The 37-year-old forward is a free agent this offseason, and it’s possible that this is his final season in Minnesota, and the NHL altogether. How unsatisfying it would have been for such a tenure to end so abruptly.
Koivu didn’t seem to spend much time entertaining that thought over the past four months. Instead, he put his efforts into making sure he was taking care of his body so that if the season did resume, he would be ready. Koivu said he knew more than a month ago that if there was a return to action, it would happen around now.
“I think that kind of made it easier preparation-wise, and then planning the workouts and the physical part of it,” he said. “I think you’re always worried about what’s going to happen, and then when you don’t know, like I said I think the last month, month and a half once you hear the options and … I don’t want to say the deadline necessarily, but timing-wise that was kind of where we were at.”
Now we know that if this is it for Koivu’s time in a Wild jersey, at least it will end in the postseason, as should be the case.
“Mikko Koivu has meant everything to this franchise. He has been such a figure, just watching from afar for so many years of how he’s led and led by example, and is still leading,” Wild coach Dean Evason said. “There’s a reason he’s the captain of the team. You watch his work ethic out there, it’s just absolutely awesome. Like, awesome. He doesn’t let anybody off the hook. If you’re going against him, you’re going against a man that’s competing every single second that he’s on the ice, practice or games. So yeah, I’m excited obviously for everybody, but no question excited for Mikko going forward here.”
As of now, just a few days into training camp 2.0, Koivu’s body feels good. What a relief that is for the veteran. The knee surgery that ended his 2019-20 campaign continued to bother him 20 to 30 games into this season. Then came a groin injury. It wasn’t until just before the hiatus in mid-March that he really started to feel good. He and the Wild’s entire fourth line were playing well.
Koivu, who went to Finland for a few weeks during the pause to train, admits he was a little concerned about how his body would react to coming back from the extended time off, but so far, so good.
“Everything should be good to go,” he said. “Every skate helps as of right now, but just feeling healthy, and I think that’s something as a hockey player, once you go through a serious injury, that’s something that (makes you) really appreciate and you know how much better it is once you can do the things you want to do without pain. I’m feeling good and, like every other guy on the team, it’s been fun, and I think everyone has energy and it’s been a positive first couple of days at camp.”
That sounds like a guy who may want to play past this season. He ribbed The Athletic’s Michael Russo for reporting that, should he not agree to another deal with the Wild, he may finish his playing career in Finland. While that’s an option, everyone in Finland took it as a certainty. As of now, nothing has been determined.
He’s focused on the here and now.
“I feel really good. I feel, I don’t want to say 100 percent healthy, but there’s no pain, nothing that will bother you playing the game, and you can enjoy it now. And that’s a feeling you want to have,” Koivu said. “So, that hasn’t changed. I’m just really trying to enjoy every minute of it on the ice and the preparation part and, once we get to Edmonton, to start playing again. I’m trying to take it as a new experience and just make sure that, like I said, I think we all realize now that anything can happen, and so you just want to have fun with it, and then at the same time prepare the right way and make sure we do our part as good as we can.
“Once the games are done, we’ll look at the future and it’s going to be totally up to mentally, physically how I feel. I’m trying to do the right thing in my mind about the future and things like that. For the final decision, I don’t think it’s the time to make that call as of right now. “
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Now healthy and happy, Mikko Koivu worried more about the Wild's current opportunity than his future - Grand Forks Herald
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