Koivu practices, is a game-time decision for Saturday

ST. PAUL -- When Wild captain Mikko Koivu was injured eight days ago in a game against the Calgary Flames, the initial fear was that he had sustained a potentially serious injury.
It was easy to see why.
Koivu was hit knee-to-knee by Flames defenseman Mark Giordano, a play that he was penalized two minutes for and later suspended two games for by the NHL's Department of Player Safety.

But more than that, Koivu's initial reaction of visible anger and pain, and later his inability to return to the game, made for a tense plane ride to Edmonton.
A little more than a week later, with Koivu back at practice, it seems as though he -- and the team -- may have dodged a big-time bullet.
"Yeah, I think so," Koivu said. "When you see plays like that, usually bad things happen. But it's good that we're here right now and getting closer to get back to the game."

Koivu has skated each of the past two days, but participated in his first true practice with the team on Friday at TRIA Rink at Treasure Island Center. He wore a yellow practice jersey, indicative of a spot between some combination of Jordan Greenway, Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin.

Officially, Koivu is deemed a game-time decision for Saturday afternoon's matinee rematch against the Flames at Xcel Energy Center, a game that begins at 12:30 p.m. CT.
With Charlie Coyle thriving the last two games between Zach Parise and Nino Niederreiter, Wild coach Bruce Boudreau didn't want to disrupt chemistry being built there ... at least not yet.
Boudreau said after the game that discussions would need to take place about an exact course of action moving forward, but he indicated after practice on Friday that those talks hadn't happened yet.
"He looks like he's getting close," Boudreau said. "I guess anything's a game-time decision but we'll see. Trainers will tell me what's going on."
While there would be on-ice political ramifications to work through with some, especially with someone with the equity Koivu has built as a captain and a 14-year NHL veteran of 952 games, those aren't a concern with Koivu.
If he's able to return to the ice on Saturday for the Wild, he said he's happy to lineup wherever his name shows up on the lineup card.
"I think you know me long enough that it's the coach's job to put the lineup out there," Koivu said. "It's the player's job to respond and play."
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When he's been on the ice, Koivu's been effective this season, tallying four goals and 21 points in 27 games while also serving in key defensive and face-off roles. He's won just over 56 percent of his draws this season, a five percent increase from last season and more than two points better than his career average.
He's also on pace to post 60 points, which would be his highest total since he scored 62 in 2010-11.
And even though the club has scored 12 goals the past two games without Koivu, it is certainly eager to add its captain back to the fold for a critical stretch of games against Western Conference foes before the holiday break.
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