Preseason game 3 preview: Minnesota Wild face Colorado at home

St. Paul — The Minnesota Wild face the Colorado Avalanche Thursday night in their first of three preseason games at home. The Wild are 1-1 in exhibition action so far after a 4-3 win over the Avalanche in the first preseason game and a 6-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night.

The Wild also play at home Saturday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. Head coach Dean Evason told the media that the plan is that the training camp roster will get smaller after Saturday's game, before the final two preseason games.

Related Reading: Wild win 4-3 over Colorado in first game, but lose 6-1 to Dallas

Kirill Kaprizov - Ryan Hartman - Mats Zuccarello

Jujhar Khaira - Marco Rossi - Freddy Gaudreau

Adam Beckman - Vinni Lettieri - Sammy Walker

Kale Kessy - Jake Lucchini - Nic Petan

Defense:

Alex Goligoski - Jared Spurgeon

Jonas Brodin - Brock Faber 

Carson Lambos - David Spacek

Starting: Marc-Andre Fleury will start with Jesper Wallstedt backing him up

• It's the first preseason game for the Kaprizov, Hartman and Zuccarello line. It's also Gaudreau's first game and Rossi will play his second. The Wild's third line tonight of Beckman, Lettieri and Walker is a line to keep an eye on with a blend of speed and skill.

• If the Wild decide to carry 13 forwards, Khaira is likely the frontrunner with Lettieri right behind him. Khaira, who played in the first two preseason games, has two goals in the preseason so far and has another good opportunity in front of him tonight. The Wild, who have $818,076 in cap space, currently can't afford to put Walker's contract ($855,000) on the books.

• Three of the Wild's top-four on the backend play tonight with Jake Middleton having the night off : Spurgeon, Brodin and Faber. Goligoski takes Middleton's spot on the first pair tonight and two young defensemen in Lambos and Spacek will hold down the third pair.

• It's Fleury's second preseason start. He made 20 saves on 23 shots against the Stars on Tuesday. Filip Gustavsson, who made eight saves on 11 shots against the Stars, is expected to make his first start of the preseason on Saturday when the Blackhawks come to town.