The Minnesota Wild have a way of shocking fans this season, first with their monumental turnaround from losing to winning when they had a coaching change, and now an unfortunate turn with a high number of injuries. Every team in the NHL has to deal with the adversity of injuries; it’s just part of the game, but typically, it’s one or two players at a time, not seven players.
That’s right, the Wild are currently without seven of their players; six are full-time roster players and integral to the success of their lineup, with the final player earning his spot every time he’s in the lineup. Those players are Kirill Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello, Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon, Filip Gustavsson, Marcus Foligno, and Vinni Lettieri. With this many players out, others will have to fill the void in every position, and we’ll start with goaltending.
Wild’s Fleury’s Number One
Marc-André Fleury just played his 1,000th game, but he’s still on the lookout for his 551st win; it looks like he’ll have plenty of chances to do that and more now that he has to fill in for Gustavsson for the next couple of weeks. After being used to alternating starts every other night or every few nights, this will be a test for the 39-year-old, but he’s proved, especially lately, that he’s up for the challenge.
While Fleury takes over the number one slot, his backups may change again depending on injuries. Currently, the Wild’s backup is Zane McIntyre, who’s only played eight games in the NHL back in 2016-17 but has done well in the American Hockey League. Of course, everyone wonders when they’ll see Jesper Wallstedt, but he’s also currently injured. It’s possible he could return soon, but it’s unclear at this point.
Zuccarello status hasn’t changed. Still in week to week. Foligno game time decision with lingering injury. Fleury starts tonight and he’ll have the net for while here. Hynes said Wallstedt is returning from injury “shortly” so he could be an option down the line #mnwild.
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) January 2, 2024
Regardless of who is backing him up, Fleury must dig as deep as possible to help his team out of this jam. Especially with their top two defensemen out, they’ll need every extra save he can find.
Wild’s Faber & Middleton Top Pairing
With Brodin out of the lineup and Spurgeon back on the injured list, the bulk of the defensive load will fall on Brock Faber and Jake Middleton. The first time this pair had to step up, they blew everyone away, especially Faber. Not only did he fit in on the top pair, but he also ran the first power play unit and dominated on the penalty kill. He played over 30 minutes a night and continued to play at the top of his game despite being a rookie who’s played barely 40 games in the NHL.
Related: Wild’s Middleton a Hidden Asset to Their Defensive Core
As for Middleton, he was somewhat of a surprise. He’s never been a bad defenseman for the Wild and always stepped up when necessary, but he’s also recently found a way to raise the level of his game. He’s been strong on the penalty kill and made a few mistakes here and there, but overall, he’s been great. His biggest defensive asset has been his blocked shots; he has 78 blocks in 36 games and leads the team in that category.
While both Faber and Middleton have been doing their jobs defensively, they’ve also found ways to team up and go in offensively too. Middleton has been breaking into the offensive zone more and more while Faber covers the point with another forward. Faber’s done the same, just not as much. Hopefully, he’ll get braver, and these two can find ways to score goals and defend them.
Wild Need Boldy, Rossi & Eriksson Ek
The last time the Wild lost their leading scorer in Kaprizov, Matt Boldy found a way to step up and take charge. With four out of their seven injured being forwards, they will need Boldy and others to step up, such as Marco Rossi and Joel Eriksson Ek. Boldy had recently found his scoring stride after dealing with an injury of his own, and hopefully, he can amplify his scoring a bit to help get them through this.
It may be a lot to expect, but with the success Rossi has found so far this season, they’ll need him to keep that up and, if possible, find another step to his game. He has 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points in 36 games, and he’s gone a handful of games without a goal, so he’s due for one pretty soon. Hopefully, that can spark a scoring streak, and he can step up like Boldy has in the past.
Eriksson Ek is the final player on the list they’ll need more out of, and he’s the one who could do it. He’s always finding ways to step up his game, and despite being known for being aggressive in front of the net, he’s still found ways past the defense. He’s been a little quiet lately offensively, but he’s been strong defensively. It would be great if they could get his scoring side going once again while their top guys are out.
Wild’s Rough Road Ahead
It’s not going to be easy for the Wild to get wins with their top players out, but they’ll have to find a way. They’re going to face teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, Carolina Hurricanes, and many others in the next few weeks that will truly test the resilience of this team. They really need to get some wins to keep any playoff hopes alive, so hopefully, they can dig deep and find ways to step up with these players leading the way.