The Minnesota Wild are down a key player. Kirill Kaprizov is now placed on the IR for a lower-body injury. He has missed four games, and his return date is still unknown.
Kaprizov last played on December 23rd in a win against the Chicago Blackhawks. Since then, he has remained day-to-day.
Regardless of being day-to-day, the franchise is not rushing him to return before he is ready. They are taking a cautious approach to his progress.
The good news is that they did not place him on long-term injured reserve. If they had, he would be scheduled to sit out ten games. With this placement, they can take him off at any time.
In late November, Kaprizov missed a game for a lower-body injury. It is not disclosed if the two injuries are related to one another.
The Minnesota Wild’s General Manager Bill Guerin is monitoring his progress in recovery closely. In a previous interview, he mentioned the plan for Kaprizov. “We need him for the long haul. We don’t just need him for a couple of games in January. We need him to get healthy and feel better. So we’re trying to do the right thing and look at it from the long point of view.”
The Wild have a current record of 3-1-0 with Kaprizov out. They have remained competitive to find wins without their star winger.
At this time, Kaprizov has not resumed skating. He will continue to miss Saturday’s game, after that it is unknown.
Currently, Kaprizov is tied for second in the NHL with 23 goals. He is also eighth in the league for having 50 points in 34 games. He leads the Wild in both categories for the franchise.
Even with missing the last four games and another on the horizon. He still sits as the top points leader for the Wild. Marco Rossi is second with only 33 points this season.
He is a second contender for the Hart Trophy at this time, sitting behind Connor McDavid.
This is Kaprizov’s fifth season with the Minnesota Wild. The Wild drafted him in the fifth round in 2015.
He made his debut in the NHL in 2021. He had two assists and then scored the winning goal in overtime against the Los Angeles Kings. He became the first player in NHL history to record three points in their first game.
By April of 2021, he had recorded 37 points. He broke the Wild’s rookie record, bypassing Marian Gaborik‘s 36-point record in 2000-2001.
In 55 games during his rookie season, he had 27 goals, totaling 51 points. Within those 27 games, he had eight power-play goals and 157 shots on goal.
His contract will be up at the end of the season. Wild fans hope he signs a long-term extension to stay with the team.
The Wild are sitting second in the Central Division with a record of 24-11-4 in 39 games. They are four points behind the Winnipeg Jets.
The Minnesota Wild will face the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, January 4th. Kaprizov will not be in the lineup.
The team will have a few day’s break following their Saturday game. Hopefully, Kaprizov’s recovery will progress during this time.
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