Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov will be placed on injured reserve, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic.
The forward is dealing with a lower-body injury and has not played since Dec. 23, when he scored a goal in a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Aged 27. he is second in the NHL with 23 goals in 34 games this season and has 50 points.
Russo added that Kaprizov will likely be placed on the injured list retroactive to Dec. 23, which would allow him to return to the game as soon as he is healthy. Russo also adds that it is unlikely that Kaprizov will be in uniform for the next two games.
With defenseman Jared Spurgeon also reportedly injured, Russo expects young defenseman David Jiricek to be called up to make his first moves with the Wild. He was acquired in a major trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on November 30.
Jiricek was selected sixth overall in the 2022 draft by Columbus, but he has 11 points in his first 53 NHL games.
The Wild begin a two-game road trip Thursday against the Washington Capitals. The team is in second place in the Central with a record of 23-11-4.
Matthews in training as an extra
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews attended practice Wednesday wearing a gray extra player jersey, according to David Alter of The Hockey News.
The 27-year-old was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, retroactive to Dec. 20, and continues to rehab an upper-body injury.
Matthews said after Wednesday’s practice that he was feeling better, but there is no timetable for his return to the lineup. Leafs head coach Craig Berube said Matthews was not going to play Thursday against the New York Islanders.
When asked if he was going to be able to overcome injuries this season, he replied: “I don’t know. I hope. »
“That’s obviously the goal. It’s tricky with these things sometimes. It is a physical and contact sport. Sometimes it’s out of our control. I’ll just try the best I can, if we can. »
A Maple Leafs representative said Matthews has not taken a step back in his recovery, even though he was placed on the injured list.
Matthews has missed the last five games with an upper-body injury, the same one that forced him to miss games in November and forced him to go to Germany for treatment. He missed nine games between November 3 and 30.
Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson also participated in practice Wednesday, after missing Tuesday’s game due to a virus. He has scored 13 points in 37 games this season.
