The ice sheet at TRIA Rink was slightly more crowded than in recent weeks on Thursday morning as the Minnesota Wild held their pregame skate in preparation for the Oilers first visit of the season. The two extra bodies on the ice represented some good news for a team that has made winning, despite significant injuries, its competing storylines this season.

Specifically, veteran defenseman Jonas Brodin and top-line forward Mats Zuccarello were in full uniform, skating with their teammates for the first time in a long time. And while neither was expected back in the lineup just yet, having numbers 25 and 36 on the rink was a notably positive sight.

“Really good just in the sense that they were able to skate, so we’ll do some extra work after practice and then probably skate again tomorrow and then we’ll see,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “I don’t have a timeline on them yet other than they’ve progressed well to get in the team setting. So, now we’ll see what they do. They’ll need some contact and some extra work and see how they respond.”

Brodin has missed nine games this season, including the previous seven in a row, while dealing with an upper body injury. Zuccarello last played in a home win over Montreal on Nov. 14, when he was hit below the belt by a teammate’s shot and suffered a lower body injury that required surgery.

Having both players back on the ice was a meaningful step for their teammates, as the Wild have persevered and gotten to the top of the Western Conference standings despite those losses, and the on-going absence of center Joel Eriksson Ek. Brodin especially is a key player on the team’s blue line.

“It’s exciting for everyone. He’s an important part of our team and such a factor every time he’s on the ice,” defenseman Declan Chisholm said. “He’s missed for sure and we’re excited to get him back soon.”

Hynes added that during a player’s recovery from an injury, after they have begun working out and skating on their own, that first time stepping back onto the practice rink with teammates in full uniform can be a notable psychological boost.

“It’s important because usually you go through that stage of the off-ice treatments and then recovery, weight room, skate on your own, and they’ve been skating together for a couple days,” the coach said. “But to get in the team setting where you’re with other guys on the ice, you’re back with the team, there’s a lot more going on, and you’re reading and reacting in certain situations, it’s a good step to get back in the team setting.”

Eriksson Ek has not yet begun skating on his own as he recovers from a lower body injury suffered in overtime of a win versus Vancouver last week.

Wild hosting holiday toy drives

Hockey fans in the holiday spirit of helping those in need will have two opportunities to contribute to toy drives organized by the Wild in advance of Christmas.

Prior to the Saturday, Dec. 14 game versus Philadelphia and the Friday, Dec. 20 game versus Utah, fans coming to Xcel Energy Center may bring new, unwrapped toys, games and cash which will be collected at the arena’s entrances. Personnel from the Salvation Army will distribute the donated items to needy families in the Twin Cities.

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