He scored 14 goals and 31 points last season in 71 games and sustained an off-ice injury late last summer which cost him training camp and most of the first two months of this season.
In 26 games with the Hurricanes this season, he had just one goal and six points. When he was traded to Minnesota on Jan. 17, the chance for a fresh start with a new team was a welcome change.
But a lower-body injury sustained in his 10th game with the Wild forced him to miss nearly a month. He returned March 11 and will be playing in his seventh game since the injury on Saturday.
"I think with Victor, it's going to be a lot about confidence," said Wild coach Bruce Boudreau. "If he ever gets to scoring regular again like he did a few years ago in Carolina, I think he'll be fine. You're starting to see more of what he can do, especially [two games ago against Colorado]. I thought he had his legs underneath him. He was skating and creating chances."
Rask is without a point in 11-straight games, but if his recent play is any indication, those shouldn't be too far behind. As he continues to get his legs under him and gain confidence with his new team, the hope is that plenty of offense is in his future.
"We've got an important push here the last couple games here, so it's going to be fun to see how we end up doing here," Rask said. "Everyone is really excited about this time of the year, so hopefully we can get a good push here and make it into the playoffs."
