The Minnesota Wild announced before tonight's game against the Ottawa Senators that veteran forward Marcus Foligno underwent season-ending core muscle repair surgery.
Foligno is expected to be recovered and ready for training camp in September.
“He’s an emotional leader. He’s one of the captains,” Wild coach John Hynes said of Foligno postgame on Tuesday.
“What he brings on the ice is hard to replace and hopefully his recovery is good. To get a healthy Marcus, when he goes through all his rehab and things like that, is going to be important.”
Foligno, who last played against the St. Louis Blues on March 23, has missed the previous two games against the San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights. Now the Wild won't have Foligno for the rest of the season — which is a big loss as they continue to fight for the second wild-card spot in the West.
The 32-year-old finishes the 2023-24 season with 10 goals and 22 points with a +10 rating and 59 penalty minutes over 55 games after posting 21 points and 97 penalty minutes in 65 games last season. Foligno finishes this season with 179 hits (3.25 per game) after recording 237 hits (3.65) during the 2022-23 campaign.
In September, the Wild signed Foligno to a four-year contract extension worth $4 million annually, which begins next season and runs through 2027-28.
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