The Minnesota Wild are 3-3-2 through the first eight games this season and will wrap up their three-game road trip Sunday afternoon against the New Jersey Devils and the NHL's leading point getter so far this season in Jack Hughes.
The Wild aren't having an ideal start, but it has to be taken with a grain of salt. Nobody knows who the Wild are yet.
That's because they're missing their captain and one of the NHL's best two-way defenseman in Jared Spurgeon. He still hasn't played a game this season and because the Wild retroactively placed him on long-term injured reserve, the earliest he can do so is Saturday, Nov. 4 against the New York Rangers.
As if Spurgeon wasn't a big enough loss already, the Wild lost 30-goal scorer and one of their best play-driving wingers in Matt Boldy to injury in the second game of the season in Toronto. And he hasn't played since, but fortunately for the Wild, Spurgeon and Boldy are "getting close," head coach Dean Evason said.
Alex Goligoski has been on long-term injured reserve since Oct. 18, and Freddy Gaudreau has been out of the lineup. He didn't make the road trip, so Sunday's tilt against the Devils will mark his third game out of the lineup.
Thanks to NHL Injury Viz, we know the Wild have been one of the most injured teams in the league so far this season.
The Wild have $18.7 million out of their lineup right now between the four of Spurgeon, Boldy, Gaudreau and Goligoski. That's currently the second highest in the league; Only the Florida Panthers have more money ($26.2 million) out of their lineup right now.
The Wild have 22 man games lost in addition to losing .57 wins above replacement (third highest) so far due to injuries, and their $1.45 million accrued cap hit of injured players over the season so far also ranks third league wide.
Until the Wild are healthy, it's too early to truly judge their work to date — .500 record, slow starts and poor defensive play — without two of their most valuable players in the lineup.