Frank Seravalli just reported that Wild defenseman Brock Faber is trending toward a return Saturday night in Boston against the Bruins.
The Bruins have the Canadiens on Thursday first, but the Saturday game is the one that just got more interesting. Minnesota may be getting a key piece back for the trip.
Seravalli noted that Faber underwent surgery on Sept. 27 after a skull fracture and called his possible return a "huge boost" for the Wild.
Nothing is official. The team hasn't confirmed a date, and the latest injury report lists Faber on IR as expected to be out until at least Nov. 14, which is an estimate and not a return date.
Gino Hard passed along the same report, adding that Faber was injured in the preseason and that the Wild are already hot.
Faber hasn't played a game this season. Minnesota has still climbed to 13-3-4 in 20 games and sits second in the NHL, first in the Central.
Boston isn't exactly short on confidence either. The Bruins are 13-4-1, first in the Atlantic, and riding a four-game win streak after beating the Panthers 4-1 on Sunday.
Why Saturday is a real test for the Bruins
A 13-4-1 record is easy to trust until you play a team that looks like a contender at full strength. If Faber is back in the lineup, the Wild show up with the lineup they planned for, and that makes this the better test for Marco Sturm's group.
Minnesota isn't coasting into it. The Wild won 2-1 in overtime in Montreal on Tuesday, with Kirill Kaprizov scoring the game-winner on the power play, and they visit Toronto on Thursday before heading to Boston.
Seravalli was also in the Bruins news cycle on Tuesday, when he put the Bruins in the mix in the Dylan Larkin trade rumor. Two Seravalli reports in two days with Boston in them.
Watch for official word from Minnesota on Faber by Friday. The Bruins will get a clearer picture of what they are facing Saturday after Thursday's game against Montreal.
Quick hits
ISLANDERSNew York is eyeing next Tuesday for Mathew Barzal's season debut, according to David Pagnotta. A long wait for a star could be almost over.
PREDATORSJuuse Saros blanked the Kings last night, one day after Pekka Rinne's Hall of Fame induction in Toronto. A fitting way to honor his predecessor.
BLUESJim Montgomery was blunt about Dalibor Dvorsky after St. Louis beat Detroit 3-2 on Tuesday night. A win didn't stop the coach from sending a message.
SENATORSNick Cousins' status is the biggest question in Ottawa this morning. Travis Green said, "He's not doing great," after the Chychrun hit.
LIGHTNINGBeat writer Erik Erlendsson reports that 20-year-old Sam O'Reilly is set to make his NHL debut tonight in Buffalo. Tampa Bay is down its top center, so it's a big opening for the kid.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
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