Kirill Kaprizov #97 of the Minnesota Wild skates with the puck against the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period at the United Center on January 26, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
The Brief
- The Minnesota Wild activated forward Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek from long-term injured reserve ahead of Wednesday night’s game against the San Jose Sharks at Xcel Energy Center.
- Kaprizov missed 28 straight games with a lower body injury. Ek has missed 21 games.
- The Wild is clinging to a spot in the Western Conference Playoffs with four regular season games left.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – The Minnesota Wild hosts the San Jose Sharks Wednesday night at Xcel Energy Center, and they’ll get two of their top offensive players back on the ice.
What we know
The Wild announced after morning skate they’ve activated Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek from long-term injured reserve. Kaprizov has missed the last 28 games with a lower body injury, which is believed to have been a groin injury. The ailment required surgery, and he hasn’t played since Jan. 26.
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Despite missing significant time, Kaprizov is third on the Wild with 52 points and 23 goals.
Ek appeared in one game after playing for Sweden in the Four Nations Face-Off, but has since missed 21 straight games. He left a practice with an injury and had to miss several weeks. In 42 games, Ek has nine goals and 15 assists.
Why you should care
Both are returning in time to be on the ice before the Wild are presumably in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Timeline
The Wild has four regular season games left, and is clinging to one of the final playoff spots in the Western Conference. They have 91 points, four clear of Calgary, which still has five regular seaos games left. The Wild is also two points behind the St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers.
