Ville Husso is ready for the next step in his comeback, and that is a stint in the minors.

The Detroit Red Wings loaned Husso to the Grand Rapids Griffins on Thursday, after activating him off injured reserve. The Wings' No. 1 netminder when the season began hasn't played since suffering a lower-body injury Dec. 18, but he's been a part of practices for the last week or so.

In order to get him back up and running, he agreed to a conditioning stint with the Griffins. They have home games Friday and Saturday.

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It's a sensible route for a goalie who hasn't played in more than a month, an opportunity to regain his timing at a competitive level of hockey.

Husso had a 3.53 goals-against average and .893 save percentage in 18 games when he left in the first period of a game against the Anaheim Ducks after appearing to come down awkwardly. He was making his third start in four games and seeing action for a fourth straight game as, in a strange coincidence, Alex Lyon had to leave the previous game, Dec. 16 at the Philadelphia Flyers, when he suffered a mid-body injury.

Lyon was able to return in late December and has since emerged in the No. 1 slot that was Husso's when the season began. Entering Thursday's game at Little Caesars Arena against the Flyers, Lyon had a 2.67 GAA and .919 save percentage in 18 games.

The Wings also have James Reimer on the books; he had a good outing Jan. 14 at the Toronto Maple Leafs, making 28 saves, but overall he has a 3.22 GAA and .894 save percentage in 14 games. Carrying three goaltenders turned out to be a prudent move, as Lyon has kept the Wings in the playoff race as he has emerged in the top spot on the depth chart.

Husso projects to have a leisurely pace back to NHL action. Beyond Thursday, the Wings have only have two games – Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights and Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators – on the schedule before their nine-day All-Star/winter break.

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from  Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings' Ville Husso begins comeback with stint in minors