- Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin won’t play Game 1 or Game 2 in Denver
- Both are dealing with lower-body injuries from the first round vs. Dallas
- Read below for everything John Hynes said and how the Wild plan to fill in
The Minnesota Wild are starting their second-round series shorthanded.
Coach John Hynes confirmed Sunday that center Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin will both miss the first two games against the Colorado Avalanche with lower-body injuries. Neither player traveled to Denver for the series opener at Ball Arena.
“Out for the first two and then there’s going to be a break between (Games) 2 and 3, so I think both of those guys will be reevaluated and see where it goes from there,” Hynes said, per NHL.com.
Eriksson Ek banged up his right leg in Game 6 against Dallas. He lost an edge, slid into the boards, and somehow finished the game. He didn’t practice Saturday and stayed home when the team flew west.
The 28-year-old was a massive part of Minnesota’s first-round upset of the Stars. Five points in six games, 56.4% on the dot, and just under 24 minutes a night. His regular season ended with 51 points (19 goals, 32 assists) in 70 games.
Game 6 was the last time anyone saw him on the ice:
Brodin’s situation has been brewing longer. He blocked a Mikko Rantanen shot in Game 5 and left in the second period, then sat out the clincher entirely. Jeff Petry drew in for him in Game 6 and played 7:13. Hynes wouldn’t say Sunday whether Petry gets the call again or someone else slides up.
Eriksson Ek’s likely fill-in is Danila Yurov or Hunter Haight. Hynes admitted the staff was still kicking it around hours before puck drop.
“Ekky’s a big part of the team, but as you go through the course of a season, you’re going to get injuries and injuries are a part of the game,” Hynes said. “When you lose a guy that plays that many situations, you have to (try to replace him) collectively as a group, and it’s not all on one guy.”
There’s a built-in cushion. The series shifts to St. Paul on Saturday after Tuesday’s Game 2, giving the Wild four extra days for both players to push toward a return.
The Avalanche, meanwhile, are coming in fully rested. Colorado swept the Kings last week and hasn’t played in seven days.
Game 1 drops the puck at 9 p.m. ET on TNT.
