The Minnesota Wild placed goaltender Niklas Backstrom on injury reserve on Saturday just hours ahead of their home game versus the Winnipeg Jets.
Backstrom will hit IR retroactive to December 21 due to what the team is simply calling “illness” at this point.
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Darcy Kuemper was scheduled to be in goal for the Wild when they host the Jets. The team recalled John Curry the AHL’s Iowa Wild on an emergency basis and the 30-year old will get the nod in goal while Kuemper sits.
Backstrom is 5-3-3 with a 2.58 goals-against average and .901 save percentage in 14 games this season.
Curry has a 3.55 goals-against average and a .893 save percentage in six career NHL games.
