With regular Wild starter Niklas Backstrom ailing from a “lower body injury” Minnesota has recalled goalie Darcy Kuemper from AHL Iowa.
Kuemper, 23, will back up Josh Harding when the Wild hosts Winnipeg Thursday, according to NBC’s Pro Hockey Talk.
Coach Mike Yeo said Wednesday that the team would reevaluate the injured Backstrom to determine whether he could back up Harding against the Jets at the Xcel Energy Center, reports the Pioneer Press.
Backstrom suffered what is believed to be a strained knee Tuesday night in Nashville, and Kuemper’s arrival in St. Paul would seem to signal that he’s not healthy enough to be in a back-up role.
