The Minnesota Wild held a rare practice session at Grand Casino Arena on Saturday without Kirill Kaprizov and Quinn Hughes, raising questions about their availability for Sunday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Neither star player skated during the session, and Nick Foligno, already on injured reserve, also left after the team photo, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith.
Kaprizov’s absence on the ice came days after a notable incident in Thursday’s 5-4 win over the St. Louis Blues, when Blues goalie Joel Hofer ran Kaprizov into the end boards while the Wild were leading 5-2. Head coach John Hynes said after the game that Kaprizov was okay, though Jesper Wallstedt described the hit as “a dirty play.” As of Saturday morning, the Wild had not provided an update on Kaprizov’s status or the reason for him sitting out practice.
Hughes, who leads the team in average ice time at nearly 27 minutes per game and has registered points in all eight Wild games this season, was also missing from the ice. Hughes has contributed 12 points this season with two goals and 10 assists, while Kaprizov tops the NHL with nine goals and ranks fifth in points with 14. Their absence at practice is notable given Minnesota’s already depleted roster and injury troubles, including the loss of Brock Faber.
The Wild’s defense looked thin in Hughes’ absence. Matt Kiersted and David Spacek formed the third pairing during practice, while Olli Maatta, another injured defender, remained off the ice. Jared Spurgeon returned to practice, skating alongside Jonas Brodin on the top defensive pair. On the offensive side, Marcus Foligno, who has been on injured reserve, took Kaprizov’s spot on the top line with Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy.
Minnesota’s forward lines at practice were listed by Joe Smith as Marcus Foligno, Eriksson Ek, and Boldy; Coleman, Hartman, and Brink; Trenin, Yurov, and Shabanov; and Lorenz, McCarron, and Pitlick. Defensively, Brodin paired with Spurgeon, Hunt with Bogosian, and Kiersted with Spacek.
The Wild’s situation is precarious given the immense contributions Kaprizov and Hughes have made through the first eight games. Kaprizov’s scoring pace and Hughes’ consistent point production have been fundamental to Minnesota’s 5-2-1 record. The team’s performance depends heavily on their health and availability.
The Wild are set to host the Blue Jackets at 5 p.m. on Sunday at Grand Casino Arena. Head coach John Hynes is expected to address the media ahead of the game, which should provide clarity on Kaprizov and Hughes’ conditions and whether they will be able to play. With Minnesota missing several key players, the status of their top two stars could significantly impact the team’s chances moving forward.
According to Yahoo Sports.
