It's a minor piece of news, to be sure, but one worth noting. Nick Palmieri has been assigned to the Houston Aeros this morning. It is interesting more because of the fact that the Wild were under zero obligation to send him down, due to the lack of roster size limit. As you will read in this week's stock market report in about an hour, Palmieri has slipped in the past couple of weeks, becoming just another player on a team that isn't performing.

It could certainly be a confidence move. Get him down to Houston, get him some reps on a line that can actually score, and maybe he learns that his skills actually work. Maybe it is just a chance to get him down there and help with the playoff run. Maybe it is just to get him away from what has to be a depressing situation. Or, maybe it is a message. A "Time to score, kid" type of thing.

Either way, hopefully he goes down and works his tail off to get back. It has worked in the past.

News via Russo and the Wild via Twitter.