Wild-Red Wings game preview: Ryan Hartman returns to lineup, but Jared Spurgeon still out

vs. Detroit Red Wings, Xcel Energy Center, 7 p.m. Wednesday

TV; radio: BSN; 100.3 FM

Stats and analytics: Tap here.

Pregame reading: Wild's Kaprizov named NHL's No. 1 star after big week of scoring

For the fans: The NHL's roster freeze is in effect through midnight on Dec. 28. Minus a few exceptions, teams are prohibited from trades, waivers and loans.

Opening bell: Can the Wild (15-13-4) pick up where they left off? Before the holiday break, they won three in a row, with two of those victories against Boston. Since Nov. 28, coach John Hynes' first game behind the bench, the Wild's 10 wins are the most in the NHL. As for the Red Wings, they've struggled of late. Detroit (16-14-4) has only one win in its past six games.

Lineup updates: RW Ryan Hartman returns from an upper body injury for the Wild, but D Jared Spurgeon is still sidelined. Filip Gustavsson will start in goal.

Injuries: Wild D Jonas Brodin (upper body), Spurgeon (lower body) and RW Mats Zuccarello (upper body). Red Wings G Ville Husso (lower body), C Klim Kostin (upper body), G Alex Lyon (upper body) and D Olli Maatta (upper body). The Wild recalled D Daemon Hunt and W Jake Lucchini from Iowa on Tuesday.

Forecast: Plenty has changed since the Wild's 4-1 loss at Detroit on Nov. 26; Dean Evason was fired the next day, Hynes arrived, and the Wild have been mostly on the upswing. The fact they continue to pick up points despite missing key players highlights the Wild's depth but also how well the team has adopted the tweaks Hynes has implemented. This evolution should be reflected in the Wild's rematch with the Red Wings, who have dropped a handful of one-goal games lately.

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