EL SEGUNDO, CALIF. – The Wild is preparing to play without Josh Harding for a while. The NHL's leader in goals-against average was placed on injured reserve Monday and has missed six of eight games since having his treatment for multiple sclerosis adjusted.
"He's just not feeling well," General Manager Chuck Fletcher said. "We're not hiding anything here. He just doesn't feel well and whatever that's from, I can't say. I don't want to speculate.
"I think he's feeling a little better, but he's not able to play right now. So we just kept him back rather than flying to this part of the country. It's a long flight, and heat's not a really good thing for him."
Harding, 18-7-3 with a 1.65 goals-against average, .933 save percentage and three shutouts, was indisputably the Wild's most valuable player the first 2 ½ months of the season. After being placed on IR on Dec. 18 and missing four games, he returned Dec. 29, lost two games and has missed two since.
Niklas Backstrom gave up 17 goals in the first four games (all losses) that Harding missed. But Backstrom is coming off consecutive victories, allowing four goals in two games.
"We'd love for that to keep going," coach Mike Yeo said. "We need him right now. Hopefully this is the right opportunity for him to really step up and grab a hold of it."
Backstrom, 35, got a day off practice Monday.
"He likes to have his practice time," Yeo said, "but some of that preparation now has to come from taking care of your body and making sure that you're getting the rest that's required, too."
