Wild Activate Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek; Reassign Two
3:00 PM: Minnesota has made the activation of Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek official. Both players could have a chance to play as soon as Wednesday night’s game against San Jose. To make space for this move, the Wild have reassigned forwards Brendan Gaunce and Devin Shore to the minor leagues. Shore has been a frequent part of Minnesota’s lineup as of late, but has no scoring and a minus-two through his last five games. Gaunce hasn’t been in the lineup since March 25th and recorded his only point of the season – through 12 games – on March 22nd.
8:00 AM: The Wild could activate star winger Kirill Kaprizov and top matchup center Joel Eriksson Ek for tonight’s game against the Sharks “if today’s morning skate goes well,” Michael Russo of The Athletic reports. They won’t require a corresponding move for the latter’s activation, but they will for Kaprizov since his $9MM cap hit is on long-term injured reserve. They’re currently short $1.32MM in space and will need to remove two skaters from their active roster, likely meaning depth forwards Brendan Gaunce and Devin Shore will be on their way down to AHL Iowa.
Minnesota gets key reinforcements at a pivotal time. They’ve fallen behind the Blues and now sit in the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The Wild still have a decent cushion, leading the Flames by four points with four games remaining, but Calgary has a game in hand. MoneyPuck still gives them 91% odds of outlasting the Flames and Canucks for the final berth, but having a pair of lineup pillars available undoubtedly boosts that number to a more certain degree.
The Wild have been without Kaprizov, still their third-place scorer, for over half the season. After dominating with 23-27–50 and a +21 rating through his first 34 games, he exited the lineup with a lower-body muscular issue in late December. He returned for three games in January, posting two assists and a minus-two rating, before aggravating the injury and opting for surgery.
That procedure was expected to keep him sidelined for at least four weeks. Instead, he’s been unavailable for over two months as Minnesota slipped from a top-three spot in the Central Division to fighting for their wild-card lives. Since Kaprizov went for his first extended absence around Christmas, the Wild are 21-19-3 while scoring 2.51 goals per game. Through their 35 prior contests, they were 21-10-4 while scoring 2.97 goals per game.
Of course, they’ve also been without the minute-munching Eriksson Ek for a good portion of that time. He’s been limited to 42 showings this season with multiple lower-body injuries, and his current one has kept him out since Feb. 22. The nagging issues have contributed to a down season offensively for Eriksson Ek, whose 0.57 points per game are his worst since the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign. They’ll also likely keep him out of the top 10 in Selke Trophy voting for the first time since 2020.
If they’re both fully healthy and the Wild secure a playoff berth, that dramatically changes Minnesota’s outlook. The Wild were one of the league’s best teams in the early going until injury issues derailed their season. They’ve gotten solid goaltending throughout from a resurgent Filip Gustavsson and remain one of the league’s staunchest defensive teams (2.31 xGA/60 per Natural Stat Trick, fifth in the NHL). Special teams, however, remain a significant concern and hinder their chances of an upset, even with Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek healthy. A matchup with the Jets in the first round and their league-best power play could prove futile with Minnesota’s penalty kill operating at just 72.7%, 30th in the league.
Nonetheless, even if one of Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek isn’t quite ready to return tonight, having this discussion now almost certainly ensures they’ll be in the Game 1 lineup for a first-round series. Minnesota hasn’t won a playoff series in the Kaprizov era and has lost seven straight series dating back to their first-round win in 2015.
Ray Shero Passes Away
Wild senior advisor and longtime Penguins and Devils general manager Ray Shero has passed away, Minnesota’s public relations department said Wednesday. He was 62 years old.
Shero, a St. Paul native, got his start as a player at St. Lawrence University in upstate New York after attending the New Hampton School in New Hampshire. He played four seasons for the Saints as a center from 1980 to 1985, scoring 58-77–135 in 125 games while serving as captain in his senior season. While drafted by the Kings midway through his collegiate tenure, he never turned pro.
Eight years later, Shero made the NHL in a front-office role. Hired by the Senators as an assistant general manager for the 1993-94 season, their second in franchise history, that move kicked off a lifetime’s worth of executive work at the game’s highest level. The son of Stanley Cup-winning head coach Fred Shero remained in Ottawa until the expansion Predators plucked him to serve in an AGM role in 1998. Working under David Poile in Nashville, the league’s all-time leader in wins overseen by a GM, he got a chance to lead his own staff nearly a decade later when the Penguins named him GM and executive VP of hockey operations ahead of the 2006-07 season.
