Return of Nummelin means one must go

The team already is at the maximum 23 players on the roster.

By Kent Youngblood, Star Tribune

Last update: December 10, 2007 - 1:15 AM

It appears Petteri Nummelin is about to be sprung.

Nummelin has been out of game action since suffering a head/nose injury Nov. 21 against Vancouver. The next day he was put on injured reserve so the Wild would have room to pluck Todd Fedoruk off of waivers and keep Aaron Voros on the roster.

Nummelin has been practicing for more than two weeks. Now, finally, he might actually get into a game again. After Sunday's practice at Parade Ice Garden, Wild coach Jacques Lemaire said he planned on playing Nummelin on the team's upcoming three-game road swing to San Jose, Anaheim and Los Angeles.

"He's going to get back in," Lemaire said. "He will play on this trip."

That means the Wild has a difficult roster decision looming.

If the Wild does intend to play Nummelin, he would have to be taken off injured reserve. The team already has the maximum 23 players on its roster, not counting Nummelin or center Mikko Koivu, who is also on IR. To make room for Nummelin the Wild would need to drop one player -- barring another injury.

Nummelin has remained patient.

"The team has done well, and I got that hit to my head, and with your head you always have to be careful," he said. "The game is not like practice. In practice you're not getting so many hits. The only thing you can do is work hard and be ready."

Keep working

Wild goaltenders coach Bob Mason has been watching a lot of tape of Josh Harding. The good news? Harding's fundamentals are good. He is not fighting the puck.

So why is Harding having such a difficult time getting back into the win column?

Patience and foresight.

"Maybe just needs a little more patience reading the play," Mason said. "Seeing a play before it happens, not being surprised by things. It's awareness in the zone, taking a quick look and knowing where everybody is. Then you're not surprised. I think he has been surprised a couple of times this year."

Since allowing a total of one goal in his first two victories this season, Harding is 1-6-1 in his past nine appearances, with an .882 save percentage and a 3.56 goals-against average.

To Harding, the key is just hard work.

"You talk to any goalie and they'll tell you they go through things like that, and I'm going through mine now," he said.

"I don't think I've been playing awful, but the breaks haven't been going my way. Only hard work will get you the breaks."

Etc.

• Pavol Demitra was given the day off from practice after games on back-to-back nights. "Thirty-eight years old, No. 38, let him rest," Lemaire joked, only slightly exaggerating Demitra's age (he turned 33 last month).

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