Little change

After implementing the coach's challenge and 3-on-3 overtime for this season, the NHL's general managers recommended no rule changes at last week's meeting in Boca Raton other than to streamline goalie ­equipment.

"People feel the game's in a good place, so there's no sense in making changes year after year if you don't need to," Wild GM Chuck Fletcher said. "There was no groundswell to do anything. The coach's challenge has had the desired effects and more games have been decided in overtime than ever."

The GMs did learn next year's salary cap is estimated to be about $74 million, about a $2.5 million hike.

No comment

Last week, NFL senior vice president for health and safety Jeff Miller acknowledged during a roundtable discussion on concussions that there's a link between football and such neurodegenerative diseases as CTE, which has been found in the brain postmortem of athletes.

Asked to comment, Commissioner Gary Bettman said: "I think it's fairly clear that playing hockey isn't the same as playing football. And as we've said all along, we're not going to get in a public debate on this."

He's back

With Calgary visiting the X on Thursday, it'll be interesting to see if coach Bob Hartley starts Niklas Backstrom, the winningest goalie in Wild history, against his old team.

He is slated to start his first game in more than 14 months Sunday in Montreal.