Wild's Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek return vs. Sharks
The Minnesota Wild received major reinforcements Wednesday.
Superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov and key center Joel Eriksson Ek returned to the lineup against the San Jose Sharks.
Kaprizov had been dealing with a nagging lower-body injury since late December, limiting him to just 37 outings this season. The ailment first sidelined him for 12 contests, and he returned for three matchups before hitting the shelf again for a lengthier 28-game absence.
He last played Jan. 26 and underwent surgery to address the injury soon after. Kaprizov was initially expected to miss at least four weeks, but he more than doubled that recovery timeline.
A Hart Trophy candidate prior to getting hurt, Kaprizov still ranks third on the Wild in both goals (23) and points (52).
Minnesota has gone a combined 20-17-3 over 40 games without Kaprizov in the lineup this winter. He also missed one outing with a lower-body issue in November.
Eriksson Ek, meanwhile, hasn't played since Feb. 22 - the Wild's first game after the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off - after suffering a lower-body injury in practice. He's missed Minnesota's last 21 contests.
The 28-year-old has totaled nine goals and 24 points in 42 games and is coming off two consecutive 60-point seasons. Minnesota has dictated 54.1% of the expected goals and 56.4% of the scoring chances while outscoring opponents 21-15 with the key two-way player on the ice at five-on-five this year, per Natural Stat Trick.
Minnesota was one of the league's best teams before the calendar flipped to 2025, but the club has been floundering in recent months thanks in part to its myriad of injuries. The Wild have slipped to the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference and have picked up just two wins in their last eight games.
The Calgary Flames are four points behind the Wild with one game in hand. The Vancouver Canucks aren't completely out of it yet, either, though they trail by six points in the same number of games played.
Minnesota has four games remaining on its regular-season schedule, beginning Wednesday against San Jose.