Minnesota Wild head coach John Hynes delivered an encouraging update on injured stars Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek on Tuesday, but he stopped short of saying one or both might return to the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the San Jose Sharks.
That tone, however, appears to be changing. According to Michael Russo, both Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek could make their long-awaited returns against the Sharks if Wednesday’s morning skate goes well.
Kaprizov has played in three games since Dec. 26 and none since late-January. He underwent surgery for a lower-body injury and didn’t start skating again until March 27. He’s since gone through full contact and five-on-five work and is on the verge of bringing his superstar scoring punch back to a Wild lineup that desperately needs offensive firepower.
Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi lead the Wild with 26 and 24 goals, respectively. But both have played in all 78 games. Kaprizov has played in only 37 games and has 23 goals and 29 assists.
Eriksson Ek hasn’t played since Feb. 22 because of a lower-body injury.
When healthy, Minnesota was one of the top teams in the NHL this season. They went from being among the NHL points leaders to now holding on to the final playoff spot in the West.
With four games left in the regular season, the Wild (91 points) are four points ahead of the Calgary Flames for the second wild-card spot.
Nov 1, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek (14) celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning with defenseman Brock Faber (7), forward Mats Zuccarello (36), and forward Kirill Kaprizov (97) during the second period at Xcel Energy Center.
