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The Minnesota Wild are firmly in the playoff discussion as the second half of the NHL season begins. Their hot start as them in second place in the Central Divison with 60 points in 47 games. But since the end of December, the Wild have been without Kirill Kaprizov and Jared Spurgeon due to injuries. Both players have been activated from injured reserve ahead of Thursday's game against Utah Hockey Club.
“The Wild has activated forward Kirill Kaprizov and captain Jared Spurgeon from Injured Reserve,” the team announced on social media.
Kaprizov was playing at a Hart Trophy level before he went down with a lower-body injury. He has 23 goals and 27 assists for 50 points in 34 points. He is fifth in points-per-game in the NHL but missed 12 games, likely keeping him out of MVP consideration. But the Wild got great play from Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi, who are second and third on the team in scoring.
Spurgeon is the captain of the Wild and has missed ten games with a lower-body injury, While he is a locker-room leader, he is no longer the top defenseman. Brock Faber is blossoming into a star and David Jiricek made his NHL debut while Spurgeon was out. His return is important but won't have the impact Kaprizov does.
Kirill Kaprizov must lead the Wild to a deep playoff run
The Wild have a 93.5% chance to make the playoffs, according to Moneypuck. Their great start, 20 wins in their first 30 games, has them nearly locked into a playoff spot. Adding their best player back to the roster will only help that number grow. But playoff success has eluded the Wild throughout their history. Can Kaprizov help them finally get deep in the postseason?
The Central Division is the toughest in the league and the Winnipeg Jets are rolling to the division crown. Minnesota would have to make up seven points to tie the Jets, which is a tough task. So that puts them in the 2-vs-3 matchup in the Central, which could be against the Dallas Stars or Colorado Avalanche.
Both of those teams have Stanley Cup aspirations and should be adding at the trade deadline. The Wild should make moves to improve their team as well, specifically with depth forwards. Adding a goal-scorer like Brock Nelson could push their team over the edge. But they sent their first-round pick to Columbus for Jiricek, so that could hamper them come March.
