The Minnesota Wild received some really good news. Their speedy forward Jason Zucker may return to the lineup sooner than expected. In 48 games, Zucker has scored (18g-5a—23pts). Zucker's 18 goals rank him fourth on the team in goal scoring despite missing the last 24 games.
Rachel Blount, Star Tribune – After watching Jason Zucker skate through a full-throttle practice Friday, Mike Yeo was asked if the timetable for the Wild winger’s return had been accelerated. The coach said no, then added — although with lots of qualifiers — that the answer might be an unexpected yes.
“Kind of eyeing possibly the last couple of games [of the regular season],” Yeo said. “But we’ll make sure on that first.”
Translation: Zucker, who broke his collarbone on Feb. 9 and wasn’t expected to play for three months, might be back in the lineup next week. Though it was hardly definitive, Yeo’s pronouncement was so surprising that he was asked to clarify it, just to ensure he had been heard correctly. After saying for the past couple of weeks that Zucker was still “a ways away” from getting the green light to play again, Yeo now hopes to get him into the lineup during the three-game road trip that ends the regular season.
The popular winger was clearly overjoyed to hold his own during a demanding, fast-paced practice at St. Thomas Ice Arena. Yeo was almost as happy as Zucker was.
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