New York Rangers defenseman Dan Boyle is nearing a return from a broken hand and could play this week.

The 38-year-old blue liner could be in the lineup Thursday when the Rangers face the Colorado Avalanche, according to head coach Alain Vigneault.

AV says he's expecting Dan Boyle to be in the lineup tomorrow night. — Andrew Gross (@AGrossRecord) November 12, 2014

When he does return, Boyle says he'll be playing through pain.

"It's got to get a little bit stronger," he told Newsday's Steve Zipay. "It's not where I want it to be ... I'm going to have to (play through) for a little while. It's pretty hard to be pain-free in this league."

The veteran got some power-play work in on Wednesday, which bodes well for his imminent return.

Reports from #NYR practice: Dan Boyle paired with Marc Staal, and working on PP, signs that he likely will return Thursday — Steve Zipay (@stevezipay) November 12, 2014

Boyle broke his hand on Oct. 9 in his regular-season debut with the Rangers. He signed a two-year, $9 million contract in July.