The Minnesota Wild hopes to have Mikko Koivu playing again by this weekend, according to a team source. Koivu, who hasn’t played since November 16 because of a fractured left fibula, is arguably the Wild’s best player.
The 24-year-old native of Finland has scored five goals and has 11 assists. His assists and points are fifth on the team despite playing fewer games than those ahead of him(three teammates have played in 32 games and Marion Gaborik who leads the Wild in goals and points has played in eight more games).
Last season, his second with the Wild, he set new career highs in goals, assists and points (20, 34 and 54). He had a 33 point increase in points from the 2005-2006 season. That was the second best jump in the NHL for players who had participated in at least 60 games. Only Tampa Bay’s Martin St. Louis had a larger increase, 41 points.
Koivu was the sixth player chosen in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Tom Lynn, the Wild’s assistant general manager, noted in a recent e-mail to Sports Headliners that Minnesota was targeting Koivu in the draft and had camouflaged its interest by indicating a preference for a goalie. What the Wild acquired was a skilled and competitive player who hasn’t disappointed.
“Mikko is a super-competitive guy who was once late for a bus with the Houston Aeros because he and his roommate, former Wild player Zbenyk Michalek, had been wrestling each other for 20 minutes for the right to exit the hotel room first,” Lynn wrote in his e-mail. “Mikko won. They barely made the bus. He approaches games, practices, and life the same way.”
It was evident last season that Koivu is a pressure player for the Wild. He tied for first in the NHL with eight shootout goals (8-for-15) and tied for second in the league with four game-deciding shootout goals.
Koivu has played in international competition for Finland, helping his teams to medal winning performances. That is post-season type hockey and the experience can only help him and the Wild in future Stanley Cup playoffs.
Former Minnesota North Stars and Gopher coach Glen Sonmor, who scouts high school players for the Wild, is enthusiastic when he talks about Koivu, “He’s their best player, other than Marion Gaborik,” Sonmor said. “Mikko is remarkable. He’s maybe the most complete player (on the team). He has good offensive skills but you can depend on him defensively and with faceoffs. He goes to the net hard. He gets you involved physically. He has great hockey instincts.”
The Wild hopes to have Koivu return for Saturday night’s home game against Detroit.