As one good thing happened for Minnesota Wild fans, the hockey gods hit them with a discouraging update about veteran winger Mats Zuccarello. It's hard to get down from the high of signing franchise superstar Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year contract extension, but losing Zuccarello for 7-8 weeks with a lower-body injury is one way to do it.
“The 38-year-old forward is expected to miss a minimum of 7-8 weeks,” the team announced via a release on NHL.com. “Wild general manager Bill Guerin said Sept. 18 that ‘something came up' and did not know if Zuccarello would need surgery.”
Zuccarello is in the final year of a two-year extension he signed with the team in 2023. He has been with the Wild since signing with them before the 2019-20 season, and has been a reliable forward in the middle of their lineup. He recorded just 54 points in 69 games last season, his lowest since the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season.
Newcomer Vladimir Tarasenko will look to fill in for Zuccarello on the right wing of the team's second line alongside Liam Ohgren and Joel Eriksson Ek. The loss of Mats Zuccarello is a significant loss to the team's depth, as they'll now rely on Ryan Hartman to move up to the third line.
Hartman struggled last season but had a mini-resurgence during their short playoff run, scoring six points in six games. An extended look at the third line could get him rolling to start the season and benefit the Wild down the road.
The pressure is now on John Hynes and Bill Guerin's shoulders to elevate Minnesota into Stanley Cup contention. Kaprizov's cap hit will rise dramatically next season, and they will begin paying Brock Faber with his new $8.5 million annual value this season.
Injuries have been a concern for the team over the past few seasons, negatively impacting their playoff success. An early blow to one of their locker room leaders is a bad sign to start the year.
