Darcy Kuemper will man the net Saturday against the Predators, Rachel Blount of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Kuemper will man the net Saturday against the Predators, Rachel Blount of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Analysis:

A stomach virus kept Kuemper unavailable for the Wild's past two games, but he returned to practice Friday refreshed and ready to go. His grip on the starting job seemed to be slipping a bit prior to his illness, so he could surely benefit from a credible outing Saturday against the Predators. Unfortunately, with Pekka Rinne looking across at him in the opposite net, getting the win might be too much to ask for from Kuemper.