Wild middle Joel Eriksson Ek out for Video games 1 and a pair of vs. Avalanche

DENVER — The Minnesota Wild can be with out Joel Eriksson Ek, their finest two-way middle, for the beginning of their second-round collection with Colorado Avalanche on Sunday night time.

Eriksson Ek didn’t accompany the crew to Colorado and gained’t play Video games 1 and a pair of due to a lower-body harm. Defenseman Jonas Brodin (decrease physique) additionally remained in Minnesota.

Wild president of hockey operations and normal supervisor Invoice Guerin stated the crew is hoping the three off days between Video games 2 and three assist towards their eventual returns.

“They’re necessary gamers in our lineup, however you simply can’t cry over it,” Guerin instructed The Athletic. “You simply should be ready, be prepared. Be prepared with the blokes which are capable of play, and when these guys come again, they arrive again. However that is life, that is hockey. Accidents occur, and that’s why you’ve gotten depth.”

It wouldn’t be a postseason with out an Eriksson Ek harm concern. Final season, he missed a few months with a damaged leg earlier than returning simply earlier than the playoffs. In 2023, he performed one shift in opposition to the Dallas Stars after breaking a bone in his decrease leg late within the common season. In 2022, he was misplaced for a big chunk of the decisive loss to the St. Louis Blues when he was clipped by a friendly-fire excessive stick. In 2021, he performed with a big knee harm in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights.

This time, in Recreation 6 in opposition to Dallas, he misplaced his edge on his personal and crashed onerous into the facet wall proper leg first early within the third interval. He left the bench for a number of minutes earlier than returning to complete the sport.

Brodin was damage in Recreation 5, blocking a shot from Mikko Rantanen.

In 2021, the Wild additionally misplaced the oft-injured Brodin early in Recreation 7 at Vegas with a shoulder harm.

Eriksson Ek scored three targets and two assists in six video games on this 12 months’s first-round collection in opposition to Dallas. The Wild outscored the Stars 4-0 throughout Eriksson Ek’s shifts at five-on-five. Brodin performed 87 minutes of five-on-five within the first spherical and was on the ice for 2 targets in opposition to, in keeping with Natural Stat Trick.