Jonas Brodin medically cleared, aiming to play Friday

After the return of Joel Eriksson Ek and Jared Spurgeon to the lineup, it looks like the Minnesota Wild will be getting back another key player soon.

Michael Russo of The Athletic reported that Jonas Brodin was medically cleared this morning. Staff will be monitoring his progress over the next few days to determine his availability for Friday’s matchup against the New York Rangers.

The 28-year-old stud defenseman has been out of action since January 6th, when he played 23 minutes and tallied two assists in a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins. Brodin suffered the dreaded “upper-body injury” in the win, blocking a shot.

Asked if he feels only a couple of practices were enough to make a return, Brodin said that he thinks that the practices — along with the fact that he’s been skating Nick Bjugstad — should be sufficient, but it will all depend on how he feels following practice tomorrow. “The hardest part is going to be getting my head into the game,” Brodin stated. “Get up to speed with the other guys. Me and [Bjugstad] have been skating. Conditioning-wise, I’ll be fine.”

Brodin thinks he’ll be ready for Friday, and if he is, it will be a boon for an already sound defensive group for the Wild.