Wild will love latest Kirill Kaprizov injury update

The Minnesota Wild beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 on Thursday, an important win in the Western Conference playoff race. While it was a big win, there was a more important loss for the long-term. The Wild’s superstar forward Kirill Kaprizov left the game with an apparent knee injury. After missing Saturday’s loss to the Flames, he underwent an MRI on Sunday. Reports surfaced that the injury was not a significant issue. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman broke the news on social media Sunday afternoon.

“The news is positive on Kirill Kaprizov: no serious injury,” Friedman posted. “We will see how he feels over next few days”

In the 19 games he has played this season, Kaprizov has been spectacular. With 13 goals and 21 assists so far, the Russian is among the top scorers in the NHL. Without him, the Wild offense will struggle over a large sample size. Their playoff chances thing on Kaprizov’s ability, so this is great news for Minnesota.

The Wild have built their entire future around the 27-year-old Kaprizov. With two years left on his deal, he is eligible for a new contract after the 2024-25 season. That has general manager Bill Guerin looking to save money. A report surfaced last week that promising forward Marco Rossi is on the trade block.

The Wild are grateful for good Kirill Kaprizov injury news

The Wild are near the top of the Central Division after a great start to the season. Entering Sunday’s action, they are in second place behind the nearly unbeatable Winnipeg Jets. After a disappointing season that saw them miss the playoffs in 2023-24, they are in great shape for this season.

Much of the success this season is thanks to Kaprizov, who continues to carry the offense after his 96-point campaign last year. Marc-Andre Fleury and Filip Gustavsson have been much better in net and Brock Faber has become a star defenseman. The coaching change from Dean Evason to John Hynes has locked all of this into place.

While the Wild have not been a dominant force since joining the NHL, they have a core that should excite their fans. No team is a true contender without a dynamic scorer, which is exactly what Kaprizov is. They also have Matt Boldy, a young scorer who is under contract for the foreseeable future, to build around.

This season has shown why Wild fans finally have good reason to be excited. After the Zach Parise-Ryan Suter era failed, they have a new core to cheer for. Kirill Kaprizov must come back soon for their season to continue successfully.

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