His task: take a young core in Pittsburgh led by Sidney Crosby, Marc-André Fleury, and Evgeni Malkin to the next level. He accomplished that feat within just two years, swinging a blockbuster deal for star winger Marián Hossa at the 2008 trade deadline to help guide the Pens to the 2008 Stanley Cup Final. While they fell to the Red Wings, they set themselves up for a rematch the year later and emerged victorious. Three years after taking over a team that posted a 22-46-14 record in the season preceding his hiring, Shero was a Stanley Cup champion.
Shero remained in his post through the 2013-14 season, helping the Penguins extend their championship contention window. He was named the league’s General Manager of the Year in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign after helping Pittsburgh capture a regular season conference title and was also an AGM for the United States at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
While the Pens fired Shero following a first-round elimination in the 2014 playoffs, he emerged a year later with the Devils. They brought him in ahead of the 2015-16 season to replace longtime GM Lou Lamoriello. He immediately began one of the most aggressive retools of the 2010s, signing or trading for names like Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, and P.K. Subban while drafting New Jersey’s current core three forwards in Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, and Jack Hughes. He was replaced by current GM Tom Fitzgerald midway through the 2019-20 campaign.
Shero had served as a senior advisor to Wild GM Bill Guerin, who he picked up from the Islanders at the 2009 deadline to help the Pens to a Cup, since the 2021-22 season. “Whenever we ran into each other at a rink when he was scouting, it was clear he loved what he was doing and I always marveled at his infectious enthusiasm,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “The entire National Hockey League family mourns his passing and sends our deepest condolences to the Shero family and Ray’s many friends throughout the hockey world.”
All of us at PHR extend our condolences to the Shero family and his numerous friends and colleagues throughout the league.
Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE.
Wild's Jake Middleton To Miss More Time
- Minnesota Wild defender Jake Middleton didn’t skate at practice today and has been ruled out of tomorrow’s game, per NHL.com reporter Jessi Pierce. Middleton sustained an upper-body injury was hit from behind during last Friday night’s loss to the New York Islanders by forward Bo Horvat and was originally listed as day-to-day. In 66 games on the season, Middleton has recorded eight goals, 20 points, and a plus-12 rating. He has also averaged 21:56 of total ice time per game, recorded 98 hits, and blocked 155 shots. His return will greatly support Minnesota’s hopes to clinch a playoff spot down the stretch. The team currently sits four points ahead of the Flames for the final wild card spot in the west.
Wild’s Jacob Middleton Out Day-To-Day
Already without forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek, the Minnesota Wild are dealing with another injury to a key contributor. The team announced that defenseman Jacob Middleton will be out day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Middleton was hit from behind during Friday night’s loss to the New York Islanders by forward Bo Horvat. Middleton was helped off the ice and immediately went to the locker room without returning. For his part, Horvat only received a minor penalty, which upset the Wild coaches and players. According to The Athletic’s Michael Russo, Horvat will not receive a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.
In 66 games on the season, Middleton has recorded eight goals, 20 points, and a plus-12 rating. He has also averaged a hefty 21:56 of total ice time per game, recorded 98 hits, and blocked 155 shots. The 29-year-old has spent the last three seasons in Minnesota after being traded to the club by the San Jose Sharks during the 2021-22 season. In 246 games in Minnesota, Middleton has recorded 19 goals, 46 assists, and 77 points to go with 202 penalty minutes and 500 hits.
With the Wild tumbling down the standings (losing their last four games), Middleton’s return will be key with just five games remaining. The team is still holding onto the second wild card position in the west, but the Calgary Flames are just four points back and have a game in hand on the Wild. With Middleton out, the Wild recalled defender Cameron Crotty from the AHL. Crotty has been pinging back and forth between the AHL and NHL over the last several weeks but has yet to appear in a game for the Wild this season. The 25-year-old captain of the Iowa Wild has recorded zero goals and 10 assists in 68 AHL games this season. He is not in the lineup for the Wild’s contest today against the Dallas Stars.
Kaprizov Could Return Wednesday
The Wild have been slumping lately with four straight losses, dropping them to the second Wild Card spot in the West. However, there could be some help on the horizon soon as Michael Russo of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the hope is that winger Kirill Kaprizov could be available to return to the lineup on Wednesday against San Jose. The 27-year-old has missed more than two months with a lower-body injury, one that caused him to miss time earlier in the season as well. Kaprizov has been one of the top players in the league when healthy as his 1.41 points per game average ranks fifth in the league. Unfortunately for him and Minnesota, he has only played in 37 games although that number may be going up soon.
