Wilderness Walk: Greenway, Merrill return to action

Happy Thursday to everyone, but especially two surprising returns for the Minnesota Wild. Both Jordan Greenway and Jon Merrill were unable to start the season with the team due to still recovering from injuries or offseason surgery to heal those injuries. The original timeline was they they were going to miss five to 10 games, but just three games into the season — and the team kind of not feeling too hot losing all three — the two players have returned to game shape.

Greenway will be making his return to the lineup tonight against the Vancouver Canucks, while Merrill will sit one more game because Alex Goligoski (who he is most likely to replace) is going to be appearing in his 1,000th NHL game tonight. An incredible achievement that deserves some patience from a player returning from injury.

That’s Wild

• Speaking of tonight’s game against the Canucks, Wild head coach Dean Evason unveiled new lines that feature Marco Rossi coming back into the lineup and playing with Matt Boldy. A lot of eye and flame emojis for this lineup. [Hockey Wilderness]
• In some more transaction news, the Wild have signed 2022 third-round pick Mikey Milne to his entry-level contract. And due to his age, he most likely will be playing for the AHL Iowa Wild this season, which should jumpstart his development and hopefully that’s a good thing. [Hockey Wilderness]

Off the trail...

• Things are going incredibly well for the Philadelphia Flyers, having won three of their first four games of the season (jealous) and some players are crediting former Wild man Nic Deslauriers and him punching dude’s faces for providing a spark. [Broad Street Hockey]
• Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe criticized his stars after they lost to the Arizona Coyotes, but he took back some of his words, saying that he used the wrong ones. [Sportsnet]
• In a move that takes so much strength and courage, Detroit Red Wings winger Jakub Vrana was placed in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. [WIIM]