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Minnesota Wild News
FIlip Gustavsson will start Thursday vs. New Jersey.

Gustavsson will return to the crease on Thursday after serving as the Wild backup in their last two games. After a sensational 41-save shutout in his season debut, Gustavsson has struggled immensely with a 5.45 GAA and .853 SV% in four games (1-2-1). Gustavsson was one of the league's top goaltenders last season and still has plenty of time to turn things around but Thursday night's matchup against the high-octane New Jersey Devils doesn't inspire much confidence. The Wild are only slight -103 home underdogs but are facing a Devils team that is averaging 4.6 goals per game over their last five contests (4-1-0).

Filip Gustavsson
Daemon Hunt has been recalled from Iowa (AHL).

Hunt has been recalled from Iowa (AHL) for a second time this season after failing to put up a point in four games but has seven PIMs and a -3 plus/minus. He returns to Minnesota, where he made his NHL debut earlier this season in two games, playing only 4:52 TOI/GP.

Daemon Hunt
Matthew Boldy (upper body) will return to the Wild lineup Thursday vs New Jersey.

After being injured in the second game of the season and being forced to miss the subsequent seven contests, Boldy will make his much-anticipated return to the Wild lineup on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils. The Wild have struggled immensely in his absence, winning only twice (2-3-2). Boldy has two points (1G / 1A) in two games this season and will be a fixture in the top-six and top powerplay unit for the Wild going forward.

Matt Boldy
Jared Spurgeon (upper body) was back at Wild practice Wednesday.

Spurgeon has not played yet this season due to an upper-body injury so his presence at practice was a welcome sight for a Wild team that currently ranks worst in the league defensively (4.11 GA / GP). Last season, Surgeron averaged 21:49 time-on-ice while tallying 34 points (11G / 23A) and a +32 plus/minus rating in 79 games.

Jared Spurgeon
Daemon Hunt has been reassigned to the Iowa Wild (AHL).

Hunt appeared in two games after making his NHL debut on October 27th and picked up a SOG while averaging a minuscule 4:52 TOI which has led to him being reassigned to Iowa (AHL) on Monday. The 21-year-old defenseman returns to the AHL where he has yet to pick up a point, but has seven PIMs and is a -3 plus/minus in four games played so far in 2023-24.

Daemon Hunt
Fleury will start in New Jersey on Sunday.

Fleury will make his second consecutive and fourth start of the season on Sunday against the Devils. The 20-year veteran is coming off his best start of the young season. Fleury stopped 31 of the 33 shots he faced in Friday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Capitals. He owns an .895 SV% and a 2.96 GAA along with a 1-1-1 record on the season. Fleury and the Wild draw a difficult assignment on Sunday with the Devils being sizable favourites at -170.

Marc-Andre Fleury
Daemon Hunt is expected to make his NHL debut Friday vs. Washington.

Hunt was the Wild's 2020 third-round pick (65th overall) and will make his NHL debut Friday vs. Washington as he takes the spot of Jujhar Khaira in Minnesota's lineup The 21-year-old defensemen had yet to pick up a point with Iowa (AHL) prior to his NHL promotion but had seven PIMs and a -3 plus/minus through four games.

Daemon Hunt
Jakub Lauko (upper body) has a face fracture and will be out at least a week.

Laura left the Bruins' previous game after 9:13 TOI after taking the back end of a skate to the face and will be out at least a week with a facial fracture. The 23-year-old centre has yet to pick up a point in six games played so far in 2023-24, but has six SOG, six PIMs and a -4 plus/minus. It is a hard hit to the Bruins who also lost Milan Lucic (lower-body) week-to-week Thursday.

Jakub Lauko
Marc-Andre Fleury will start Friday vs. Washington.

Fleury will return to the net on Friday for a Minnesota Wild team that has uncharacteristically been unable to keep the puck out of their net, regardless of who is in between the pipes. In two games this season (1-1-0), Fleury has a 3.55 GAA, which is slightly better than the Wild's league-worst 4.43 goals allowed per game. Fleury and the Wild will have a chance to get things back on track Friday as they visit a Washington Capitals team that is scoring an average of only 2.00 goals per game, second lowest in the league.

