ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota Wild traded for goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov on Tuesday in conjunction with their decision to shut down ailing veteran Niklas Backstrom. The Wild sent a fourth-round draft pick to Edmonton to complete the deal one day before the NHL trade deadline. General manager Chuck Fletcher said the team must assume that neither Backstrom nor Josh Harding will be healthy enough to mind the net again this season. Rookie Darcy Kuemper has been stellar in their absence, but with a finishing stretch of 20 games in 37 days starting Saturday, hes not enough. "We have a lot of work ahead of us to get where we want to get to, but clearly having two quality goaltenders was very important," Fletcher said. Kuemper has started 15 straight games, so Bryzgalov is more for insurance, though hes certain to have his time, too. The Wild are 14-4-2 in 2014 and in firm control of the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference playoff race. "I will do my job as best I can. Making the decisions on who is supposed to play is not my job," Bryzgalov said on a conference call. He added: "I look at this as a great opportunity for me to play, and yeah its like a new challenge." Backstrom has been bothered by injuries all season, most notably to his midsection that will probably prompt surgery, and the 36-year-old has a career-worst 3.02 goals-against average over 21 games. Fletcher told him Monday of their preference to hold him out until training camp. "His pain threshold is tremendous," Fletcher said. "Hes a competitive guy and I know hes really disappointed because the team has taken a really strong step the last couple months. Hes been through some of the lean times, and I know he wants to be a part of it but our goal for Nik is to get him healthy." Harding was superb early in the season, but the 2013 Masterton Trophy winner -- for sportsmanship, dedication and perseverance -- has not played at all in 2014 due to illness related to medication for multiple sclerosis. With not much more than a month left in the regular season and Harding not yet ready to resume skating, Fletcher said hes probably finished until the fall, too. The search for a replacement intensified in the last couple of days. Martin Brodeur and Jaroslav Halak also were potentially available via trade, but their price was far higher than what it took to nab Bryzgalov. The 33-year-old Russian has a 5-8-5 record in 20 games for the Oilers this season, with an ugly 3.01 goals-against average. Hes on an expiring contract, a requirement for the Wild. This is a rental, plain and simple. Thats largely because Kuemper has tied a Wild rookie record with 11 wins and since Jan. 7 has a 1.70 GAA with two shutouts and a .939 save percentage. "Weve always felt hed be a very good No. 1 goalie down the road, and we just didnt realize down the road would mean this January and February," Fletcher said. The pick sent to Edmonton was originally acquired last year from Buffalo in the trade that brought first-line right wing Jason Pominville to Minnesota. Bryzgalov has 38 games of playoff experience over five postseasons with Anaheim, Phoenix and Philadelphia, including three stellar starts against the Wild in the Western Conference quarterfinals in 2007. He stopped 73 of 77 shots in the first three games of that series, all Ducks victories. Bryzgalov struggled in defeat in the next game, Jean-Sebastien Giguere replaced him thereafter and the Ducks went on to win the Stanley Cup. Bryzgalovs career record is 213-157-50, including a 42-20-6 mark for the Coyotes during the 2009-10 season, his best in the NHL. He had a 2.29 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. Then came his ill-fated time in Philadelphia. The Flyers signed him to a $51 million, nine-year contract in 2011 and used a salary-cap compliance buyout to release him last June, just two seasons into the megadeal. General manager Paul Holmgren said then the contract was "a costly mistake." Bryzgalov didnt sign with the Oilers until last November. After signing goalie Ben Scrivens to a two-year contract extension last week, the Oilers took their first step away from Bryzgalov. Then they acquired goalie Viktor Fasth from Anaheim on Tuesday for a fifth-round draft pick this summer and a third-round selection in 2015. Florian Thauvin France Jersey . The Rangers announced after Thursdays 4-2 loss to the New York Yankees that they would purchase Williams contract from Triple-A Round Rock. The 32-year-old Williams was released by Houston earlier this month after going 1-4 with a 6. Paul Pogba France Jersey . Bring on Freddy Garcia. The well-travelled 36-year-old right-hander earned his second NL victory since 2007, and his first since he joined the Atlanta Braves last month, pitching six innings to help beat Miami 6-1 Thursday. http://www.nationalfrancesoccer.com/raph...-france-jersey/. -- Albert Pujols is thrilled to have a reason to forget about his first two disappointing seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. NGolo Kante France Jersey . The Extreme Heat Policy was enacted at Melbourne Park just before 2 p.m. Thursday, suspending all matches on outer courts until the early evening and requiring the closure of the retractable roofs at Rod Laver and Hisense arenas before play could continue on the show courts. Benjamin Pavard Jersey .Connor Graham, Alex Lintuniemi and Sam Studnicka also scored for Ottawa (11-8-2). Liam Herbst made 21 saves for the win.Brendan Lemieux had both of Barries (10-10-2) goals.SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. -- Jared McCann scored four times and Sergey Tolchinksi had one goal and three assists as the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds crushed the visiting Sudbury Wolves 10-3 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League play. Both sophomores set career-highs against Sudbury. McCann came into the contest not having scored more than twice in a game, doing it three times in his rookie season, while Tolchinkys four points bested his previous high of three, which came last season against the Mississauga Steelheads. Tyler Gaudet scored once and set up two more for the Greyhounds (1-0-0) while Dylan Staples, Jorgen Karterud, Brandon Hughes and Michael Bunting each added a goal. Patrick Watling, Andrew Fritsch and Trent Mallette chipped in two assists apiece for Sault Ste. Marie. Dominik Kubalik, Nicholas Baptiste and Nathan Pancel supplied the offence for the Wolves (0-1-0). Matt Murray made 29 saves for the win as Franky Palazzese picked up the loss after allowing eight goals against on 28 shots through 40 minutes of action. Troy Timpano replaced Palazzese to start the third period and stopped 2-of-4 shots in relief. Sault Ste. Marie went 2 for 3 on the power play while Sudbury failed to score on three chances with the man advantage. Battalion 4 Bulls 1 BELLEVILLE, Ont.dddddddddddd -- Vincent Praplan scored once and set up two more as North Bay downed the Bulls. Alex Henriksson, Mike Amadio and Jamie Lewis also scored for the Battalion (1-1-0) as Brendan ONeill made 34 saves for the victory. David Tomasek had a power-play goal for Belleville (0-2-0) while Charlie Graham turned aside 35-of-39 shots in the loss. Otters 2 Whalers 1 PLYMOUTH, Mich. -- Connor Brown scored the winner on the power play midway through the third period as Erie edged the Whalers. Dane Fox also scored for the Otters (1-0-1) while Oscar Dansk turned aside 29 shots. Connor Chatham scored with the man advantage for Plymouth (0-2-0) while Alex Nedeljkovic turned away 35 shots in a losing cause. Petes 4 Attack 3 (SO) OWEN SOUND, Ont. -- Jonatan Tanus scored the lone goal of the shootout to lift Peterborough over the Attack. Michael Giugovaz made 37 saves through 65 minutes and another three in the shootout to get the win for the Petes (1-1-0) while Eric Cornel had a goal and an assist. Anthony Stefano and Stephen Nosad also scored for Peterborough. Jaden Lindo led the Owen Sound (1-0-1) offence with a goal and two assists as Gemel Smith and Holden Cooke added single goals. Brandon Hope made 24 saves in defeat. 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