Minnesota will have defensive reinforcements tonight, when it tries to shut down high-flying Jets rookie Patrik Laine.
Marco Scandella, one of the club’s top blueliners, will draw back in the lineup for the first time since Oct. 27 -- a 10-game absence. He’s been out since suffering an ankle injury against Buffalo.
“I’ve been skating for about 10 days now, I feel really good,” Scandella said, per the Star-Tribune. “It’s a divisional game, so really excited about it.”
Scandella, 26, has missed significant time this year, so his numbers are a tad skewed. He only has one assist through seven games and is averaging just 16:22 TOI per night -- all well down from his career-year in ’14-15, when he scored 11 goals and 23 points (while averaging nearly 22 minutes per game).
It appears as though Mike Reilly and Nate Prosser will be the odd d-men out with Scandella’s return.