Guerin: Kaprizov to be out longer than expected

Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin revealed Saturday that Kirill Kaprizov will be sidelined longer than the club anticipated after the star forward underwent surgery for a lower-body injury last month.

"I think he's going to be out longer than we originally expected. How much, I cannot answer," Guerin said. "I just don't know, we'll see how he progresses. That's really where we're at.

"He's just recovering right now, and we'll see how it turns out, but he's going to be a little longer than we expected. And what that does with our cap situation? I don't know because when he's healthy, we'll put him back in. If he's not, then we won't."

Kaprizov was ruled out a minimum of four weeks Jan. 28. He wasn't placed on long-term injured reserve as the injury wasn't viewed as potentially season-ending. An LTIR designation for Kaprizov would free up $9 million in cap space.

Kaprizov missed 12 games earlier this season and only played three contests upon returning before hitting the shelf again. The 27-year-old was considered a Hart Trophy favorite before injuries derailed his season, as he's notched 52 points in 37 games.

The Wild returned from the 4 Nations break Saturday with an afternoon game against the Detroit Red Wings. Minnesota entered the contest third in the Central Division with 70 points.