The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers practised at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Friday.

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Help is on the way as the Leafs look to avoid their longest losing streak of the season. John Tavares and Matthew Knies returned to practice on Friday as the team prepared for Saturday's showdown with the Edmonton Oilers.

"I felt I got all my strength back," said Knies, who reunited with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on the top line. "I think I should be in tomorrow."

Tavares was less certain, but also seemed optimistic.

"I keep progressing really, really well," said Tavares, who practised as the second-line centre with Max Pacioretty and William Nylander on his wings. "I really just try to narrow my focus to getting a little better every day. Obviously, it's led to being part of practice today and being able to push myself pretty good. It was very positive."

Head coach Craig Berube feels there's a "good chance" both forwards will be back in the lineup on Saturday. The development comes as welcome news for a Leafs team that has dropped three straight games while scoring just three goals.

This is the third time this season that Toronto has dropped three straight games and only the second time that all the losses have come in regulation. The Leafs haven't lost four straight in regulation since the final days of the Mike Babcock era in November 2019.

Tavares, who is tied for second on the team with 20 goals, has been sidelined since sustaining a lower-body injury via a practice collision with Chris Tanev on Jan. 15.

"He's skating the one way and his foot just kind of clips me, but it kind of drags me at the same time," Tavares recalled. "It kind of hooked my leg and stretching me out pretty good. I was a little nervous with how my leg was stretching out, my left one, and then kind of shifted all my weight to my right, and my foot just got stuck in the ice, and with all my weight there. Obviously wasn't a great result, but it is what it is."

Berube revealed that Tavares is considered ahead of schedule in his recovery.

Knies, who is second on the team with 15 goals in 5-on-5 play, has missed the last two games after getting hurt while throwing a hit on Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko on Jan. 22.

"It was kind of a fluky play," Knies said. "Just tried to get body position on him. I fell kind of awkwardly there. Yeah, it just didn't feel comfortable with my shoulder, and that's kind of the reason I wanted to take some time, heal it up, and make sure I was 100 per cent to go for the next game."

If they do indeed play, Tavares and Knies will not be able to ease back in. The division-leading Oilers went 10-3-1 in January. Leon Draisaitl leads the league with 36 goals and came in No. 1 on TSN's list of the top 25 players this season. Teammate Connor McDavid came in No. 3.

"It'll be a challenge, that's for sure," Tavares said with a smile. "It's always unbelievable to play against the best and what they can do and certainly what they accomplished last year ... It's always a........

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