Olli Jokinen will make his debut with the Maple Leafs on Tuesday night against the team he once played for— the Florida Panthers.

Jokinen, who did not participate in the morning skate at the Air Canada Centre, met with reporters later in the dressing room.

“I’ll be playing tonight,” the Finnish veteran said.

Leafs coach Peter Horachek said he’ll be playing centre, with Leo Komarov and David Clarkson as his wingers.

Horachek said he planned to pair Jokinen with Komarov because they are familiar with each other.

“They played together at the world championships,” the Leaf coach told reporters. “They’ve played together before and had some success.”

In Jokinen, Horachek said he has a veteran who has played over 1,200 games.

“He has played in a lot of situations,” Horachek said about the 6-foot-3, 215-pound forward. “I’m looking forward to seeing him being excited to being back in the middle. He’s got size. He likes to shoot the puck, so that’s something I’m looking forward to as well. I think he is going to show some positive leadership up the middle.”

Jokinen, 36, playing for his 10th team, arrived in a trade with Nashville on Sunday.

Jokinen said he was excited for the chance to play centre, which is his natural position. He played on the wing this season with the Predators.

With only three goals for the Predators in 48 games, Jokinen said the lack of production was in part due to the fact that, as a life-long centre, he was asked to play on the wing.

He also said he is excited for the chance to prove to others and himself that he can still play in this league. There are reports that this won’t be his last stop, and that the Leafs may deal him before the trade deadline on March 2.

“Obviously, I’m in a position, I have to show everyone that I’ve still got game left. I’m in good shape,” he said. “I believe I can still play at this level. I just got to get out there and prove that.”

Jokinen was asked what his secret was to playing this long in the league.

“You’ve got to take care of yourself and you’ve got to love the game,” Jokinen said, adding that for the last seven years he has had a full-time massage therapist who only works for him.

Jonathan Bernier will likely be in goal on Tuesday night. He did not participate in the morning skate, while James Reimer did. That usually indicates that Bernier will be the Leafs’ man in goal.

The Leafs are playing their first game since the trade that shipped out defenceman Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli to Nashville on Sunday. The Leafs, in turn, received a 2015 first-round pick, 20-year-old prospect Brendan Leipsic and Jokinen.

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The Leafs have called up forward Sam Carrick from the Marlies and it’s likely he’ll see duty as the fourth-line centre.

Trevor Smith who did not practise Monday, will be replaced in the lineup by Brandon Kozun, who was recalled from the Marlies along with Petter Granberg.

Carrick, 23, has skated in 40 regular-season games with the Marlies this season, collecting 20 points and 74 penalty minutes. Carrick made his NHL debut on Nov. 1, 2014 against Chicago. He has been held pointless in 10 games with the Maple Leafs this season.

Missing from the Leafs will be forward Joffrey Lupul and defenceman and captain Dion Phaneuf. Lupul is expected to miss about one week of action with a lower-body injury. He has missed two games.

Lupul did participate in Tuesday morning’s pre-game skate.

Phaneuf is week to week with a broken hand suffered in a fight on Jan. 21 against Ottawa. He has missed nine games.

The Panthers will be without forward Brandon Pirri (upper body), who has missed three games, and defenceman Willie Mitchell (upper body), who has missed six contests.

Defenceman Dmitry Kulikov has missed one game following a four-game suspension.

Florida defenceman Aaron Ekblad is one goal shy of tying Ed Jovanovski for first all-time among Panthers rookie defencemen. Jovanovski had 10 in the 1995-96 season.

This game also sees the return of Dave Bolland to Toronto. Bolland played 23 games for the Leafs last season, recording eight points in an injury-plagued season. He left as an unrestricted free agent. With Florida, he has three goals and 12 assists in 34 games.

The Leafs travel to Carolina to face the Hurricanes on Friday and host the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.