The Wild have been with out famous person winger Kirill Kaprizov for the reason that vacation break with a lower-body concern. It’s precipitated him to overlook 4 video games and can maintain him out for a minimum of yet another, though normal supervisor Bill Guerin says they’ll preserve him sidelined for so long as the staff wants to permit him to recuperate totally.
“The factor is that we don’t need him to return again and push by way of,” Guerin informed Michael Russo of The Athletic on Thursday. “He might, but it surely might make one thing worse.”
As Guerin relayed, the Wild have already been burned as soon as this season by a participant returning too quickly into their restoration from a groin drawback — which Kaprizov is alleged to have, however Guerin wouldn’t verify. Depth winger Jakub Lauko sustained a groin damage in opposition to the Jets on Nov. 25 and returned to the lineup after lacking six video games, however reaggravated the muscle concern lower than per week later and stays on injured reserve with no return date on the horizon.
“We’d like [Kaprizov] for the lengthy haul,” Guerin continued. “We don’t simply want him for a pair video games in January. We’d like him to get wholesome and really feel higher, so we’re attempting to do the appropriate factor and simply have a look at it from the lengthy perspective.”
Earlier than his damage, Kaprizov was monitoring to complete within the high 10 in Hart Trophy voting for the second time in his profession. The dynamic-as-ever 27-year-old stays fifth within the league with 1.47 factors per sport after notching 23 objectives and 27 assists for 50 factors by way of 34 video games.
Twenty of these 23 objectives have come at even power, nonetheless tied with the Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl for the league lead. His +21 score can also be nonetheless second amongst forwards behind the Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel (+23) regardless of his absence.
The Wild have gone 3-1-0 of their star scorer’s absence, together with a formidable 4-3 highway shootout win over the Jap Convention-leading Capitals final night time. Any factors they’ll compile within the quick time period with Kaprizov and top-four defensemen Jacob Middleton and Jared Spurgeon out of the lineup are essential to their possibilities of holding onto the top-three putting within the Central Division that they’ve held for many of the 12 months.
With all of the injury-related drama surrounding Minnesota just lately, they’re nonetheless in fairly a great place within the standings. Their 52 factors and .667 factors share are third within the Western Convention and second within the Central. Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic’s projection mannequin nonetheless initiatives them to complete with 105 factors, narrowly edging out the Avalanche and Stars to carry second place within the division, even factoring within the anticipated size of their injured gamers’ absences.
A great portion of Minnesota’s success within the interim have to be awarded to the resurgent play of netminder Filip Gustavsson, whose .924 SV% ranks third within the league amongst certified netminders after a attempting 2023-24 season. That features a .937 mark in his three begins for the reason that vacation break.
He’ll must preserve that up with the Wild’s offense clicking at a middling 2.95 objectives per sport, which is barely ok for twentieth within the league regardless of Kaprizov solely lacking 12.8% of their schedule up to now. Marco Rossi has been Minnesota’s high scorer for the reason that break in Kaprizov’s absence, notching three objectives and a pair of assists in his 4 outings.
