GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Wild could get one injured player back in action Thursday against the Coyotes, the final test on this three-game road trip.
Defenseman Jared Spurgeon, who's been out with a hand injury since Dec.3, is a game-time decision. The Wild sent defenseman Brennan Menell back to Iowa of the AHL.
"Obviously missing some time, I want to be simple at the start, just make simple plays and get my feet under me," Spurgeon said.
Sidelined after getting hit with a shot on his right hand, Spurgeon has been recovering the past seven games and he knew immediately after the shot block that he was hurt.
"There's a difference between getting [a] stinger and some other stuff," he said. "Fortunately, it wasn't as long as expected."
Goalie Devan Dubnyk will get the start in net, his first since Nov.16.
Before traveling on this trip, Dubnyk had been away from the team off and on while his wife Jenn deals with a medical situation.
"I'm old enough now where I know what I need to work on, whether I've played 10 in a row or whether I haven't played for a month," Dubnyk said. "There's little things with my skating and making sure I'm set on shots. I've played a lot of games in the last four or five years. You don't forget how to play in a month."
