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Wild’s Josh Harding has torn ACL/MCL, likely out for the year

Minnesota Wild v St. Louis Blues

ST. LOUIS - SEPTEMBER 24: Josh Harding #37 of the Minnesota Wild is helped off the ice after being injured against the St. Louis Blues during a pre-season game at the Scottrade Center on September 24, 2010 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

Dilip Vishwanat

The Wild have an update on goaltender Josh Harding’s condition after leaving last night’s game against St. Louis with an injury and it’s not good news. Harding has a torn ACL and a torn MCL and will likely be out for the season.

For Harding, it’s a brutal blow in what was due to be an important season for him. He’s in the final year of a contract with the Wild and set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. Instead, he’ll get his knee operated on and spend his time rehabilitating it to get ready for a chance at a job somewhere next season.

For the Wild, this provides a huge opportunity for Anton Khudobin to step into the backup role with the Wild. Starting goalie Nicklas Backstrom figures to shoulder an even bigger workload at this point but if the Wild are worried that Khudobin can’t get it done, there is Jose Theodore still out there unsigned as a free agent. It’s unlikely that the Wild will go that way as Khudobin was very good in the AHL with Houston last year (2.43 goals against, .907 save percentage).

While the Wild are generally thin in depth in the minor leagues, goaltending is one area where they’re all set. Behind Khudobin there’s career AHL goalie Josh Tordjman as well as Darcy Kuemper. German goalie Dennis Endras will not be a factor this year in the Wild depth plans as he’s playing one more season in the German Elite League before coming to North America next year.