"Although center Mikko Koivu was unable to make his return from a left shoulder injury Tuesday night, Wild coach Mike Yeo said the team is shooting for Thursday's home game against Vancouver as a better option to put its captain back on the ice.

Koivu hasn't played since Jan. 14 and was scratched Tuesday after he talked with the coaching staff and decided he wasn't ready to play. He skated Tuesday morning, as he did Monday in St. Paul, but wasn't put on a line for drills during either practice.

"He's not quite ready yet, but he's very, very close," Yeo said. "He wants to play, but he needs a couple more days. We're fairly confident that Thursday could be a good target date for us, so we'll keep our fingers crossed." "