The Minnesota Wild face a challenging situation as defensemen Jonas Brodin and Brock Faber join the ranks of injured players ahead of their game against the Colorado Avalanche. Brodin is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury sustained while blocking a shot during the Wild's recent 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Meanwhile, Faber's condition remains uncertain after suffering an upper-body injury due to an elbow from Blues forward Jake Neighbours during his first shift in the same game.
Adding to the Wild's woes, captain Jared Spurgeon is expected to be sidelined for another week or two due to a lower-body injury he incurred from a slew foot by Nashville's Zachary L'Heureux. This unfortunate injury list leaves Minnesota without three of their top four defensemen. Jake Middleton has recently returned from a 10-game absence caused by an upper-body injury, but his presence may not be enough to stabilize the defensive lineup.
On the offensive front, the Wild are also missing star left wing Kirill Kaprizov, who has been out for seven consecutive games due to a lower-body issue. Kaprizov, currently tied for fourth in the NHL with 23 goals and ninth with 50 points, resumed skating in the last two days, indicating a potential return could be on the horizon.
