The last Minnesota Wild player to leave the ice at TRIA Rink on Wednesday was Zach Bogosian.
The veteran defenseman has been missing from the lineup for more than a month with a lower body injury but appears to be working his way back into playing health. When he returns, that will mean some tough decisions for Wild coach John Hynes, as young defenseman Daemon Hunt has made a solid case to stay in the lineup.
Hynes admits he has thought some about what will happen when his team is healthier, and it’s generally a good problem to have, although the nature of hockey at the NHL level means that when Bogosian is healthy, there could well be another injury absence.
“I think it will be a tough (decision) to make,” Hynes said following the team’s optional morning skate before playing Carolina in a late start at Grand Casino Arena. “What I find with our group is it’s truly day to day. We could say today that there might be an injury tonight, and then Bogo comes back.”
Hunt, who was playing his seventh consecutive game on the Wild blue line on Wednesday night, has made a positive impression.
“He’s come in and played well,” Hynes said. “Now, when Bogo gets healthy and comes back and is ready to play and we stay healthy, I think that’s a good thing because then you have some competition for spots.”
The forthcoming blue line battles may play out at center as well. Currently the Wild are shorthanded up the middle, with regulars Marco Rossi and Ryan Hartman out. With Nico Sturm inching closer to making his season debut, Hynes is hopeful that a surplus there is coming at some point.
“I think if we were healthier, we’ll have some decisions,” Hynes said. “But there’s probably three or four games before that even happens. It would be a good problem to have. We’ll see if we actually have it.”
On Wednesday, the Wild officially placed Hartman on injured reserve and recalled Hunter Haight from their Iowa farm team. Haight, the team’s second-round draft pick 2022, made his NHL debut earlier this season, getting into the Wild’s first two games.
A hard loss off the ice
Weston Paszkiewicz, the 10-year-old Long Lake boy who spent a day as a member of the Wild last month in the midst of a cancer battle, passed away surrounded by family late Tuesday night. According to his family, Weston was watching a hockey game when he took his final breath.
On Oct. 30, before a home game versus Pittsburgh, Paszkiewicz was signed to a one-day contract by Wild general manager Bill Guerin, participated in the team’s practice, was a guest of the Wild in the locker room and even was honored by the Penguins following their 4-1 win in St. Paul that night.
“He spent a lot of time with us, and you could tell when he was here that he wasn’t doing well,” Hynes said. “It’s one of those things, too, where you realize, in our profession, whether you’re players or coaches at this level, the impact you can have on someone. … It’s sad for him and his family, but the fact that we could make an impact on him, I think that gives us some satisfaction.”
Diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in January, Paszkiewicz was at Grand Casino Arena on Sunday for the overtime win versus Vegas, in a suite along with his family and retired Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, as the team held its annual Hockey Fights Cancer night.
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