"It's not quite there, but I think that's reasonable," the center said. "It's been a while.
"To be honest, I was a little nervous (about) how it was going to go. It felt better than I thought it would be."
Koivu tore his ACL and meniscus Feb. 5 during a game against the Buffalo Sabres and had surgery three days later. He missed the final 29 games of the season for the Wild, who finished last in the Central Division and missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. Minnesota held the first wild card into the postseason from the Western Conference when Koivu was injured.
Coach Bruce Boudreau said he was happy with Koivu's showing.
"He didn't score or anything, but he's always in position, he's always doing the right things," Boudreau said. "… It was very encouraging. I asked him, and he felt good."
Koivu had 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) in 48 games last season. He has 688 points (201 goals, 487 assists) in 14 NHL seasons, all with the Wild, who selected him No. 6 in the 2001 NHL Draft. He has been Minnesota's captain since the 2008-09 season.
