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Kings place Greene on IR; could this mean Toffoli’s nearing a return?

Ottawa Senators v Los Angeles Kings

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 26: Patrick Wiercioch #46 of the Ottawa Senators and Matt Greene #2 of the Los Angeles Kings skate for a puck in front of Tyler Toffoli #73 during the first period at Staples Center on February 26, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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It’s strange to wonder if a player being placed on IR is a good sign, but that might just be the case with the Los Angeles Kings.

The bad news is that defenseman Matt Greene was placed on injured reserve on Monday. He hasn’t played since Jan. 16, so it’s probably not too much of a surprise.

The positive side is that it could be a signal that someone else might be nearing a return. Could underrated winger Tyler Toffoli be ready (or almost ready) to return to the fold?

Toffoli, 24, has been sidelined since Dec. 20. He brings a two-way game that the Kings badly need as they try to scratch and claw for a playoff spot.

The Kings play five of their next six games on the road, so getting Toffoli back soon (maybe he’ll just play one of this week’s upcoming back-to-back set on Tuesday/Wednesday?) could be significant.