Wild finally have roster at full health 40 games into the season

NEW YORK — The Wild played their 40th game of the season on Tuesday, and that's when they finally had their entire roster available.

Mats Zuccarello returned to face the Rangers at Madison Square Garden after an upper-body injury sidelined him the past two games, and Jordan Greenway's absence because of illness was limited to last game. Marc-Andre Fleury also was back between the pipes after leaving the team for personal reasons, and the Wild debuted a full-strength lineup for the first time just shy of the halfway point of their 82-game schedule.

"Nothing changes if you have an injury or not," Zuccarello said. "We're going to play the same way, play hard, play defense first, and go from there."

Alex Goligoski was the lone defenseman scratched, a familiar situation for the veteran, but it's not often the Wild have benched a healthy forward and they opted to sit Mason Shaw.

"We had a great conversation with him," coach Dean Evason said. "Obviously, it's not an easy one because he shouldn't come out of our lineup. He's played well enough to stay in our lineup. We have to make a choice, and that was our choice.

"But the way that he's played and with the heart and grit and all the rest of it, he's a big part of our hockey club. He'll be back in there."

Lineup decisions will be merit-based.

The last time the Wild and Rangers squared off, in the Wild's season opener Oct. 13 at Xcel Energy Center, Ryan Reaves was on the other side of the battle.

Reaves was traded by New York to the Wild on Nov. 23 after his role changed: The veteran forward played most of last season but became a frequent healthy scratch before the Rangers sent him to the Wild for a 2025 fifth-round draft pick.

"It was fun last year," said Reaves, who was brought in by the Rangers to add more grit to their lineup. "This year was frustrating. I wouldn't say it rejuvenated me here. I had a great time the first year. Then obviously it was a sluggish start for the team and at times for myself.

"Sometimes changes happen, and I was the odd man out."

That hasn't been the case with the Wild.

"The style that they play I've always liked," said Reaves, whose 36th birthday is next week. "Even when I was in Vegas and we had a playoff series against them [in 2021], I loved this team. They play hard. They're physical. They obviously have some good skill up front. They always played a heavy game.

"I've always had respect for this team and the style they play. It's right up my alley."

This New York road swing is the first of two trips to the East Coast for the Wild in as many weeks.

After taking on the Islanders on Thursday, the Wild will return home for a Central Division clash with the Coyotes on Saturday before leaving again for Washington, Carolina, Florida and Tampa Bay.