Wild coach looking for 2-way game out of scratched Vanek

The Minnesota Wild's third-highest paid forward will continue to watch from the press box as the team looks to lock down a playoff spot.

Thomas Vanek, who carries a $6.5-million cap hit through to the end of next season, will not play Tuesday against Los Angeles, marking the third straight game that he's been made a healthy scratch by new bench boss John Torchetti.

For the coach, it's not that Vanek isn't scoring - although his 18 goals in 70 games is below-average production based on his career numbers - it's more a matter of all-around effort at both ends of the ice.

"We just talked about playing a two-way game," Torchetti told Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "He's out right now and then when he gets the opportunity, I'm sure he'll come back and be a better player for us."

Vanek's response?

"I'm not going to lie. Obviously I'm not happy about it," he said after practice Tuesday. "It is what it is. It's a team sport, guys are going to be in and out and I'm not going to (whine) and complain about it.

"(Torchetti's) got his guys he trusts, so I think once I get back in there, just to play well and that's about it. That's all I can control."

Working against Vanek is the fact Minnesota has won the two games from which he's already been scratched. Still, the Wild sit a point back of Colorado in the wild-card race, and may yet be in need of Vanek's previously prolific stick.

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