After blocking several point shots on the same penalty kill on Thursday night, Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek looked to be in a lot of pain and the fact he didn’t return to the game was cause for concern. However, head coach Bruce Boudreau told reporters, including Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Twitter link), that the lower-body injury should only keep him out for a week or two. Meanwhile, center Victor Rask is listed as day-to-day and will not suit up on Sunday against Montreal. Additionally, winger Mats Zuccarello was transferred to injured reserve to create a roster spot for their earlier recall of Gabriel Dumont today. He last played on October 12th meaning that he’ll be eligible to be activated as soon as he’s able to return.
Elsewhere around the league:
- Devils GM Ray Shero acknowledged to reporters, including Corey Masisak of The Athletic (Twitter link), that he spoke with Taylor Hall’s agent over the last few days but stopped short of indicating if any discussions were held regarding a potential contract extension. Hall’s future with New Jersey is one of the big storylines around the league in the early going of the season and their slow start to 2019-20 has only increased the spotlight. He has a $6MM cap hit but could come close to doubling that on his next deal if he has a strong performance this season and stays healthy.
- Canadiens defenseman Cale Fleury is dealing with a minor injury and won’t play today, notes Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette. Head coach Claude Julien has already classified the rookie as doubtful for their game on Sunday as well but that the issue shouldn’t hold him out for more than a week. Christian Folin will return to the lineup in Fleury’s absence.
- Jets center Mark Letestu has been shut down through the end of the month due to an undisclosed injury, reports TSN 1290’s Brian Munz (Twitter link). He has already been transferred to injured reserve. The issue could pave the way for rookie David Gustafsson to have more of a regular role after playing in just two games so far this season.