Matt Hackett Recalled By Wild Following Josh Harding Injury

The Minnesota Wild took a precautionary measure on Tuesday, prior to a Wednesday matchup against the Florida Panthers. Matt Hackett was recalled due to the chance that the team could be without Josh Harding, according to the Star Tribune. Harding tweaked something in practice on Monday, according to general manager Chuck Fletcher.

It's uncertain if any injury to Harding is serious or not, but the Wild were put in a situation earlier in the season in which they had to sign a 51-year old goalie from a local beer league as an emergency backup. Who knows if Paul Deutsch could have performed in the clutch, but the Wild certainly don't want to be put in that situation again. A team has to have two dressed goaltenders.

Hackett is an interesting goalie prospect, and could actually be a potential trade option for the Wild before the deadline. They've got two strong goalies and Hackett might command a decent price on the market. He's 2-0 in three games this season, stopping 84 of 86 shots faced, with a .977 save percentage. With the trade deadline, there will be a lot of theories concerning Hackett and even Harding, but for now, it looks like Hackett is just here to be a reserve backup.

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