Jones, Brodin, Zucker sidelined for tonight's big game against Colorado

Avs and Wild tonight in the proverbial four-point game.

If the Wild wins in regulation, it moves into a tie with Colorado in points but takes over the eighth spot for the first time since Jan. 25 because it has played one fewer game.

By the way, the Avs, who debut Mikkel Boedker and Eric Gelinas tonight, are only on pace for 87 points and have a tough schedule down the stretch, so the Wild likely doesn't need to reel off 28 or 30 points in the final 38.

The Wild and Avs have two meetings left including tonight. Obviously regulation wins are important for the Wild in these games, not just to keep the Avs from getting points, but because the Wild needs to up its total bigtime in the regulation-overtime win category (ROW) of the standings. The Wild has 28 – one fewer than the Avs, and that's the first tiebreaker.

Jonas Brodin and Jason Zucker won't play tonight. Both has practiced once, so they're now considered day to day and are possibilities for Thursday. The Wild was really hoping for Brodin to be ready by today just to go up against the fast, skilled Avs. But the guy hasn't played since Feb. 9. Seemed premature.

Newly-acquired David Jones arrived this morning without his equipment. His gear somehow didn't make his flight and should arrive later today.

His debut will likely come Thursday in Toronto. If Zucker can't return, I'd guess it would be on the right side of Thomas Vanek and Mikael Granlund barring injury tonight. If Zucker returns, I'd guess Justin Fontaine comes out and Jones plays on a line with Ryan Carter/Chris Porter and Jarret Stoll.

If you heard me on the radio this morning, I had to frustratingly sit on this story for more than an hour yesterday because I couldn't second source the trade for one and also was worried about tossing the trade out there and having it blow up.

That's because the reality is this thing came very, very close to imploding and it was unclear to me if it was a no-move clause issue or if the two sides got to the league after the deadline.

Jones said it was a roller coaster of a day. He was hoping to be dealt, it got past 3 p.m. ET (the Flames were in Philly) and he was disappointed to not get a call. He then received a call after 3 and was excited about coming to the Wild, then had to wait three hours for it to be approved.

He said he "absolutely" was worried it was going to implode.

The way it has been explained to me by a few people, the trade was consummated shortly before 2 p.m. after Niklas Backstrom verbally agreed to waive his no-trade clause. The Wild and Flames got in queue with the league, but Backstrom wasn't home. The trade would not have been able to be completed until Backstrom signed a document waiving his no-trade officially. He had to motor home, print it out, sign it and fax it back. That just got in right before the Wild and Flames got on the line with NHL Central Registry to approve the deal.
The league can be sticklers, so the Wild and Flames were both thinking there was a good chance the trade would break down. That explains why the Wild was completely incommunicado for three hours.

He was really hoping to play his old Colorado team tonight, "especially with so much on the line."

It was weird to show up to a skate today and not see Backstrom on the ice way before everybody else. It was weird to see Darcy Kuemper out of his corner skater stall.

"The situation [Backstrom's] been in, I'm very happy for him that he could get a chance now to play and prove it again how good of a goaltender he is. Coming in this morning, 10 years with him, it's kind of different," captain Mikko Koivu said.

What has Backstrom, the winningest goalie in team history, meant to the Wild?

"I think the numbers obviously speak for themselves the way he was consistent for a lot of years, but I think what people don't know is his work ethic and the type of professional he is," Koivu said. "That is something very, very rare in this game the level he worked each and every day and that's something that I truly hope that the guys around the room saw it and will learn from him. There's not a lot of guys that I've seen done it the way he did in preparing himself for every day."

Added Devan Dubnyk, "Pretty unreal the professionalism he showed all year. There wasn't one day that he wasn't first guy out on the ice by a lot and last guy off by a lot, and that's not easy to do when you're going through a situation like he was."

The Wild has two games left against the Flames, including the last game of the season. Imagine if that's a must-win game and Backstrom's in net. Talk about motivation. Drama!

Dubnyk vs. Semyon Varlamov tonight.