It’s been over a year since Pierre-Marc Bouchard has played in a game for the Minnesota Wild. He’s missed 112 out of the team’s last 113 games due to post-concussion syndrome, yet tomorrow night Bouchard will be on the ice playing for the Wild once again.
In what is a surprising announcement by the Wild, they were eager to announce the comeback of Bouchard and for a team that needs a lift in so many ways, the return of offensive specialist and lifetime member of the Wild might be just the thing they need to get their act together.Bouchard’s return couldn’t come at a better time for the Wild, who have lost four of five but are still only three points back of first place in the Northwest Division. With goals being tough to come by, Bouchard brings the offensive playmaking that Wild fans have been hoping for. Tomorrow, they’ll get to see it in person.
“I’m really excited, that’s for sure, but I’m also a little nervous,” he admitted. “It’s been a long time and I’ve been waiting for that day to play again. It seems like it’s going to be my first NHL game all over again.”
The Wild are in desperate need of a boost. Last night’s game against Calgary was one of their most moribund efforts of the season and with the team ranking 26th in scoring in the NHL, a point producer like Bouchard is just what they need. Wild fans will need to be patient with him though. After missing that much time, it takes a while to get those game legs going and to get clicking on all cylinders once again.
A guy that might make sense for Bouchard to be teamed up with on a line right away would be Martin Havlat. Havlat has looked outstanding of late and has been one of the few bright spots in the Wild lineup of late. With Havlat playing as well as he is, teaming him up with Bouchard makes sense. With Guillaume Latendresse out for the next couple of months after undergoing a pair of surgeries, the Wild are even thinner with scorers. If Bouchard can come back and play like the guy he was before suffering from concussion problems, he’ll be a big boost to the team.