Prosser deal official; Koivu practicing

Russo here: I'll be on KFAN from 9-9:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning

The Wild announced the Nate Prosser deal this morning. The rookie defenseman gets a two-year, one-way deal worth $1.65 million. That's an $825,000 salary cap hit starting next year.

Prosser, 25, has six assists this season in 23 games with the Wild. He's been back and forth between the NHL and the AHL's Houston Aeros this season because he doesn't have to clear waivers to be sent down. The team is 14-7-2 when he is in the lineup.

He was signed as a free agent out of Colorado College in March, 2010.

UPDATE:

Kent Youngblood here. I was at practice today, with Mike already in Columbus.

It was funny the amount of good-natured grief Prosser was getting from his teammates in the wake of the signing. One teammate noted that cameramen would need wide-angle lenses from now on to capture Prosser's head. Josh Harding asked if Prosser would be on the team's charter to Columbus or if he was taking a private jet.

Prosser has paid his dues to get to this point. He's been up and down from Houston a number of times. Enough that Prosser banked enough frequent flier miles to fly his wife, Brittani, up from Houston each time he was called up.

Prosser, who is from Elk River, said signing with the Wild is a perfect scenario. And, knowing it's a one-way deal gives him -- and his family -- a feeling of security Prosser said was a relief.

it's also good timing. Prosser said he and his wife are expecting their first child in August. By that time the Prossers will have been able buy a home in which to welcome the baby. Prosser has been holding off on buying a house up here because he didn't want to jinx anything.

His next goal? "Hopefully with that first NHL goal," Prosser said. "That's what my next goal is. I guess you could say."

Wild coach Mike Yeo announced the deal to the team at center ice during practice. Here's what Yeo had to say after practice was over:

In other news:

--Mikko Koivu practiced today, wearing a green sweater that signified he could engage in some contact. After doing some work in battle drills, he said he felt good. But neither Koivu nor Yeo would say whether Koivu would play in Columbus tomorrow, though he will travel with the team. "He had a good practice today, and we have to see how he feels through the rest of this day and into tomorrow," Yeo said.

--Here are the lines at practice today: Brodziak with Johnson and Heatley; Cullen with Clutterbuck and McMillan; Christensen with Setoguchi and Powe; Peters with Kassian, Ortmeyer and Staubitz.