The Wild, looking to erase their two-game skid, host the Calgary Flames tonight. Here's everything you need to know heading into the game.
ST. PAUL - The new year hasn't started the way the Wild would have hoped it would with a couple of key players on the injured list.
Filip Gustavsson was placed on the injured reserve recently after he sustained a lower-body injury in Winnipeg on Saturday. Kirill Kaprizov also got hurt in that game and is considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
Vinni Lettieri also has been placed on the injured reserve list after he sustained a lower-body injury in Winnipeg as well. Sammy Walker was recalled by the Wild earlier today after they placed Lettieri on the IR.
Mats Zuccarello did join the Wild for morning skate today but his status remains the same as it did a week ago. It is encouraging to see him participating in practice though.
But still no Jonas Brodin who has not even skated on his own yet. Marcus Foligno did not join the Wild in line rushes this morning and is considered a game-time decision for tonight's game.
If Foligno is not ready to play the Wild could slot Sammy Walker in Foligno's spot or elect to play Jon Merrill and go with seven defensemen and 11 forwards. Walker has played two NHL games with the Wild this year and has five goals and 19 points in 28 games in the AHL this year.
There is a possibility that the Wild could be without Zuccarello, Kaprizov, Gustavsson, Lettieri, Brodin and Foligno tonight. Which are all key parts of this Wild club. With those six cap hits along with the 14 plus million in dead cap space going to Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, the Wild will have 51 percent of their cap not in the lineup tonight.
Wild Projected Lines
Johansson - Eriksson Ek - Boldy
Petan - Rossi - Hartman
Maroon - Gaudreau - Foligno (Walker)
Duhaime - Dewar - Lucchini
Defense pairs
Middleton - Faber
Goligoski - Spurgeon
Mermis - Bogosian
Starting Goaltender: Fleury
Scratched: F Sammy Walker, D Jon Merrill
Injured: F Mats Zuccarello (upper-body), F Kirill Kaprizov (upper-body), F Vinni Lettieri (lower-body), D Jonas Brodin (upper-body), G Filip Gustavsson (lower-body)
Flames Projected Lines
Jonathan Huberdeau - Elias Lindholm - Yegor Sharangovich
Connor Zary - Nazem Kadri - Martin Pospisil
Andrew Mangiapane - Mikael Backlund - Blake Coleman
A.J. Greer - Adam Ruzicka - Dillon Dube
Defense pairs
MacKenzie Weegar - Jordan Oesterle
Noah Hanifin - Chris Tanev
Dennis Gilbert - Rasmus Anderson
Starting Goaltender: Jacob Markstrom
Scratched: F Walker Duehr, D Nick DeSimone
Injured: F Jakob Pelletier (upper-body), F Kevin Rooney (upper-body)