Just thirty minutes before the puck drop the Minnesota Wild announced that star forward Kirill Karpizov would not play due to injury. The Wild were set for an afternoon matchup against the Calgary Flames.
#mnwild INJURY UPDATE: Forwards Kirill Kaprizov (lower-body) and Marat Khusnutdinov (lower-body) will not play in today’s game at Calgary.
— Minnesota Wild PR (@mnwildPR) November 23, 2024
Kaprizov suffered an injury after taking a big open-ice hit from Drake Caggiula in the Wild’s last game in Edmonton. The hit appeared to hit Karpizov in the knee. Following the big hit, Matt Boldy challenged Caggiula to a fight in defence of his teammate. Kaprizov left the ice and went to the dressing room. However, despite the hit, Kaprizov appeared to avoid an injury as he retuned to action on Thursday. He looked to be fine following the hit. He was engaged in the game and even instigated a scuffle with Oilers Connor McDavid.
Kirill Kaprizov has gone to the dressing room following a collision with Drake Caggiula. pic.twitter.com/pjVyofSQIt
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 22, 2024
Kaprizov Injury Impact
The Minnesota Wild will have a huge hole to fill without Kaprizov. Heading into Saturday’s game, Kaprizov was tied for the league lead in points. Minnesota’s offence runs through Kaprizov, he currently has 14 more points than the next closest Wild player. Kaprizov possesses elite offence skill. His creativity and passing create space for himself and others, and he pairs this with great finishing ability. The Minnesota offence will need to work harder to create opportunities without their superstar. The Wild will need youngsters Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi to step up without Kaprizov.
The good news for the Wild is that they haven’t needed much offence this season. They currently sit third best in the NHL allowing just 46 goals against this season. This is in large part thanks to Filip Gustavsson who is playing at a Veniza caliber to start the season. He currently has a .926 save percentage and a league-best 2.07 goals against. The Wild will need to continue to play strong team defence until Kaprizov can get back into the lineup.
Outlook For Kaprizov Positive
The best news for Minnesota after hearing they will be without their best player is that it appears he won’t be out long. Karpizov managed to finish the game in which he sustained the lower-body injury. This typically means the injury isn’t too serious. Early signs and reporting suggest this is more of a maintenance decision. The Wild are likely playing it safe this early in the season. They are choosing to make sure Kaprizov is fully healthy, to reduce the risk of further injury. As of now the injury is day-to-day, and he could be back in the lineup as soon as the Wild’s next game.
Main Photo: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
