Wild coach Yeo on goaltending situation: 'Everyone wants the net (in) Game 1'

With less than a week to go prior to the team's season opener against the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild coach Mike Yeo remains undecided in regards to his starting goaltender, and appears set to make a decision after a pair of weekend preseason games.

According to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, Yeo plans to start Niklas Backstrom on Thursday in St. Louis and Darcy Kuemper in Saturday’s home game against the Blues.

“We’re just going to evaluate every day,” Yeo said. “I don’t want to go in and say that one guy’s got the edge over another right now. I want them focused on their game. Everyone wants the net Game 1, and that’s been evident with their practices, evident with their play in the games.”

Ilya Bryzgalov remains at training camp on a tryout basis, but remains unlikely to stick around once the regular season begins, especially with Josh Harding expected to return later this season after recovering from a broken ankle. 

Kuemper, who signed a two-year, $2.5-million contract late in the summer, may have the inside track based on the fact he'll start the final exhibition contest, and after stopping 32 shot in Monday's 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

But if the Wild's goalie situation has taught us anything over the past calendar year, it's that nothing is set in stone. As such, it's a storyline very much worth following in the early weeks of the new season.