The Minnesota Wild have been dealt a crushing blow with the announcement that Jared Spurgeon will be out for a minimum of four weeks after partially tearing his right hamstring on Tuesday night. Spurgeon had to be helped off the ice after slipping and falling awkwardly into the boards. Michael Russo of The Athletic tweets that the next week is very important in the healing process and could determine when Spurgeon is ready to return.
Spurgeon is one of Minnesota’s most important player, though he still lacks some recognition league-wide. The 28-year old defenseman logs a ton of ice time for the Wild and has 37 points on the season. He trails only Ryan Suter in both powerplay and penalty kill time, and leads the team in blocked shots.
For the Wild, losing a defenseman of Spurgeon’s ability this late in the season could have devastating effects. The team is currently in third place in the Central Division, but after losing to the Colorado Avalanche last night are now just three points ahead of them and the Dallas Stars, and only five points removed from missing the playoffs entirely. Though they obviously have the inside track on a playoff spot, it is by no means locked up.
The Wild have recalled Ryan Murphy and Zack Mitchell after announcing the injury.