The team announced Friday that Minnesota Wild center Joel Erickson Ike is redshirted from week to week due to a lower-body injury. Here’s what you need to know:
- Erickson Ike left the ice in the second period of Thursday’s loss to the Penguins due to injury and did not return.
- Wilde also left Oscar Sundqvist in the second half with a lower-body injury Thursday. The team said on Friday that Sundqvist is working day in and day out.
- Winger Kirill Kaprizov returns to Minnesota on Saturday, where he hosts the Blues. Striker Gustav Nyquist is questionable.
- The Wild (44-24-10) is third in the Central Division after three straight losses.
what are they saying
Wild Evason coach Eriksson described Ike as “a huge part of our hockey club”.
“But there’s nothing we can do about it now. We hope to get him back sooner rather than later,” Evason said on Friday of Ericsson Ike’s injury. But we have other people. We all have to step up.”
When asked if Ericsson Ek would return for the first game of the playoffs, Evason said, “I don’t know.”
“Obviously we say week by week, and if you know the Ericsson Eic, you know you never know,” he said.
The Wild won’t remember anyone from the AHL Iowa Saturday night, and Evason said Kaprizov “will definitely play” but “I don’t know after that.”
Regarding Kaprizov’s return, Evason added that “everyone is treated the same way in these situations”.
He said, “It’s out of our hands.” “It’s the doctors, then the coaches and in the end it’s the player who has to be eliminated, then we make the decision as an organization and a team where we put them in the squad… when they tell us they’re ready.”
background story
Ericsson Ek has scored the third most goals for The Wild this season (23), behind Kabrizov (39) and Matt Poldy (30). Ericsson Ek also has the second most assists on the team (38) behind Mats Zuccariello (45).
The 26-year-old added 206 points (92 goals and 114 assists) during his seven-year career with the Wild.
Sundqvist has recorded three goals and four assists in 14 games with Minnesota this year.
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(Photo: Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
