The Minnesota Wild might be getting a couple of key players back just in time for the final push ahead of the postseason.
When speaking to the media after the morning skate, head coach John Hynes said he expects forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek to return to the lineup on Wednesday when the Wild hosts the San Jose Sharks.
Wild will have Kaprizov and JEE together in the lineup for just the 25th time this season.
— Anthony LaPanta (@AnthonyLaPanta) April 9, 2025
They are 17-5-2 when both playing with 3.29 goals/gm
They’ve played 23 games with both out: 2.22 goals and 10-10-3
When either or both have been out the team is 25-24-5 with 2.41 goals
Due to various injuries for both players, it will be just the 25th time this season that Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek will be in the lineup at the same time. The Wild have been successful with the duo in action together, going 17-5-2 with the team averaging well over three goals per game. In the 23 games when both have been absent, Minnesota is just 10-10-3, scoring a little over two goals per game.
Kaprizov has been out of action since undergoing surgery to repair a lower-body injury. The Russian star left the lineup after playing three games after missing a month due to another ailment. Still, despite playing in just 37 games, Kaprizov is one of the top scorers on the Wild roster. The 27-year-old has scored 23 goals and 29 assists for 52 points, placing him third on the team in scoring.
Eriksson Ek was placed on injured reserve in late February after getting hurt in practice. It wasn’t the first time the Swede missed considerable time. He was out for over three weeks in December due to a lower-body injury. In 42 appearances this season, Eriksson Ek has scored nine goals and 15 assists for 24 points.
The Wild (42-29-7) sit fifth in the Central Division, holding the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. With just four games remaining, they have a four-point lead over the Calgary Flames for eighth place.