TORONTO, Ontario - Ten days after undergoing surgery to have a cancerous tumor from his thyroid, Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta took another step closer to a return by participating in the team’s Thursday afternoon practice at MasterCard Centre.

Maatta, 20, took the ice briefly in the Penguins’ pregame skate Tuesday but did not participate in contact drills until Thursday. He won’t be in the lineup Friday when the Penguins face off against the Maple Leafs, but his return might not be so far away.

“The way it looks today,” coach Mike Johnston said, Maatta will “definitely be back” earlier than the original four-week window scheduled for rehab and recovery. Johnston said Maatta could return as early as five or six days from now.