Key center's absence shakes up Wild lineup. His elite face-off prowess and scoring touch leave a significant void as the team faces the Devils.
ST.PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Wild (26-11-9) is back in action tonight to host the New Jersey Devils (22-21-9).
Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek got injured in the second period of the Wild's game against the Seattle Kraken on the road and did not return to the game.
He missed Minnesota's last game against the New York Islanders and won't play again tonight.
"It was nothing major," Wild head coach John Hynes said after the Kraken game. "I think he just got intertwined a little bit with a guy right at the bench. It wasn’t even a hit or anything like that. Just one of those freak accidents.”
Eriksson Ek, 28, has 11 goals, 21 assists, 32 points and 68 hits in 45 games this season. He is fourth in the NHL in face-off wins as well, so this is a tough loss for the Wild.
The 6-foot-3 center will miss his second-straight game with a lower-body injury. He was on the ice this morning to test things out but will not play. He is still day-to-day.
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