Darcy Kuemper appears to be nearing his return to the net.

The Arizona Coyotes assigned the 29-year-old goaltender to the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners on Saturday for conditioning purposes, the team announced.

Kuemper hasn't played since exiting with a lower-body injury on Dec. 19 against the Minnesota Wild.

The 6-foot-5 puck-stopper was enjoying a career season before the injury, boasting a 15-8-2 record with a 2.17 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage.

Arizona has posted a 10-13-4 record in Kuemper's absence despite steady play from backup Antti Raanta. The Coyotes sit tied for the final Western Conference wild-card playoff berth entering Saturday's action.

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