Wild's Backstrom cleared following elbow surgery

Niklas Backstrom has been officially cleared for Minnesota Wild training camp after offseason elbow surgery.

The veteran goalie was in full gear and on the ice as the team began preparing for a new season Friday.

The 37-year-old was limited to 19 appearances for the Wild last season, posting a record of 5-7-3 and a lowly .884 save percentage.

With Devan Dubnyk firmly entrenched as the starter, Backstrom is set to battle Darcy Kuemper for the primary backup role.