Marc-Andre Fleury
Filip Gustavsson will start Thursday vs. Philadelphia.

Gustavsson will return to the crease on Thursday for his third consecutive game as he looks for his third victory this season. After a heroic 41-save shutout to open the season, Gustavsson has registered a .861 SV% in his three games since (1-1-1). The Wild have had an uncharacteristic start to the season. The traditionally low-scoring, low-offence Wild, who are without Matt Boldy to boot, have the league's fourth-best offence (4.17 GF/GP) along with the third-worst defence (4.17 GA/GP). They will look to recalibrate as -111 road favourites against a Philadelphia Flyers team that has a 3-2-1 record.

Filip Gustavsson
Jared Spurgeon (upper body) has been placed on the long-term injured reserve.

Spurgeon has yet to appear in any of the Wilds' first six games this season due to an upper-body injury and has been placed on the long-term injured reserve Wednesday. The 33-year-old Wild Captain is a massive loss for Minnesota after he put up 11 goals, 34 points, and a +32 plus/minus in 79 games in 2022-23. There is still no expected timetable for his return but he was back on the ice for the first time since October 5th this week at practice.

Jared Spurgeon
Frederick Gaudreau (upper body) did not travel with the team to Philadelphia.

Gaudreau did not travel with the team as they head to Philadelphia and is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 30-year-old forward has yet to pick up a point through five games after putting up 19 goals and 38 points in 82 games with the Wild in 2022-23. More updates and clarity should be provided on Gaudreau's health in the upcoming days.

Frederick Gaudreau
Devin Shore will make his Seattle debut on Tuesday vs. Detroit.

Shore participated in one game with the Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL) and failed to pick up a point before getting called up to Seatle on the weekend and will make his team debut Tuesday vs. Detroit. The 29-year-old is entering his ninth NHL season and has 50 career goals and 135 points in 422 games played. He had a goal, eight assists, 61 SOG, four PIMs and a +6 plus/minus in 47 games played with Edmonton in 2022-23.

Devin Shore
Filip Gustavsson will start Tuesday vs. Edmonton.

After a remarkable 41-save shutout in his season-opening performance, Gustavsson has struggled to find his footing. In three games (1-1-1), Gustavsson has struggled to keep the puck out of his net, posting a 3.93 GAA and .906 SV%. He will look to return to form on Tuesday as the Wild host a McDavid-less Edmonton Oilers team. The Oilers have struggled to score this season, averaging only 2.60 goals per game, and will be hard-pressed to find offence tonight without their captain.

Filip Gustavsson
Daemon Hunt has been recalled from the Iowa Wild (AHL).

Hunt was the Wild's 2020 third-round pick (65th overall) and has been recalled to Minnesota Monday for the first time in his career. The 21-year-old defensemen had yet to pick up a point with Iowa (AHL) but had seven PIMs and a -3 plus/minus through four games. Hunt has a shot to make his NHL debut if John Merrill is held out of the lineup due to injury Tuesday.

Daemon Hunt
The Wild re-assigned Walker to Iowa (AHL) on Sunday.

Walker returns to Iowa after a brief cameo with the Wild following the placement of Alex Goligoski on LTIR. In two games with Minnesota, Walker registered zero points and one shot on goal with an ATOI of 10:05. He'll return to the AHL where he's also been held pointless in two appearances this season.

Sammy Walker
Devin Shore has been recalled from Coachella Valley (AHL)

Shore failed to pick up a point in his only game for Coachella Valley (AHL) thus far this season but has been recalled to Seattle Thursday. The 29-year-old was signed to a one-year, two-way deal in the offseason worth $775,000 after scoring a goal and nine points with the Oilers in 47 games played in 2022-23. It will mark his ninth NHL season with his fifth different team when he makes his Seattle debut.

Devin Shore
Sammy Walker is set to make his season debut vs. Los Angeles.

Walker was yet to pick up a point in two games with Iowa (AHL) and is a -4 plus/minus after being recalled to Minnesota Wednesday with the news that Alex Goligoski will be heading to the LTIR and will make his season debut Thursday vs. Los Angeles. Walker returns to the Wild lineup, where he had a goal, an assist, eight SOG and a -1 plus/minus in nine games played in his rookie season in 2022-23.

Sammy Walker