Jared Spurgeon, the captain of the Minnesota Wild, is set to be sidelined for two to three weeks due to a right leg injury sustained in a recent incident involving Nashville's Zachary L'Heureux. The injury occurred when Spurgeon was slew-footed, resulting in an awkward fall into the boards. Following a disciplinary hearing, L'Heureux received a three-game suspension from the NHL's Department of Player Safety.

General manager Bill Guerin shared that the prognosis for Spurgeon's injury is more favorable than initially anticipated. This news comes as the Wild also contend with the absence of defenseman Jake Middleton, who has been out for nearly a month due to a hand injury. Additionally, leading scorer Kirill Kaprizov is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body issue.

Spurgeon's situation is particularly concerning as he is recovering from a challenging previous season that saw him undergo hip and back surgeries, limiting him to just 16 games. Before his latest injury, the 35-year-old defenseman was performing effectively, contributing four goals and nine assists in 13 games while averaging nearly 21 minutes of ice time per game.