Wild's Jake Middleton Could Return Tonight Vs Blues

ST. PAUL - The Minnesota Wild (25-11-4) are back home to face the St. Louis Blues (19-18-4) tonight.

Jake Middleton has been taking steps towards returning to the lineup recently. On Monday Wild head coach John Hynes said that Middleton's return is imminent.

Well, the 6-foot-3 defenseman was on the ice for Monday''s practice and was on the ice for Tuesday's morning skate.

“I’m not sure on Jake," Hynes said after morning skate. "We’re going to see after he skates now and then talk with the trainers and see whether he’ll be available or not tonight.”

After everyone got off the ice, Jakub Lauko, Travis Dermott, and Marc-Andre Fleury were working with Freddy Chabot and other Wild coaches. This signifies that Dermott will be a healthy scratch tonight because he was being bag skated with the other scratches.

Filip Gustavsson is starting and Lauko is still on the Injured Reserve.

So, all signs point to Middleton returning tonight. He has been out for the last 11 games with an upper-body injury. The Wild went 6-5-0 without Middleton.

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