Vincent Lecavalier (foot) said he will most realistically return to action next Thursday against the Lightning, Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Lecavalier (foot) said he will most realistically return to action next Thursday against the Lightning, Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Analysis:

Lecavalier was able to skate on his own prior to Friday's session and could be cleared to resume practicing with the team over the next couple of days. While he didn't rule out a return to action as early as Tuesday against the Kings, it seems more likely that he'll first be up to full speed Thursday, when the Flyers will take on his former squad. Philadelphia could still retroactively stash Lecavalier on injured reserve over the weekend in order to add an extra forward, but because he's already missed more than the minimum seven days, he'll be eligible for activation as soon as the Flyers deem him ready.