Kyle Okposo To Return To Isles' Lineup Tuesday Against Rangers

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Winger Kyle Okposo will return to the Islanders' lineup on Tuesday night when they host the rival Rangers at the Nassau Coliseum.

The team made the announcement on Tuesday morning.

The 26-year-old will play in his first game since Jan. 19. He underwent emergency surgery to repair a detached retina some time around late January or early February.

Okposo has been skating for more than a week, and he re-joined New York prior to its loss to the Panthers on Saturday night.

"I felt great," he told Newsday on Monday. "Ever since I stepped on the ice, I haven't had any hesitations. I wasn't really surprised, because your eye should theoretically be stronger than the other one after the surgery. I've been feeling really good on the ice.''

The former first-round pick is expected to give the Islanders a much-needed offensive boost. In 46 games this season he's scored 14 goals and added 30 assists.

Defenseman Nick Leddy left Monday night's game against the Maple Leafs in the second period after colliding with Morgan Rielly. He's expected to be a game-time decision.

Entering Tuesday night's highly anticipated matchup, the Rangers (40-17-7, 87 points) are three points behind the first-place Islanders (43-21-4, 90 points) in the Metropolitan Division. The Rangers have four games in hand, however.

The Islanders have taken three of four from the Rangers this season. This will be the final regular-season meeting between the teams.