Predators Prospect Gunnarwolfe Fontaine Signs ATO With Iowa Wild
It appears the Nashville Predators will elect not to sign 2020 seventh-round draft pick Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, who has instead signed an amateur try-out with the AHL’s Iowa Wild. The Predators were set to lose Fontaine’s rights at the end of this season if they didn’t sign him to his entry-level contract. They’ll expedite the process here, allowing Fontaine to turn pro in the AHL after completing his graduate season at The Ohio State University.
Fontaine was drafted after his second season with the USHL’s Chicago Steel. He scored 26 goals and 57 points in 45 USHL games that season, apt support to a Steel roster that also contained Brendan Brisson, Sam Colangelo, Mackie Samoskevich, and Matthew Coronato. Fontaine followed his draft selection by moving to Northeastern University for the 2020-21 campaign. He scored a stout six goals and 15 points in 21 games of his freshman season, and grew to 25 points in 39 games in his sophomore year.
But Fontaine seemed to plateau a bit after the 2021-22 season. His scoring dipped as high-tier teammates like Cameron Lund and Justin Hryckowian began challenging his ice time. Fontaine managed 30 points in 35 games as a junior and fell to 27 points in 36 games in 2023-24. He failed to find his groove as Northeastern’s leading playdriver – sparking a search for bigger minutes at OSU in his graduate year. Fontaine did grow to 40 points in 40 games in the Big Ten – marking his first point-per-game season since his draft-year campaign in the USHL. He’ll look to bring that momentum to the AHL, with hopes that strong play can push him back into the attention of NHL clubs.
Wild Brendan Gaunce, Devin Shore Clear Waivers
3/31: Both Wild forwards have cleared waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. They will now be eligible to be assigned to the minor leagues.
3/30: The Minnesota Wild have placed depth forwards Brendan Gaunce and Devin Shore on waivers per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Both players have bounced between rosters all season long. Shore was placed on, and cleared, waivers in each of September, December, January, and February – while Gaunce was successfully waived in September.
While he’s often been the first cut when Minnesota needs roster flexibility, Shore has spent the large majority of his season on the NHL roster. He’s stepped into 51 games on the year and recorded five points, six penalty minutes, and a minus-six from Minnesota’s fourth line. Shore has also been returned to the minors for 14 games on the year. He has a productive 10 points, six penalty minutes, and minus-11 in those appearances. While he hasn’t found much scoring at either level, this year has marked the most Shore has played in one NHL season since 2016-17 and 2017-18 – when he played through two full seasons with the Dallas Stars. Those were career years for Shore, giving him the platform to score a career-high 33 and 32 points respectively. He’s fallen into the role of journeyman depth forward in the years since, playing through tenures with the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, and Seattle Kraken.
While Shore has provided Minnesota with a veteran presence in their extra forward slot, Gaunce has found his footing at the top of the AHL Iowa Wild lineup. He has 15 goals and 29 points in 35 AHL games this season, good for fifth on the roster in scoring. Those appearances have been intercut with 12 games in the NHL lineup, though Gaunce has only tallied one assist, four penalty minutes, and a minus-four at the top flight. He’s bounced between the NHL and AHL over the last three years, after a quick pit stop in Sweden’s SHL in the shortened 2020-21 campaign. He scored a career-high 39 points in 46 AHL games last season and has 29 points in 189 career NHL games.
Of note, neither player will be able to rejoin the NHL should they be claimed off waivers due to the post-Deadline roster rules . They will instead need to be assigned to their new club’s minor-league program.
Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek Full Participants At Practice
Minnesota Wild forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek were both full participants in practice today, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic. While their participation doesn’t necessarily mean the two stars are close to a return, their continued progress should serve as an encouraging sign for their playoff availability. The two returned to skating prior to practice just three days ago.
Kaprizov continues to work his way back from what is believed to have been groin surgery, while Eriksson Ek has been out since late February with a lower body injury. While the Wild started the season off hot and find themselves in the first wild card spot in the west, their offense has been inconsistent for much of the year. They are currently the only team in a playoff spot with a negative goal differential (202 goals for, 211 goals against). Their 202 goals on the season are also eighth lowest league-wide. During their absences, players like Matt Boldy, Frédérick Gaudreau, Marco Rossi, and Mats Zuccarello have shouldered the load offensively. However, as Russo also noted, Zuccarello left practice early today, with Kaprizov taking his spot on the top line. No reason for his departure was given.
