Pominville skates, nears return to Wild

Jason Pominville took another step toward his return from a groin injury Tuesday when he participated in the Wild morning skate.

Pominville missed his seventh consecutive game, against the Los Angeles Kings, but could practice Wednesday for a possible return Thursday against Calgary or Saturday in Colorado.

"It's frustrating for me, for anyone to miss games," said Pominville, who was hurt March 5 in Buffalo but played the next night against St. Louis. "This is the time of year that's the most important time for us. This is our playoffs right now. We're fighting to get in it.

"Unfortunately it happened at a pretty tough time. Things were going well as a team, as a line, and then you have to sit out for quite a bit of time."

Pominville had five goals and 12 points in an eight-game stretch before the injury. He even scored the shootout winner against Buffalo.

"Even against Buffalo, I was pacing myself," Pominville said. "I didn't want to get caught, I was just trying to be cautious, didn't want to overdo things."

He was playing the right side of the Nino Niederreiter-Erik Haula line when injured. When he returns, it wouldn't be shocking if Pominville plays with Zach Parise and Mikael Granlund, and David Jones or Justin Fontaine plays with Niederreiter and Haula.

No matter the right wing, that line hasn't missed a beat. Coach John Torchetti equates it to 2010 when he was an assistant with Chicago and Dave Bolland and Andrew Ladd made up the Blackhawks' highly effective offensive checking line.

Torchetti said the right wing "stuck out like a sore thumb if they didn't work hard."

Parise entered Tuesday's game with two goals and 12 assists in the past 24 games. The coaches have discussed moving Parise onto the Niederreiter-Haula line in an attempt to jump-start him.

Etc.

• Goalie Darcy Kuemper backed up Devan Dubnyk against the Kings after missing two games. He has a history of concussions, but said the injury was an aggravation of a lingering upper-body injury that needed rest.

• Gophers defenseman Nick Seeler, a 2011 fifth-round pick of the Wild, met Tuesday with coach Don Lucia to discuss his future. He will next talk to the Wild before deciding whether to sign or return for his senior year.

• Former St. Cloud State All-America Nic Dowd made his NHL debut for the Kings.