Jared Spurgeon Needs Season-Ending Surgeries; Wild Enter Pending UFA Trade Market

The Minnesota Wild have had a difficult season, from a lot of different standpoints. Most recently, they’ve been ravished by injuries, especially on the blue line. And life in that department isn’t about to get any better.

Related: Minnesota Wild Still Shooting for Playoffs but Guerin Admits More Losing Could Change That

Jared Spurgeon to have season-ending surgeries

Thursday, the team announced via press release that their captain (D) Jared Spurgeon will miss the rest of the 2023-24 season, not for one surgery, but for two surgeries. The first surgery (scheduled for Feb. 6) will be on his left hip and the second on his back.

Captain Jared Spurgeon will miss the remainder of this season due to injury. He is scheduled to have left hip surgery on Feb. 6 and will then have back surgery approximately four weeks later.

Minnesota Wild Press Release

Minnesota Wild Enter Pending UFA trade market

President of hockey operations, Bill Guerin, is now expected to turn to the trade market for another defenseman, per Michael Russo (The Athletic), specifically a pending free agent. Spurgeon hitting long term injured reserve allows the Wild to exceed the salary cap about $7.6 million.

Related: Marc-Andre Fleury Trade Rumors are Flying Already

One thing is for sure, Billy isn’t going to find a Jared Spurgeon on that UFA trade market, no matter how hard he searches. The NHL trade deadline is Friday, March 8.

Jared Spurgeon, out for the season, is an exceptional veteran two-way defenceman who just keeps on quietly putting up elite results without much recognition. #MNWild pic.twitter.com/YpYxUY6plz

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) January 18, 2024