On the front end of a back-to-back, Minnesota will turn to Fleury between the pipes on Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Fleury has only played once in the last three weeks but has been serviceable in limited action this season, posting a 2.76 GAA and .904 SV% in five games (4-0-1). Minnesota enters Friday's contest as sizeable -258 home favorites against a Chicago club coming off an impressive 6-2 win over the Dallas Stars.

Boyd will fill in for Jakub Lauko, who is listed as a healthy scratch. Boyd went pointless in less than nine minutes of ice time in his Wild debut on Saturday.

Merrill will fill in for Jonas Brodin, who was a late scratch due to an upper-body injury. Merrill has zero goals and one assist in 14 games this season.

Brodin was a surprise scratch on Wednesday, with his absence not being announced prior to warmups. We should get an update on his status ahead of the Wild's game against Chicago on Friday.

Minnesota has lost two straight, both with Gustavsson between the pipes, but will roll with him again on Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres. Despite losing three of his last four outings (1-2-1), Gustavsson has been tremendous in Minnesota's crease this season, posting a stellar 2.18 GAA and .923 SV% in 16 games (9-4-3). Minnesota enters Wednesday's contest as -129 road favorites against Buffalo club that will welcome Tage Thompson back into their lineup.

According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, Kaprizov had an MRI on Sunday, and Wild team doctors determined he did not have a serious injury. He'll return to the Wild lineup after missing just one game. Before his injury, the 27-year-old Kaprizov was riding a seven-game point streak, scoring 13 points (6G / 7A).

Gustavsson was on the losing end of a 4-3 shootout loss to the Calgary Flames in Minnesota's last outing but will look to rebound on Monday against the Winnipeg Jets. The 26-year-old Gustavsson has been among the NHL's best netminders this season, boasting a 2.13 GAA and .924 SV% through 15 games (9-3-3). Minnesota enters Monday's contest as slight -103 home underdogs against a Winnipeg club coming off a 4-1 loss to the Nashville Predators.

According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, Kaprizov had an MRI on Sunday, and Wild team doctors determined he did not have a serious injury. Before his injury, the 27-year-old Kaprizov was riding a seven-game point streak, scoring 13 points (6G / 7A).

According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, Kaprizov had an MRI on Sunday, and Wild team doctors determined he did not have a serious injury. At this point, it's unclear how long Kaprizov will be sidelined, but the Wild will take it day by day. He should be considered doubtful to play Monday vs. the Jets.

Boyd has played 296 career NHL games but has spent the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign with the Iowa Wild (AHL), his first exposure to the AHL since 2019-20. The 31-year-old Boyd has 11 points (2G / 9A) in 13 games with Iowa.

Kaprizov has been on fire lately and will be a sorely missed offensive contributor if he is not able to suit up for Minnesota on Saturday against the Calgary Flames. The 27-year-old Kaprizov is currently riding a seven-game point streak, scoring 13 points (6G / 7A).

Devin Shore will make his season debut on Thursday, resulting in Jones being a healthy scratch. The 25-year-old Jones has played three NHL games but has primarily been an AHL player. He has 12 points (4G / 8A) in 14 games with the Iowa Wild (AHL) this season.

Shore is no stranger to the NHL, with 139 career points (51G / 88A) in 443 career games. That said, the 30-year-old Shore has been primarily an AHL player the previous two seasons and has 10 points (2G / 8A) in 14 games with the Iowa Wild (AHL).