Minnesota Wild star winger Kirill Kaprizov will miss 1-2 weeks with an upper-body injury sustained in Saturday’s 4-2 loss against the Winnipeg Jets, the team announced Tuesday.
#mnwild injury update:
G Filip Gustavsson (injured reserve) is week-to-week with a lower-body injury.LW Kirill Kaprizov is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
— Minnesota Wild PR (@mnwildPR) January 2, 2024
The injury occurred during the third period after Kaprizov received multiple dangerous cross-checks to the lower back from Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon. Kaprizov was slow to get up after the hits and did not return to the game.
This is the second straight season Kaprizov has suffered an injury against Winnipeg. Last March, he missed nearly a month with a lower-body injury after a collision with Jets defenseman Logan Stanley.
“It’s frustrating to see a player of Kirill’s caliber taken out by a play like that,” said Wild head coach John Hynes. “Player safety has to be the top priority.”
Prior to the injury, Kaprizov had been on a hot streak with points in six straight games. He leads the team in scoring this season with 13 goals and 21 assists for 34 points in 34 games.
The Wild will sorely miss their All-Star winger during his absence. Kaprizov is a dynamic offensive force and the catalyst for Minnesota’s attack.
The team has recalled forward Sammy Walker from the AHL to provide some additional depth up front. But Hynes emphasized that it will take a team effort to fill the void.
“Obviously you can’t replace a guy like Kirill, but we’ll need guys to step up in his place,” Hynes said.
The Wild are already dealing with several key injuries, including top center Mats Zuccarello and starting goalie Filip Gustavsson. Gustavsson also exited Saturday’s game with a lower-body injury.
Minnesota sits seventh in the Central Division entering Tuesday’s home matchup with Calgary. With Kaprizov sidelined for at least the next week or two, the team will face an uphill battle to climb the standings.
