Josh Harding could be done for the season, depending on what yesterday’s MRI tests reveal about his injured hip. From Michael Russo of the Star-Tribune:
Asked if he wishes he shut himself down sooner, Harding said: “Not in this game. Whenever you get the opportunity, especially being a backup goalie, you take advantage of that. It doesn’t matter what you feel like.”
He’ll most likely need to have surgery on his injured hip, which will make what happens with him this summer very interesting.
The Wild have Niklas Backstrom under contract for three more seasons (at $6 million a year), and Harding is going to be a RFA this summer. He’ll be the topic of trade discussions, but questions about his health could affect what the Wild decide to do with the promising young goalkeeper.
It’s tough to judge how effective Harding would be as a full time starter; his numbers are fairly pedestrian this season in 25 games (3.05 GAA, .905 save percentage). If I were the Wild, I’d much rather pay a goaltender $1.3 million a year to allow three goals per game than shell out $6 million. But that’s the boat Minnesota has put itself in.