ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild (9-3-2) will look to extend their winning streak to four games Thursday night when they return home to face the New York Islanders (6-4-2) at Grand Casino Arena.

Minnesota enters the matchup with a 9-3-2 record after finishing its recent road trip with three consecutive victories.

However, the Wild will be without captain Jared Spurgeon, who is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Spurgeon suffered the injury during Tuesday’s 3-1 victory over the Utah Mammoth after blocking consecutive shots from Dylan Guenther while killing a penalty.

The veteran defenseman remained on the ice after the initial block and managed to get in front of another shot before eventually clearing the puck and making his way to the bench.

He did not return to the game.

Spurgeon’s absence creates another challenge for a Minnesota defensive group already playing without Brock Faber, who has been sidelined since suffering a skull fracture during the preseason.

With Spurgeon unavailable, David Spacek will return to Minnesota’s lineup Thursday.

Spacek has appeared in six games this season, recording no points while averaging limited minutes in a depth role.

The 23-year-old defenseman will skate alongside Matt Kiersted on Minnesota’s third defensive pairing.

The Wild will also make adjustments to their top two pairs.

Quinn Hughes will play alongside Jonas Brodin, giving Minnesota a pairing featuring two of its most reliable defensemen.

Hughes has been outstanding offensively this season, recording three goals and 15 assists for 18 points through 14 games.

Brodin, meanwhile, has three assists in 14 appearances and provides a dependable defensive presence alongside Hughes.

Olli Maatta and Zach Bogosian will form Minnesota’s second defensive pairing.

The Wild also recalled Carson Lambos from the Iowa Wild on Thursday, although the 2021 first-round pick is expected to be a healthy scratch against New York.

Minnesota also claimed defenseman Cameron Crotty off waivers from the Ottawa Senators.

Crotty is familiar with the organization, having served as captain of the Iowa Wild during the 2024-25 season.

He will not dress Thursday.

Offensively, Minnesota will continue leaning on Kirill Kaprizov, who has been nearly unstoppable through the opening month.

Kaprizov leads the NHL with 14 goals in 14 games and has added nine assists for 23 points.

He has been a driving force behind Minnesota’s recent success, including the team’s three-game winning streak.

The Wild have outscored their opponents 12-4 during victories over Seattle, Vancouver and Utah.

Kaprizov will remain on Minnesota’s top line alongside Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy.

Boldy has recorded five goals and seven assists for 12 points, while Eriksson Ek has four goals and seven assists for 11 points.

Minnesota’s second line will feature Maxim Shabanov, Danila Yurov and Yakov Trenin.

Blake Coleman, Michael McCarron and Bobby Brink will form the third line, while Nico Sturm, Ryan Hartman and Tyler Pitlick round out the forward group.

The Islanders enter Thursday with a 6-4-2 record after defeating the Nashville Predators 4-3 in a shootout Tuesday.

New York will start Ilya Sorokin, who has posted a 5-3-0 record, a 2.26 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage this season.

Minnesota will counter with Jesper Wallstedt.

Wallstedt has been outstanding through 12 appearances, posting an 8-2-2 record, a 1.99 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage.

Minnesota has also been particularly effective at home, winning each of its first four games at Grand Casino Arena.

One area to watch Thursday will be special teams.

The Wild enter the matchup with the NHL’s sixth-ranked power play, converting on 27.1 percent of their opportunities.

The Islanders, meanwhile, have struggled with the man advantage, converting on just 15.8 percent of their chances, ranking 25th in the league.

However, New York has been considerably better on the penalty kill, operating at 85.4 percent, the sixth-best mark in the NHL.

With Minnesota missing several important players, including Spurgeon, Faber and Gustavsson, maintaining its defensive structure will be critical against an Islanders team looking to build momentum.

Kirill Kaprizov - Joel Eriksson Ek - Matt Boldy

Maxim Shabanov - Danila Yurov - Yakov Trenin

Blake Coleman - Michael McCarron - Bobby Brink

Nico Sturm - Ryan Hartman - Tyler Pitlick

Defense:

Quinn Hughes - Jonas Brodin

Olli Maatta - Zach Bogosian

Matt Kiersted - David Spacek

Starting Goaltender: Jesper Wallstedt

Scratched: Carson Lambos, Mason Shaw, Cameron Crotty.

Injured: Marcus Foligno (Mid-Body), Brock Faber (Upper-Body, Indefinitely), Filip Gustavsson (Lower-Body, LTIR), Nick Foligno (Upper-Body, Day-To-Day).

Simon Holmstrom - Bo Horvat - Kyle Palmieri

Emil Heineman - Brayden Schenn - Victor Eklund

Ondrej Palat - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Anthony Duclair

Kyle MacLean - Casey Cizikas - Mitchell Chaffee

Defense:

Matthew Schaefer - Ryan Pulock

Adam Pelech - Tony DeAngelo

Logan Stanley - Scott Mayfield

Starting Goaltender: Ilya Sorokin

Scratched: Matthew Kessel

Injured: Mathew Barzal (Lower-Body), Matias Maccelli (Lower-Body), Calum Ritchie (Lower-Body), Alexander Romanov (Lower-Body).

Matchup: New York Islanders (6-4-2, 14 points) at Minnesota Wild (9-3-2, 20 points)

Date: Thursday, October 29, 2026

Puck Drop: 7 p.m. CT

Arena: Grand Casino Arena — St. Paul, Minnesota

Starting Goaltenders: Jesper Wallstedt vs. Ilya Sorokin

TV: Wild+, MINNHL, MSGSN

Minnesota’s Next Game: Sunday, November 1, at Washington

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