MN Wild Homecoming in Danger After Latest Injury Update

For as much cap space as the Minnesota Wild had this offseason, it was a relatively uneventful one on the player acquisition front. Sure, Bill Guerin got the necessary Kirill Kaprizov extension done (although that looks expensive now), but he was already here.

The Wild added talent in the form of Vladimir Tarasenko and Nico Sturm. That represents the heavy lifting done by Guerin to date. Now it appears as the reunion with Sturm might be a failure to launch.

Nico Sturm injury situation is not good for Wild

There are rarely definitive classifications for injuries in hockey. We know Mats Zuccarello is out for two months after having surgery, but it was simply defined as being for a lower body injury. We don’t yet know what the full situation is regarding Nico Sturm, but The Athletic’s Michael Russo doesn’t sound hopeful.

Since leaving the Wild during the 2021-22 season, Sturm has won a pair of Stanley Cups. He has 331 NHL games under his belt, and the center has 46 career goals. To say that he is a battle-tested veteran would be putting it lightly.

Of course that highlights the reason that Minnesota brought the 30-year-old German back to St. Paul. He was supposed to be a top six player and center a line that generated production for John Hynes squad.

If Sturm is going to miss a substantial amount of time lots of pressure falls on the Minnesota Wild’s youth. Joel Eriksson Ek and Vinnie Hinostroza have a significant amount of NHL experience to their credit, but things get dicey quick.

Guerin re-signed Marco Rossi this offseason, but the relationship there has been contentious for a while. The talent is undeniable, but finding consistency Sturm out is a must. Yakov Trenin was the only other center on the roster before Minnesota recalled Hunter Haight on Tuesday.

The Minnesota Wild start their season on Thursday October 9 in St. Louis. How long Geurin wants to roll with the roster he has remains to be seen. Contributions from young players could quickly dictate that outcome.