The Nashville Predators are set to get a boost to their lineup in the New Year as defenceman Ryan Ellis will make his season debut after off-season knee surgery.

General manager David Poile told 104.5 The Zone in Nashville on Thursday Ellis is on track to debut against the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 2.

"The doctor says it's about confidence now, he's fully healed. I'm expecting Ryan Ellis will skate the last week of the year and be looking at the first game of 2018 as a time to be back," Poile said, per Thomas Willis of the team's website.

Poile said after Ellis' September surgery the team was hopeful he would return in January.

The 26-year-old scored 16 goals and added 22 assists over 71 games with the Preds in 2016-17, his sixth year with the club. Ellis added five goals and eight assists over 22 games in the playoffs as Nashville made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, losing in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Selected 11th overall by the Predators in 2009, Ellis has 46 goals and 95 assists over 352 career games in Nashville. 

The Hamilton native helped Canada win the gold medal at the 2009 world junior championship as well as the World Cup in 2016.