Injury updates; Khudobin recalled; Prosser to make NHL debut?

Update: Expect that by week's end Wild draft picks Marco Scandella and Darcy Kuemper will be signed to ATO's (Amateur Tryout Agreements) and report to AHL Houston. Scandella, who is signed to an entry-level deal expected to start next season when he officially turns pro, was part of the Val'd-Or team that was eliminated in the Quebec League playoffs. Goalie Darcy Kuemper, who plays for Red Deer in the Western League, is also done playing right now.

Other Wild draft picks of note: Tyler Cuma's Ottawa 67s will open against Mississauga (I love that city's name) on Thursday, while the Taylor Hall vs. Tyler Seguin (anticipated No. 1/2 picks in either order) showdown occurs Thursday when Windsor takes on Matt Hackett and Plymouth.

Good afternoon from beautiful MPLS, where I have a headache. I thought it was a caffeine headache. It wasn't. I checked.

Now I'm over caffeinated.

Wild vs. the Kings tonight. A Los Angeles victory, and the Wild will be a Colorado point or a lost point away from playoff elimination.

Kings have their own problems right now. They're just trying to win a game. They've lost three in a row, five out of seven and eight of 13 this month as they're heading in the wrong direction as they prep for the playoffs.

Terry Murray will right the ship. Although, I am biased, I admit. I've covered a ton of coaches personally -- in order, Doug MacLean, Bryan Murray, Terry Murray, Duane Sutter, Mike Keenan, Rick Dudley, John Torchetti, Jacques Martin (kinda sorta), Jacques Lemaire and Todd Richards -- and Terry was one of my favorites. He just understood and respected the reporter's role as good as anybody I've met. Was honest, and absolutely loved shooting the breeze with us. He used to drive the Florida PR guys crazy because some mornings he'd chat with us for 30 or 45 minutes while we had our notebooks in our back pockets.

There's a great reason why the Panthers were swept. If you ever bump into me out of the rink and off the blog-o-sphere, ask me and I'll tell you (hint, world championships)

In a mass response to my tens of emails, it's an 8:15 start because once a week Versus has an exclusive window where games in the United States cannot begin until Versus is off the air. So to ensure that 100 more households in the Twin Cities and Los Angeles watch tonight's 6 p.m. Buffalo-Boston game, it's got to be a late start tonight.

So, when you're groggy at work and school tomorrow, tell you're boss that's the reason. And when your first edition newspaper doesn't have a game story in it tomorrow and your second edition newspaper doesn't have quotes, there's your reason.

So, much appreciate the 8:15 p.m. start tonight (as they say on twitter, #sarcasm).

OK, here's your injury updates:

Hopefully Prosser's not paying for all the tickets (players only get two freebies) by the way because his signing bonus wasn't that ginormous.

-- Mikko Koivu, who's missed the past two games with an elbow injury, skated in the morning skate and told Todd Richards he was feeling OK. I'd assume he'll play, however, Richards couched it by saying he still needed to talk to the trainers.

-- Guillaume Latendresse skated in the morning skate and is expected to play. I've been getting a ton of emails asking for updates on Latendresse negotiations. There's no negotiations. They're waiting 'til after the season to dig in. I'll write my Sunday column on what the factors are in these negotiations because some interesting decisions need to be made by both sides in terms of term. But there is no time crunch here. He's a restricted free agent, so this isn't Marian Gaborik/Brian Rolston all over again. Nobody's swooping in and signing him to an offer sheet (I promise you, if I'm wrong, I will eat crow. I mean it, I will literally eat a crow on a webcast).

Like I said, more on this in my Sunday column.

-- Josh Harding went for an MRI today on his injured hip and Anton Khudobin was called up to back up Niklas Backstrom. I'd say the chances of Harding playing again this season are slim to zilch. Remember that conversation I told you he had with referee Dan O'Rourke the other day? I assumed right on the subject, and what was said back to Harding is unbelievable. I'll put that in the paper.

In other hockey news:

Marian Gaborik's hit the skids on Broadway, highlighted by a long benching the other day. Here's a column bv the esteemable Larry Brooks of the New York Post.

By the way, the fact the Rangers are even still in the playoff hunt just shows how different things are in the East. The Rangers are four points out of a playoff spot with two fewer points than the Wild. They've also scored fewer goals.

It's sad, really, but the way things shape up right now, if the Wild finishes 13th in the West, it'll still have the 10th pick in June's Draft in Los Angeles because Nos. 9-15 are lower in the standings.

Not good, especially since I sat next to a GM on a plane Saturday that said as long as you get in the top-8 in this draft, you should get an "impact" player.

Lots of changes in the Calgary organization has to be on the horizon, incidentally.