George Sipple

Detroit Free Press

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Mike Green is expected to return to the lineup Tuesday against the New York Islanders (7:30 p.m., FSD).

He missed back-to-back wins against the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins over the weekend with a stomach virus. He was among a group of Wings, including forwards Thomas Vanek and Dylan Larkin, on the ice today for an optional skate at Joe Louis Arena.

“I feel great,” Green said. “Ready to go for tomorrow.

“We came out strong in both games. I thought I might have to work my way in the lineup. Hopefully, I get the call tomorrow.”

After Tuesday, the Red Wings will be on a bye for the rest of the week.

“We’re really playing good hockey here,” Green said. “Hopefully, we can continue that after the break here. ... Right now, we’re playing good and need to continue.”

Green said one thing he noticed while watching the past two games was the Wings' forecheck.

“It’s caused some chaos and confusion in the other team’s zone," Green said. "We’ve gotten a lot of chances. If we continue, we’ll be good.”

Green, who signed a three-year, $18-million deal in 2015, could be traded before the NHL’s March 1 trade deadline. He has 10 goals and 26 points in 49 games this season.

Asked how he has dealt with being mentioned as a trade candidate, Green said: “I’m just focused with what’s happening in this dressing room, continuing to try to get better and win hockey games. That’s it.”

Season slipping, it's time for Detroit Red Wings to eye future

Howard update: Goaltender Jimmy Howard (knee) was on the ice for today's skate but said “we’re not quite there just yet.”

It’s unclear when Howard might rejoin the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) for a rehab stint. He tweaked his knee in a Griffins game earlier this month. He hasn't played for the Wings since December.

“There’s quite a few different scenarios right now that we’re kicking around,” Howard said. “Hopefully, we can do it sooner rather than later.”

Howard said he’s not planning to take a break this week, even as the Wings take theirs.

“Hopefully, we can just (keep) moving up the ladder here,” he said.

Meanwhile, Howard said everyone knows what’s at stake as the Wings try to climb out of the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Asked whether part of that is the team's 25-season playoff streak, he said: “The stakes have been so high here for so long, every single year, we strive to push that bar even farther. A lot of guys in this dressing room have a lot of pride. We’re very honored and humbled to wear the jersey that we wear, so we want to go out there and represent it well every single night. It hasn’t quite gone our way every single night this year. It’s great to see the guys over the weekend really gain some confidence.”

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