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Wild hoping to get two key players back for Thursday’s game vs. San Jose

john shipley, pioneer press
·4 min read

As they have done all season, the Wild played a crucial game on Saturday without some of their best players. This time, it was top-line center Joel Eriksson Ek and shutdown defenseman Jonas Brodin, who are both out with lower-body injuries.

The bad injuries have been a constant for Minnesota, which had captain Jared Spurgeon for only 16 games and already has lost key players such as Brodin, Kirill Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello, Matt Boldy and Filip Gustavsson for long stretches this season.

The Wild on Saturday coughed up a pair of one-goal leads — one in the third period — in a 5-4 overtime loss to St. Louis that dealt Minnesota’s postseason hopes a serious blow. The Wild have just 11 regular-season games left and don’t play again until Thursday against San Jose at the X.

The good news is coach John Hynes thinks he could get Eriksson Ek and Brodin back for that one.

“I’m hoping so, yeah,” he said. “There’s obviously a lot of time between that, but it’s trending that way. I can’t guarantee anything, but I’m hopeful for that.”

Eriksson Ek went through a full practice on Friday and there was a chance he could have played on Saturday, when the Wild had a chance to pass St. Louis into ninth place in the Western Conference. Instead, they fell three points behind.

“He wasn’t ready to be able to play tonight,” Hynes said. “He did practice yesterday and went through some things but there’s a different level of skating and practicing readiness versus game readiness.”

Eriksson Ek hasn’t played since a 4-1 victory over Arizona on March 12. Brodin was injured in last Tuesday’s 4-0 victory at Anaheim, where he landed awkwardly after being thrown to the ice by Ducks winger Alex Killorn.

Long wait

Any NHL team would be glad to have four straight days off, especially this late in the season. The Wild have time to rest and heal, but they’re also idle while their closest competitors for the West’s two wild card spots are active.

Vegas plays twice, while St. Louis and Los Angeles will each play once during that stretch. Each game is a chance to bury Minnesota deeper in the standings.

“I mean it’s still on us, you know?” said rookie center Marco Rossi, who scored two goals on Saturday. “Like, four days off can be huge for us. We get away from hockey, a free mind, and then coming back, we know what’s on the line.”

Rossi, 22, now has 20 goals in 70 games his first full NHL season.

“If we would have won the game, it would be different,” he said. “Yeah, it’s nice. I try to help the team.”

Leddy hits 1,000

St. Louis defenseman Nick Leddy, the former Gopher who was picked 16th overall by the Wild in the 2009 entry draft, played his 1,000th NHL game in the Blues’ victory Saturday.

“There’s not many guys that accomplish that,” teammate Pavel Buchnevich said. “It’s a huge accomplishment, and I know for him to be home and to get a win, it’s a very special night for him.

Leddy, 33, had the second assist on Jordan Kyrou’s game-tying goal in the third period. An Eden Prairie native, Leddy bought a suite for about 30 friends and family members for the game.

“A little more expensive, but it’ll be a special moment,” Leddy told reporters on Friday. “I think it will be nice. A lot of people made trips to come and watch a game, and I’m very grateful for that. Definitely feel the love and I really appreciate it.”

Leddy received an ovation from the crowd when the Wild announced his feat during a break in the first period.

Briefly

The Wild signed Riley Heidt to a three-year, entry-level contract on Saturday that starts with the 2024-25 season. Heidt, 18, has 34 goals and 114 points in 65 games with Prince George of the major junior Western Hockey League. Minnesota selected him in the second round of last summer’s entry draft.

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