Adam Beckman’s path to the Wild’s lineup this season has been beset by obstacles. Whether it was his salary, other players or just plain opportunities, the third third-year pro hasn’t found many minutes with the big league club in 2023-24.

But the big winger was set to get another chance on Tuesday night in Anaheim, Calif., when the Wild played the Ducks at Honda Center.

“This is an exciting time of the year to have an opportunity to play,” Beckman told reporters after Tuesday’s morning skate. “So, I just want to come in and make an impact in that game.”

Set to become a restricted free agent at season’s end, Beckman, 22, had played in only three NHL games this season before Tuesday’s 9 p.m. puck drop. At the season’s onset, he was grounded in Iowa because Minnesota’s salary cap room was so thin, it couldn’t fit his $894,000 salary.

By the time the Wild got some cap relief through long-term injured reserve, veterans Vinni Lettieri and Jack Lucchini had solid homes on the checking line. When Beckman was recalled before the March 8 trade deadline, the Wild were focused on getting 2020 second-round pick Marat Khusnutdinov into the lineup.

Coach John Hynes said Monday none of this had much to do with Beckman’s performance, and on Tuesday he was set to replace Lettieri in the lineup for at least a game — another big one for a Wild team that has been playing well since the all-star break but struggled to catch up in the Western Conference playoff race.

They started Tuesday’s games five points out of a wild card spot with two teams ahead of them and 14 regular-season games left.

“I think it’s huge,” Beckman said. “I think all the games down the stretch here are massive; obviously, all the points matter. No matter what, you’re coming out here to try and win the hockey game; I think that’s been the focus for quite some time here. I’m just excited to play in some meaningful games.”

Beckman has spent quite a bit of time with the Wild, even if he had just three appearances — and one assist — to show for it. Overall, he has played in 15 NHL games since being taken in the third round of the 2019 entry draft.

“It’s been good,” he said. “It’s been fun just to kinda be around this group of guys and kinda build some more camaraderie. I think being somewhat new here, it’s fun to have that opportunity to be around the guys.”

Reunited

Late in Saturday night’s 3-2 shootout loss at St. Louis, Hynes broke up his top line of Kirill Kaprizov, Ryan Hartman and Matt Boldy to get Kaprizov together with center Marco Rossi and wing Mats Zuccarello.

It worked. The revamped line accounted for two third-period goals as the Wild rallied to force overtime. But Hynes planned to reunite Hartman with Kaprizov and Boldy on Tuesday in Anaheim.

“We made a little tweak in the third period with Rossi and Zucc, but it wasn’t anything with Ryan,” Hynes said. “So, we’ll go back with that (Tuesday) and see if we can have those three really be a dominant factor for us.”

Hartman, who has played on every line in nearly every situation this season, was bumped back to the top line when Joel Eriksson Ek was lost to a lower body injury in a 4-1 victory over Arizona on March 12. It wasn’t out of the blue. Hartman, 29, has been playing his best hockey of the season.

Since Feb. 19, Hartman has two goals and 13 points and is a plus-10 in 17 games.

“I think when he’s playing his best game, he’s playing his game with pace. I think he’s got some offensive instincts, makes some offensive reads that make him fit in with Kirill and Boldy,” Hynes said. “And then I think that in the center position, they get some hard matchups, and I think he’s done a good job on the defensive side of the puck, just his positioning and his responsibilities in that role.”

Briefly

Filip Gustavsson was set to start his first game Tuesday since he stopped 38 of 40 shots in a 2-1 overtime loss March 8 in Colorado. Marc-Andre Fleury is scheduled to start Wednesday night against the Kings in Los Angeles.