Matt Cooke, it appears, very much missed being away from his team.

Cooke, the Wild's gritty winger, returned to practice Monday. Out 20 games because of a hip flexor injury, he returned to practice symptom-free and with a lot of steam to blow off.

Which might explain the squirting of water bottles. Or the (whoops) slightly too-hard hit Cooke put on Mikko Koivu, which drew the ire of the Wild captain. Or how Cooke, comically, tried to give Koivu a hug in the dressing room afterward. Though, to observers, it looked more like a wrestling match.

Happy to be back?

"I feel great," Cooke said. "It's been a long process, a lot longer than anybody would have liked, especially myself. But I had to make sure it was right before I got back with the team. Today it felt awesome to get back with the guys.''

Cooke did not travel to Chicago and will not play Tuesday against the Blackhawks or Wednesday against Boston. But coach Mike Yeo said Cooke could play Saturday vs. Nashville.

Cooke had more than a dozen individual skates under his belt before finally returning to practice. Monday he went very hard, testing the hip.

The time away was difficult for Cooke, especially when the team was on the road and he was stuck at home doing individual workouts.

"I like to know how the team is feeling, what the mental mind-set is," he said. "I've been removed from all that. That's just as hard as not being able to go out and play.''

The team misses Cooke's gritty play, especially his work along the boards and in one-on-one battles in the offensive zone.

"He's an important player for us," Yeo said. "I think we did a good job surviving — and better than surviving — on the penalty kill, which is a huge part of his game. He'll bring energy and leadership to the group.

Carter, Ballard to IR

Winger Ryan Carter and defenseman Keith Ballard were placed on injured reserve Monday. The Wild also called up forward Brett Sutter from Iowa of the AHL.

Ballard has been out since suffering a concussion and facial fractures when checked into the boards by New York Islanders winger Matt Martin on Dec. 9. Carter, according to Yeo, suffered an upper-body injury in San Jose against the Sharks and didn't play Saturday in Arizona.

Yeo said he had hoped Carter would return to practice Monday, but was held out because of lingering discomfort. But Carter is expected back sooner rather than later. The earliest he could return to play is Saturday.

One in, one out

Defenseman Jared Spurgeon was sent home ill Monday and will not play Tuesday in Chicago. But Marco Scandella, done serving his two-game suspension, will be back.

"It will be a big test [Tuesday]," Yeo said. "So getting Marco back is huge. We're going to need him, his skating ability, his defensive play."

Etc.

• Defenseman Ryan Suter was named the league's No. 2 star of the week after picking up five assists in three games. And this coming after his bout with the mumps.

• Mikael Granlund did not practice. Yeo said Granlund was given a maintenance day and that Granlund is expected in the lineup Tuesday.