Wild vs Kings: Game Preview

ST. PAUL - The Minnesota Wild are back home from their two-game road trip that felt a lot longer than two games. That could be because they lost both Matt Boldy and Alex Goligoski to injuries. 

But as expected the Wild have called up Sammy Walker in Boldy's absence and have placed Goligoski on long-term injury reserve. 

Goligoski, 38, carries a $2M cap hit on the team but after putting him on LTIR, the Wild freed up some money and currently have about $1,070,000 in projected cap space, according to Puckpedia. 

Nonetheless, the Wild face off against an old friend, Kevin Fiala, and the LA Kings tonight to kick off a three-game homestand. 

Fiala, 27, played four years for the Wild where he put up 79 goals and 186 points, across 215 games before he was traded to the Kings in the off-season of 2022. 

The Wild picked up the rights to Brock Faber, who at the time was entering his junior season with the Minnesota Gophers and first as the captain. They also acquired the Kings 2022 first-round pick which the Wild turned into Liam Ohgren. 

After Faber's sophomore season, the Kings' general manager, Rob Blake, offered Faber a contract that would've had him playing in his first NHL game against the Wild at the Xcel Energy Center on April 10th. Faber declined and instead watched the Wild beat the Kings 6-3. 

Two months later, the Kings made the trade that sent Fiala to LA and Faber to Minnesota. Faber played his junior season for the Gophers, had a career year, and now is arguably one of, if not the best, defensemen on the Wild right now. 

With how good the Wild's third line has been so far, it's hard to see Dean Evason splitting the trio up. This would lead me to believe Walker will just take Boldy's spot on the second line with Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Johansson. 

The Wild's fourth line has also been playing really well, even with how well Brandon Duhaime is playing it's hard to see them moving him up to the third line and moving Freddy Gaudreau to the second. My guess is Walker will either play with Marcus Foligno and Marco Rossi or Eriksson Ek and Johansson.

Kaprizov-Hartman-Zuccarello

Johansson-Eriksson Ek-Walker*

Foligno-Rossi-Gaudreau

Maroon-Dewar-Duhaime

Brodin-Addison

Middleton-Faber

Merrill-Mermis

Starting goaltender: Fleury

Byfield-Kopitar-Kempe

Moore-Danault-Kaliyev

Fiala-Dubois-Laferriere

Grundstrom-Lizotte-Lewis

Anderson-Doughty

Gavrikov-Roy

Englund-Spence

Starting goaltender: Talbot