The Minnesota Wild recalled Sammy Walker from the Iowa Wild and placed Alex Goligoski on long-term injured reserve, the team announced Wednesday afternoon.
The Wild played shorthanded with 11 forwards and six defensemen in their 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night due to Goligoski's lower-body injury from Monday's practice and their salary cap pinch.
However, that won't be the case on Thursday evening when the Wild start their three-game homestand against the L.A. Kings before games against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday and the Edmonton Oilers next Tuesday.
With Wednesday's news, Goligoski will miss a minimum of 10 games and 24 days — the requirement for being placed on LTIR. The Wild have had injuries pile up early as both Jared Spurgeon and Matt Boldy remain out of the lineup with a week-to-week status. The good news is Spurgeon is skating again.
Expect Walker to take Boldy's spot alongside Marcus Johansson and Joel Eriksson Ek on the second line because it would be surprising if the Wild make any changes to their bottom two lines.
Both the third line of Marcus Foligno, Marco Rossi and Freddy Gaudreau and the fourth line of Pat Maroon, Connor Dewar and Brandon Duhaime have meshed well together in the first three games of the season.
With Boldy out of the lineup, the addition of Walker is crucial as the Wild gain speed and skill in their top-six and won't have to double shift their top players. After all, Walker did lead AHL Iowa last season with 27 goals in his first pro season.
Walker has made an impression over the past month between the prospects showcase where he scored a hat trick and in preseason action with two goals and four points in three games.
Walker played nine games with the Wild last season between three different call-ups. The 24-year-old Edina native scored his first NHL goal against the Winnipeg Jets on Dec. 27, 2022. He has two points and eight shots in those nine contests.
The Wild recalled Dakota Mermis last Thursday ahead of their season opener for insurance due to Spurgeon's injury. Mermis didn't draw into the lineup until Saturday against the Canadiens, where he played 10 minutes and 27 seconds alongside Jon Merrill on the third pair.