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The Minnesota Wild are getting healthy at the perfect time.
With the Stanley Cup Playoffs right around the corner, Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek are on the verge of returning from injuries and could play on Wednesday night against the San Jose Sharks, head coach John Hynes said.
Via NHL.com:
“We’re hopeful they’re going to play,” Hynes said after the morning skate. “They got one more skate here, and meet with the trainers and finalize it, and I’ll know for sure then. But we’re hopeful that they’re going to play.”
Kaprizov has been sidelined for a long while after having surgery on a lower-body injury in late January. He's missed 40 of the past 43 games and hasn't suited up since January 26. Despite missing so much time, he's still third on the Wild roster in points with 52 in just 37 outings. Kaprizov has scored 23 goals and supplied 29 helpers.
As for Eriksson Ek, he's been on the shelf for 28 straight contests, also due to a lower body problem. The big center is a key piece as well, registering 24 points in 42 games. Minnesota is second in the Wild Card race, but they're right on the St. Louis Blues' heels, who are two points above them.
“If both of them come back, obviously it changes the dynamic of your lines and you have to move some things around,” Hynes said. “I think the most important thing is those guys have been off for a while. They’ve worked hard to get back and we want them to come back and get into the game and bring what they can bring.”
Wild forward Marcus Foligno knows what Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek bring to the table for this squad, both on and off the ice:
“To have those two guys back is huge for our team, emotionally and just on the ice what they can give us,” Foligno said. “We know it’s not going to be something where they come back and it’s not going to be a cakewalk; we’ve still got to be tense and still play with that jam.”
The Wild are 4-4-2 in their last 10.
