Fleet activate Hannah Bilka from long-term injured reserve, place Alina Muller on LTIR

Several moves for a PWHL team still trying to get into the playoffs.

On Saturday, the Boston Fleet activated forward Hannah Bilka from long-term injured reserve, placing forwards Alina Müller and Amanda Pelkey on LTIR with lower-body injuries.

Also, the Fleet has taken forward Kelly Babstock and defender Hadley Hartmetz from its reserve list, adding them to the main roster in time for Saturday’s game against the Toronto Sceptres. In response, Boston has placed forward Jillian Dempsey on its reserve list.

Bilka is also expected to be in the lineup for the team’s third-to-last game of the regular season. The 24-year-old has been out of the lineup since getting injured in Game 4 of the Rivalry Series in February. She hasn’t played a PWHL game since Jan. 31. Bilka has been a promising rookie, scoring four goals and nine points in 13 games prior to the injury.

While Bilka’s return was expected to provide some extra bump to the team’s offense, Müller’s injury could not come at a worse time. She was hurt during Switzerland’s placement game at the IIHF Women’s World Championship in Czechia last week. The Swiss star is second on the Fleet in scoring, tied for 12th in the PWHL, with 19 points in 26 games. Müller also missed some time in December after going into concussion protocol.

With Müller’s LTIR placement retroactive to April 19, she wouldn’t be eligible to return to the lineup until May 11, when Boston hopes to be competing in the PWHL Playoffs.

Pelkey has been out of action since getting hurt in the Fleet’s last against the Ottawa Charge on April 2. In 25 appearances this season, the veteran has potted three goals and five points.

Babstock has been on and off the main roster throughout the season. She’s eligible to play on Saturday after serving a two-game suspension for slew-footing Sceptres forward Jesse Compher on March 26. Hartmetz started the season on LTIR while recovering from an injury suffered during last year’s NCAA Championship when her Ohio State Buckeyes beat the Wisconsin Badgers. While she was signed to a one-year contract in November, she was on a 10-day deal when she played her first and so far only PWHL on March 18 against the Montreal Victoire.

Dempsey was initially signed to a 10-day contract after Bilka was placed on LTIR in February. The longtime Boston pro was signed to a standard contract later in the month. In nine games, Dempsey has two assists with the Fleet.

The Fleet (8-6-4-9) sit third in the standings coming out of the break. With three games remaining, they are just two points ahead of the fifth-place Ottawa Charge and five points behind the Sceptres for second.