HIGHLIGHTS
- The Minnesota Wild are getting healthy in time for the playoffs
- Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek could return on Wednesday night
- Read below for the full scoop
The Minnesota Wild are gearing up for a deep playoff run, and they will have their best players healthy.
Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek, who have been out for an extended time due to lower body injuries, are on the verge of a return to the lineup and could play on Wednesday night against the San Jose Sharks, head coach John Hynes declared.
Via NHL.com:
“We’re hopeful they’re going to play,” Hynes said after the morning skate. “They got one more skate here, and meet with the trainers and finalize it, and I’ll know for sure then. But we’re hopeful that they’re going to play.”
While both guys are important to the Wild, Kaprizov is the real game-changer. Despite not playing since January 26, the 27-year-old is still third on the team in points, scoring 23 goals and tallying 29 assists in just 37 games. He’s been sidelined for 28 consecutive contests after undergoing surgery.
As for Eriksson Ek, he has nine goals and 15 helpers in 2024-25. The centre hasn’t taken the ice in a game situation since February 22.
“If both of them come back, obviously it changes the dynamic of your lines and you have to move some things around,” Hynes said. “I think the most important thing is those guys have been off for a while. They’ve worked hard to get back and we want them to come back and get into the game and bring what they can bring.”
The Wild currently sit in second in the Wild Card race, just two points behind the St. Louis Blues. As things stand at the moment, they would face the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
