Key forward Ryan Hartman returns from injury, bolstering the Wild's lineup just before a crucial matchup against the potent Avalanche.
ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild (13-7-4) host the Colorado Avalanche (17-1-5) for a 2:30 matinee on this Black Friday.
The Wild placed Marcus Foligno on the Injured Reserve (IR) list before the game and recalled forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a replacement for Foligno.
But now, the Wild announced an hour and 30 minutes before puck drop that Ryan Hartman has been activated off the IR and Aube-Kubel has been sent down.
Hartman, 31, has missed the last four games with a lower-body injury. The thought was the Wild would enter today's game without Vladimir Tarasenko, Marco Rossi, Vinnie Hinostroza, Hartman and Foligno.
All four were placed on the IR, but now Hartman is back. He has four goals and seven points in 20 games this year and was the team's first-line center for two games when Rossi was out, before he himself got hurt.
It will be interesting to see in warmups where Hartman will slot in. Danila Yurov has played well as the first-line center.
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