Niklas Backstrom returned to action on Tuesday December 6.

The Minnesota Wild left Tuesday's game a little banged up, but the good news is that reports indicate Niklas Backstrom will be available on Thursday. Josh Harding's status is unclear, which indicates that it might come down to Backstrom or newcomer Matt Hackett. It seems like all three have a chance to succeed in the Minnesota Wild system, so stay tuned for updates on the trio of netminders.

Niklas Backstrom will likely miss Minnesota's next two games due to a groin muscle strain. He will certainly not play Sunday against Anaheim and may be forced to sit out Tuesday's game against San Jose. Although the injury does not appear serious, groin muscle strains are especially tricky for goalies. Reserve him immediately.

Niklas Backstrom is battling a groin injury. Backstrom injury doesn't appear to be serious, according to Wild coach Mike Yeo. However, Backstrom will not participate in Sunday's contest. We'll keep you posted.

Niklas Backstrom left Friday night's game after the first period with a lower body injury. It was not known at the time if Backstrom was pulled for giving up two goals on nine shots or if he was injured but it turned out to be the latter. Surprisingly, he picked up the win as he left the game with a 3-2 lead and backup Josh Harding was perfect the rest of the way, never surrendering a goal in a 4-2 win. Coach Mike Yeo did not think the injury was "extremely serious", but he could be out some time if the injury is just serious. Harding should see a lot more action in the short term at least so adjust your fantasy lineup accordingly.

Niklas Backstrom stopped just seven of nine shots in a 4-2 win Friday. Josh Harding replaced Backstrom for the start of the second period and went onto stop all 22 shots he faced. It's worth noting that Backstrom did not start the second period on the bench, but he did eventually join his teammates. For now we'll assume that Backstrom is healthy and simply got yanked, but we'll also keep an eye on this situation and let you know if his status changes.

Niklas Backstrom will play between the pipes Friday. Backstrom has won five of his last six contests, giving him a 9-5-2 record this season. He has a 2.07 GAA and .932 save percentage in 17 games.

Niklas Backstrom owns the Edmonton Oilers. The Minnesota goaltender blocked 28 of 30 shots in regulation time and overtime before the Wild recorded a 3-2 win over Edmonton Wednesday night in the sixth round of a shootout. Backstrom has a remarkable 20-3-1 record in career tilts against the Oilers. He has stopped 79 of 83 shots against the Oilers in three games this season and is 2-1-0.

Niklas Backstrom will likely be tending the net for the Minnesota Wild tonight for a game against the Oilers in Edmonton. It's likely because Backstrom is a remarkable 20-2-1 with a 1.66 goals-against average in 25 career games against the Oilers. He is already 2-0-0 against them this season, stopping 51 of 53 shots.

Niklas Backstrom allowed only one goal on 33 shots in Minnesota's 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning Monday night. Backstrom rebounded from a tough game and an early exit on Sunday with a solid performance on Monday against the Lightning. Backstrom is a very structured, calm and mentally tough goaltender that needs consistency from the players in front of him to be an elite goaltender in the NHL. The Finnish netminder is not a very athletic/reflex goaltender but there is no question his preparation, angles and rebound control are first-rate. Despite a solid stretch of play from Josh Harding of late, Backstrom's deserves to keep his role as Minnesota's clear number one netminder after recently missing a week of action.