Official update on goaltender Alex Lyon released by Detroit Red Wings

Out of action since November 25, Detroit Red Wings goaltender Alex Lyon is ready to return.

Earlier today, the Red Wings announced that he's been activated from Injured Reserve, and that he'll be available for tonight's game at Little Caesars Arena against the Philadelphia Flyers (7:00 PM, FanDuel Sports, 97.1 The Ticket).

In fact, it will be Lyon who gets the start in tonight's game:

Lyon was hurt during practice following the 11/25 victory over the New York Islanders, and hasn't appeared in game action since then.

The Red Wings were forced to call up Ville Husso from the Grand Rapids Griffins, and while he mostly performed well (aside from the disastrous start against the Buffalo Sabres last Monday), he didn't get the offensive support needed from his teammates.

Lyon is in the last year of a 2-year deal, and his long-term outlook with the franchise hasn't been decided.

Lyon has proven himself (most of the time) to be a reliable option in the crease for the Red Wings, who missed out on the postseason last year by a single point thanks to a tiebreaker with the Washington Capitals.

And while there were several points last year in which Lyon resembled a legitimate starting goalie, there were other times when the heaviest workload of his career was clearly causing fatigue.

Like Lyon, goaltender Ville Husso is also playing on an expiring contract. And with Sebastian Cossa on the verge of making his leap to the NHL, the crease for the Red Wings could be looking very differently next year.