Wild defenseman Marek Zidlicky, who's missed the past 19 games with a shoulder injury, is getting closer to a return.
Six days after returning to practice for the first time, a span that only included two full practices until today, one morning skate and one extremely optional morning skate, Zidlicky wore a normal-colored sweater in today's practice.
"The players were happy because they knoew they can hit him," coach Todd Richards quipped. It's another step."
After practice, Zidlicky went through more battle drills with Brad Staubitz and Jared Spurgeon. Afterward, Zidlicky said his shoulder was feeling better, but "it's not ready. I feel comfortable right now, but it's still not ready yet. I dont want to say a couple more days, but we will see. I'd like to play tomorrow, but ... ."
If I had to guess, and it's just a guess, we could be looking at Friday's game vs. Anaheim or Sunday's now 11:30 a.m. game on NBC vs. Detroit. Even though Zidlicky opened the door at one point when I was talking to him about maybe waking up feeling good and playing tomorrow, I'd think the Wild will give him a few more days. After all, then you at least get Thursday's practice and don't risk him in back-to-back games vs. Vancouver or at Chicago.
"The minute he says he's confident, 100 percent, then we'll get him back in the lineup," Richards said. "But I dont know when that'll be."
Richards then will have an interesting lineup decision to make. Who comes out on the blue line? Does he go with seven defensemen on nights like, say against, Detroit, when maybe you don't need a rough and tumble guy like Brad Staubitz?
I still think initially Cam Barker will be the odd man out, although I've got to say Barker seems to have responded and played well since Richards seemed to indicate a week or so ago that Barker would be the odd guy out. I thought Barker was great last game against St. Louis defensively. He also skated the puck up ice, shot the puck, was engaged emotionally.