Posted: March 7, 2011 5:49 p.m. CT
By SARAH SERVETNICK
FOXSportsNorth.com
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Busy day at the Xcel Energy Center. The Minnesota Wild began practice with a stick tap to welcome team captain Mikko Koivu back.
This was Koivu's first full practice with the team since he broke his finger on February 18th vs Anaheim. The Wild are 3-3-2 since Koivu has been out.
Todd Richards said Koivu was cleared to "take part in certain drills, but they still have to keep him out of the battle drills."
Koivu said he is taking it "day to day" but that it felt good to skate with his teammates. He said his grip was "still far away from normal but felt better then he thought." Koivu will travel with the team on their upcoming four-game, nine-day road trip to Nashville, Dallas, Vancouver and San Jose. No timetable has been set for his return.
In other injury news, Richards said Guillaume Latendresse who hasn't played since October 25th is "getting close". Richards said of Latendresse's return to the lineup: "Tomorrow, maybe. On the road trip, maybe."
Latendresse himself said it "can be tomorrow, can be in two weeks. We don't know. We're going to make a decision, everybody together. But for now, no decision has been taken."
Whenever the decision is made, the Wild could use Latendresse's offense back in the lineup. Latendresse scored 25 goals in 55 games for the Wild last season. He had 3 goals and 3 assists in 8 games for the Wild this season before he was injured.
To add to the walking wounded missing from the ice today were Andrew Brunette, Clayton Stoner and Cal Clutterbuck.
Clayton Stoner who leads the Wild with a +9 rating will play tomorrow vs Colorado according to Todd Richards. Richards said Stoner has been bothered by a lower body injury and they decided to keep him off the ice today to rest him.
Andrew Brunette is sick and is questionable for tomorrow's game vs Colorado. If he doesn't play, the Wild could call up another forward from Houston to replace him.
Cal Clutterbuck is still day to day with an "upper body" injury and won't play tomorrow.
Todd Richards said Niklas Backstrom will get the start tomorrow night. Backstrom is 16-4-2 with a 2.29 GAA in his career vs Colorado. He is 9-2-1, with a 2.42 GAA career vs Colorado at Xcel Energy Center.
