"Granlund Watch" should be shortlived; Wild injury updates

Welp, the world championships are over, Mikko Koivu didn't medal for the first time in 12 international tournaments (an amazing fact Canadian Press' Chris Johnston tweeted today) and Mikael Granlund's got nothing else holding him back from signing with the Wild.

That should happen in the next little while, so hold your horses just a little while longer.

To use Mike Yeo's favorite word, it's a process, and when signing a player from overseas, it's not as simple as "sign here." There's a few hoops to go through to complete the transfer, especially with a lack of transfer agreement right now, so it could take a few days more for the paperwork to be finalized and registered.

But again, the Wild's confident it will be announcing soon that Granlund is signed and Granlund's side has also indicated things are positive.

The Wild also must sign Johan Gustafsson before June 1, which also is in the works. The 2010 sixth-rounder will play next season again in Sweden though.

The Wild tweeted today that the Granlund Watch begins, so you know if the team's tweeting Wild fans to pay attention, it's not anticipating any complications.

What else?

1. Guillaume Latendresse (concussion): Feeling much better and frankly probably could have returned at the end of the year, but there was no point. Fletcher and Latendresse will have a conversation in the next few weeks to try to determine his future. He can become a restricted free agent. Like I've written before though, I don't see the Wild tendering him a qualifying offer at $2.5 million after two injury destroyed seasons in a row. It'll either try to negotiate a different type of contract with Latendresse or let him become an unrestricted free agent. "We'll have a good conversation to see where he's at with his health and where he's at with his conditioning, and what he wants to do," Fletcher said. "I want to get a sense of how healthy he thinks he can be next year and where his head's at."

2. Pierre-Marc Bouchard (concussion): Also feeling better, but Fletcher has purposely avoided bothering him each week with "How you feeling?" questions. Fletcher is also supposed to meet with Bouchard over the next week or so. Bouchard has another year left on his contract.

3. Jared Spurgeon (concussion): Cleared a week after the season. Feeling good.

4. Marco Scandella (hand surgery, hernia surgery): He was playing with both for awhile apparently, and should be recovered by late June.

5. Mike Lundin (hernia surgery): Feeling better. I don't see Lundin returning though.

7. Niklas Backstrom (minor ankle surgery): Recovered.

Things are quiet with the team right now. Amateur scouting meetings were held last week as the Wild amps up for the draft. Fletcher, assistant GM Brent Flahr & gang will be heading to the Toronto for the draft combine at the end of the month.

Congrats to Yeo, assistant coaches Darryl Sydor and Darby Hendrickson, equipment trainers Tony DaCosta and Matt Benz, athletic therapists Don Fuller and John Worley and strength and conditioning coach Kirk Olson were accomplishing the Tough Mudder in Wisconsin on Saturday.

I was supposed to head over there and cover, but I've been sick all weekend. Yes, they participated in one of the toughest competitions going, and I couldn't even watch it because I have a cold!

That's why they do what they do and I do what I do, I suppose.