Kaprizov had be dealing with lingering injury concerns throughout the season before his latest absence but was still making a massive impact for the Wild on the scoresheet. He has 23 goals and 52 points in just 37 games on the season. A return to form for the playoffs could provide the type of spark the Wild’s offense would need for a potential deep run. In his short career, the 27-year-old has shown he can make an impact in the playoffs with 10 goals in 17 career contests.
Veteran Eriksson Ek’s return would give the Wild their top defensive forward back. Eriksson Ek, who has finished top 10 in Selke voting each of the past four years, also provides a great depth scoring option. Despite contributing just 24 points in 42 games on the season, he is coming off of the best season of his career, posting his first career 30-goal season along with a career-high 64 points last season.
As Russo notes, both players are expected to join the team for their three-game road trip, but neither are expected to play this week. However, Kaprizov is expected to meet with his surgeon, and clearance from his medical staff could be the final hurdle to clear towards a return to the lineup.
Eriksson Ek is on standard IR, while Kaprizov is on LTIR. If Minnesota were to have Kaprizov available before the end of the regular season, they’d need to clear roughly $550K in cap space to activate him.
Wild’s David Jiříček Done For Season With Lacerated Spleen
The Wild announced defense prospect David Jiříček is done for the season after sustaining a lacerated spleen last weekend while playing for AHL Iowa. His season is over, and he won’t be an option for them, assuming they make the playoffs.
Minnesota acquired Jiříček from the Blue Jackets early in the season. The right-shot defender had averaged just 11:12 of ice time through six appearances with Columbus, who decided a fresh start was the best option for their 2022 sixth-overall pick. On a deeper Wild blue line, the 21-year-old hasn’t had much opportunity to play despite injuries to names like Jonas Brodin, Jacob Middleton, and Jared Spurgeon. He’s played just six NHL games for Minnesota since the trade, posting 1-1–2 with a plus-two rating while averaging a still-paltry 13:02 per game.
Instead, Jiříček has spent most of the season on assignment to Iowa. He’s struggled there, too, ending his season with seven assists and a minus-one rating in 27 games. It’s still a noteworthy loss – Minnesota isn’t particularly deep on the blue line outside of their group of seven regulars. Jiříček would have easily been the highest-upside and most NHL-experienced option to insert into the lineup if injuries boiled over again.
While that holds true, they’ve still got six of their seven available to dress right now (Declan Chisholm is day-to-day with a lower-body injury), so Jiříček’s absence doesn’t throw a huge wrench into their short-term plans to hold onto a playoff spot. They’re still overwhelmingly safe with 92% odds of clinching a berth, but they’ve got about a 20% chance of slipping behind the Blues and falling to the second wild-card spot in the West, per MoneyPuck.
West Notes: Foligno, Kiviranta, Stephenson
Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno returned to the lineup last night, dressing for the first time in almost two weeks (as per Michael Russo of The Athletic). The 33-year-old missed five games due to an upper-body injury but suited up against Washington and was +1 in 18:10 of play. The veteran winger is having a routine season by his standards, tallying 11 goals and 11 assists in 68 games with 66 PIM and 221 hits.
The Wild are clinging to the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference despite dealing with injuries to some of their top players. The team welcomed defenseman Jonas Brodin back earlier this week, and with Foligno now returning it looks as though Minnesota should get most players back by the beginning of the postseason.
In other Western Conference notes:
- Colorado Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta missed last night’s game with a lower-body injury (as per Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports). It’s the first game that Kiviranta has missed this season as he has made 72 appearances while averaging 12:30 of ice time per game. No word yet on how long Kiviranta is expected to be out but there should be an update before the Avalanche take on St. Louis on Saturday afternoon. The 29-year-old has set a career-high this season in goals (16), assists (7) and points (23) and likely won’t have to settle for a one-year deal at league minimum this summer when he re-enters free agency.
- Seattle Kraken forward Chandler Stephenson practiced yesterday in a full-contact jersey but did not play last night against the Edmonton Oilers (as per Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times). Stephenson suffered an upper-body injury back on March 19th in a game against Minnesota and has missed the past two games. Given that he has returned to full contact, it seems likely that the 30-year-old will return to the lineup at some point in the next week. Stephenson signed a massive seven-year contract ($6.25MM AAV) with the Kraken last July, and while the deal was a massive overpay, Stephenson has provided depth offense this season in more of a defensive role, posting 11 goals and 37 assists in 69 games.