Martin Brodeur will practice Thursday

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NEWARK, N.J. -- Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur, who has missed the past three games with a sprained ligament in his right knee, will practice with the full team Thursday, according to coach Jacques Lemaire.

Brodeur was in net at the Devils' practice facility as the rest of the team was on the main rink for the morning skate. The Devils take on the Carolina Hurricanes in a pivotal matchup with playoff implications Wednesday night.

"He's practicing [now]," Lemaire said. "We'll see [how he feels] after. Maybe tomorrow he'll be with us."

Brodeur, who sprained the medial collateral ligament Feb. 6 during the first period of the Devils' 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens, said he "feels good."

"But I have to see how I feel whether I practice with the team tomorrow," Brodeur told reporters Wednesday morning. "It's stretching the MCL. It's a little tender."

The 38-year-old received treatment after his workout, according to general manager Lou Lamoriello. The Devils have not set a date for his return.

On Tuesday, the Devils placed Brodeur on injured reserve, retroactive to Feb. 6.

Backup Johan Hedberg has won all three games in place of Brodeur.

The Devils, who have reeled off a 12-1-2 record in their past 15 games, trail the Hurricanes by 14 points for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 26 games remaining.

In 38 games this season, Brodeur has compiled a 13-19-2 mark with a 2.74 goals-against average and an .898 save percentage.

Mike Mazzeo is a regular contributor to ESPN NewYork.com. Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

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