The Calgary Flames returned to the practice ice at Winsport on Tuesday afternoon, kicking off what amounts to a shortened training camp as they ramp things back up after the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

And the club had two familiar faces back in the fold on Tuesday, as both forward Connor Zary and defenceman Kevin Bahl were on the practice ice as full participants, per multiple reports from colleagues at the rink.

Zary has been out with a lower body injury since colliding with Anaheim Ducks defenceman Drew Helleson way back on Jan. 7 in Anaheim, causing him to missing the past 15 games. A left-shot forward that can play centre or the wing, Zary is in his second full NHL season and he’s performed really well, posting 10 goals and 22 points over 40 games before his injury. He was the Flames’ first-round selection in the 2020 NHL Draft.

Bahl has been out with an upper body injury suffered in a collision with Minnesota Wild forward Jakub Lauko back on Jan. 25 in Minnesota, causing him to miss the past eight games. A left-shot defenceman, Bahl has found a great niche with the Flames as a physical stay-at-home blueliner paired with Rasmus Andersson within the Flames’ defensive group. Bahl is a no-frills blueliner, but his reliability and simplicity has allowed Andersson to be, well, Andersson. Bahl has two goals and 14 points through 47 games this season. He was acquired by the Flames over the summer from New Jersey in the Jacob Markstrom trade.

Via our pal Pat Steinberg, of Sportsnet 960 The Fan, here’s how lines and pairings looked on Tuesday afternoon:

Huberdeau – Kadri – Coronato
Zary – Backlund – Coleman
Farabee – Frost – Sharangovich
Lomberg – Rooney – Pospisil

Bahl – Miromanov
Hanley – Weegar
Bean – Pachal
Barrie

(Dustin Wolf and Dan Vladar tended the nets.)

The general assumption is that Daniil Miromanov is a placeholder for Rasmus Andersson, who was an excused absence on Tuesday as he travels back from the 4 Nations Face-Off, and that would mean Bahl returns to his previous spot with Andersson. Zary functionally replaces Dryden Hunt, who played with Backlund and Coleman in the final game before the break against Seattle, and otherwise the forward group is as it was against the Kraken.

The Flames currently have 20 players on their active roster. The roster limit is 23 players, and since Zary and Bahl are both currently on the injury reserve list, they could be activated without any cap impacts and without the Flames having to make any other moves to accommodate their returns. They need to be activated from the IR to be eligible to play in games, but they can practice with the team while on the IR.

The Flames return to game action on Sunday when they host the San Jose Sharks.