recovery after all.

The New York Islanders defenseman will return to the lineup Monday to face the Tampa Bay Lightning, head coach Jack Capuano confirmed, according to Newsday's Arthur Staple.

Hamonic was placed on injured reserve last week after sustaining a broken thumb in a game against the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 5. The injury was originally expected to keep the 26-year-old out of the lineup for several weeks.

The return couldn't have come at a better time for the Islanders, who earlier in the day announced that defenseman Dennis Seidenberg would be out indefinitely with an upper-body injury.