The Wild practiced with 13 forwards on Thursday at Xcel Energy Center.
That shouldn't seem like news, but for an injury-riddled squad that made do with eight forwards in the previous practices this week and even had to suit up an assistant coach to get by, it's quite a luxury.
"We added a couple players, so seemed awful nice to practice with a full allotment of players," coach Bruce Boudreau said. "I think it gives the guys some jump out there."
Wingers Mikael Granlund and Marcus Foligno both returned to practice for the first time after injuries. Granlund has been out with a groin injury since playing in the season opener Oct. 5. Foligno endured a facial fracture after a fight at Chicago on Oct. 12 and required minor surgery before his return.
Boudreau said Foligno is "probably a go" for the 7 p.m. Friday game at Winnipeg and 9 p.m. Saturday game at Calgary. Granlund will travel but is a "game-time decision."
Recalled Iowa Wild forwards Landon Ferraro, Luke Kunin and Zack Mitchell also skated with the team, leaving just Charlie Coyle (broken leg), Nino Niederreiter (high ankle sprain) and Zach Parise (undisclosed) absent.
Parise was set to return for this weekend's games after he has missed most of training camp and all of this early season with an injury. But the winger left practice early Monday and saw a doctor Wednesday about his setback.
"The only update I got on him is he's not going to be playing this weekend," Boudreau said. "Other than that, it's up to Zach and the doctors. I'm trying to stay out of it, even though, obviously ... I'm very interested in what his status is."
Here were the lines from practice:
Foligno, Eric Staal, Chris Stewart
Jason Zucker, Mikko Koivu, Granlund
Tyler Ennis, Matt Cullen, Kunin
Daniel Winnik, Joel Eriksson Ek, Mitchell/Ferraro
There was also some power-play work with:Foligno, Staal, Stewart, Matt Dumba, Mike ReillyZucker, Koivu, Granlund, Ryan Suter, Jared Spurgeon Also, in case you missed it, the Star Tribune hired a full-time Wild writer in Sarah McLellan! She's covered the Arizona Coyotes for several years and will take over this beat around mid-November. Give her a follow and say hi.
