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Wild put Harding on IR to undergo change in MS treatment

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The Minnesota Wild will be without arguably their most valuable player for the next nine days, as goalie Josh Harding has been placed on injured reserve to make an adjustment to his treatment for Multiple Sclerosis.

“Over the next week, Josh will make a minor adjustment to his treatment protocol,” Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher said in a statement. “Josh feels great and he looks forward to rejoining our team for our game in Winnipeg on Dec. 27.”

Harding, who has been nothing short of brilliant this season, ranks first in the NHL in goals-against average (1.51), tied for first in shutouts (3), second in save percentage (.939) and is tied for second in wins (18). He was named the league’s third star in November and is a major reason why the Wild are holding the eighth and final playoff spot in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

While Harding will be out until Dec. 27, he actually won’t miss that many games. The Wild only have three left until the Christmas break -- at Pittsburgh, at New York Rangers and at Philadelphia -- before the league shuts down from Dec. 24-26.

If all goes well, Harding will be set to face the Jets in Winnipeg on the 27th.

In a related move, the Wild have recalled Johan Gustafsson from AHL Iowa to serve as Niklas Backstrom’s backup over the next three games. Gustafsson has been recalled once already this season but has yet to appear in a NHL game.