Wild Place Joel Eriksson Ek, Matt Boldy On IR
The Minnesota Wild are again dealing with multiple injuries. The Wild announced that they’ve placed forwards Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy on the injured reserve.
Additionally, Minnesota has made multiple roster moves. In the same announcement, the team shared that they’ve recalled Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Hunter Haight, and David Jiříček to the NHL, while returning Carson Lambos to the AHL’s Iowa Wild.
Assuming the Wild makes Eriksson Ek’s placement retroactive to January 8th, he’s eligible to be activated as soon as he’s healthy. Still, since the team opted to place him on the injured reserve today, there’s little chance he’ll be in the lineup tomorrow against the Buffalo Sabres. He’s been dealing with a lower-body injury for the past week.
Already perusing the trade market for a second-line center, Eriksson Ek’s exit from the lineup has been a major detriment to the team. In the three games he has missed, Minnesota has lost all of them while collecting only one point. Typically in a top-six role, Eriksson Ek has scored 11 goals and 32 points in 45 games for the Wild this season while having a 49.7% success rate in the faceoff dot.
Meanwhile, arguably the larger concern is that Boldy will have to miss the next four games. Since Boldy seemingly suffered an undisclosed injury in Minnesota’s recent game against the Winnipeg Jets, he won’t be eligible to return until next Friday.
After skating in 203 consecutive games, the Wild will now move forward with one of their best offensive forces. Throughout 48 games this season, Boldy led the team in goal-scoring with 27 tallies and sat one point behind Kirill Kaprizov for the overall team lead.
Neither Aube-Kubel nor Haight will help Minnesota make up for the loss of offense. The two have combined for one assist across six games for the Wild this season. Still, in their defense, they’ve remained relatively productive with AHL Iowa this season, with the latter ranked third on the team in scoring with seven goals and 17 points in 31 games.
Wild Activate Daemon Hunt, Assign David Jiricek
The Minnesota Wild announced earlier today that Daemon Hunt has been activated from injured reserve, while David Jiříček has been re-assigned to AHL Iowa in a corresponding transaction. Hunt is expected to return to the lineup tonight on the third pair alongside Jacob Middleton.
The defenseman has been out since mid-December due to an undisclosed injury. Claimed off waivers from Columbus in October, today’s transaction proves to be a bit ironic as Hunt was traded by Minnesota to Columbus in exchange for Jiříček last year alongside several draft picks.
Unable to make his mark as a Blue Jacket after the trade, Hunt quickly found his way back to the team that chose him in the third round of the 2020 draft. With two points in 12 games on the season, Hunt has some puck moving ability, untapped so far at the NHL level, but at age 23, he figures to be a steady third pair defender, still with just 25 games under his belt.
Jiříček, thought to have elite upside coming out of the 2022 draft, where he was selected sixth overall by Columbus, has been scoreless in 18 games with the Wild this season. Taking a swing on the Czech righty seemed to be worth a gamble, especially as Minnesota promptly snatched back the player they’d given up for him, but at some point Jiříček will need to show something to warrant a future in the NHL. A restricted free agent at season’s end, Jiříček’s play with Iowa has not inspired much confidence either, with 10 points in 40 games across the last two seasons. With offense hard to come by, the 6’4″ Jiříček has also struggled in his own end, ineffective even in smaller sheltered roles on Minnesota, a team with high ambitions.
Still just 22, the Wild are not necessarily in any rush with him, but as a contender with limited spots on their back end going into the future, Jiříček may be a name worth monitoring this spring in another deal.
For now, Hunt will rejoin the high flying Wild against Seattle tonight, while Jiříček will try to help the bottom-ranked Iowa Wild get on track, vying for another shot in the NHL.
Minnesota Wild Recall David Jiricek
According to a team announcement, the Minnesota Wild have recalled defenseman David Jiříček from the AHL’s Iowa Wild. The Wild now have a full 23-man roster, with eight of them being defensemen.
Jiříček’s story in the NHL is well known at this point. The Wild acquired the former sixth overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft from the Columbus Blue Jackets last season for a 2025 first-round pick, 2027 second-round pick, 2026 third-round pick, 2026 fourth-round pick, and defenseman Daemon Hunt, who has since re-joined the Wild.
Still, Jiříček, 22, has yet to break out in any meaningful way with Minnesota. He looked promising in his first professional season with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, scoring six goals and 38 points in 55 games with a -11 rating. He hasn’t come close to achieving that level of performance again.
In fact, the way his tenure with the Wild has begun is similar to how his time with the Blue Jackets ended. Jiříček was frequently moved between the NHL and AHL lineup, failing to provide any continuity in the early stages of his development. He now finds himself in the same situation with the Wild.
During the 2025-26 season, Jiříček has played 18 games for Minnesota and 13 games for Iowa. He’s only scored with the latter, posting a goal and two assists with a -8 rating. His limited output in the NHL may be due to averaging just over 12 minutes of ice time per game when he plays.
There’s little indication he’s poised for an offensive breakout either. Throughout his tenure with the Wild, he’s only managed a 46.3% CorsiFor% at even strength, which is slightly worse than what he averaged with Columbus. However, his defensive play has improved, averaging a 94.3% on-ice SV% at even strength.
Regardless, given that the Wild are dealing with a few injuries on defense to Hunt and Zach Bogosian, Jiříček should find his way into the lineup for the time being. However, once one of them returns, he’s likely headed back for another extended stay with AHL Iowa.
West Notes: Jiricek, Morrissey, Pospisil
The Minnesota Wild have made a change to their defensive core ahead of tomorrow’s matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Wild announced that they’ve reassigned defenseman David Jiříček to the AHL’s Iowa Wild.
It’s the third time the former sixth overall pick has been demoted this season. Jiříček, 22, has played in 18 games for the Wild this season in a depth role, going scoreless while averaging 12:08 of ice time per game. He’s fared somewhat better with AHL Iowa, scoring one goal and three points in 10 games with a -6 rating.
Still, his demotion may come with some good news. Yesterday, Michael Russo of The Athletic suggested that defenseman Daemon Hunt, who’s been rehabbing an undisclosed injury for the last few weeks, is expected to rejoin the team at some point during their current road trip. Regardless, Minnesota still has seven healthy defensemen on the active roster.
Other notes from the Western Conference:
- The Winnipeg Jets are dealing with some injury concerns to a significant player from last night’s loss to the Wild. According to analyst Mitchell Clinton, defenseman Josh Morrissey is considered day-to-day after taking a high hit last night. The Jets’ next game is tomorrow against the Edmonton Oilers, and Morrissey’s status for that contest is very much in question.
- A recent 20-assist forward may return to the Calgary Flames relatively soon. Earlier today, Wes Gilberton of Postmedia reported that Martin Pospisil has resumed skating and is hoping to return shortly after the new year. Pospisil, who scored four goals and 25 points in 81 games for the Flames last season, has yet to play this year after suffering an undisclosed injury during preseason action.
Morning Notes: Hughes, Pitlick, Jiricek, Johansson
More information rolls in regarding the Vancouver Canucks’ trade negotiations involving defenseman Quinn Hughes. We now know that several teams were scared of parting with significant value due to the perception that Hughes is far from a guarantee to sign a long-term extension.
According to The Athletic’s Michael Russo, Hughes is keeping an “open mind” when it comes to re-upping with Minnesota on July 1st, 2026. Russo noted that Hughes believes the Wild have “an amazing core.” He also shared that Hughes is happy with how close the team is to Michigan, and for being the organization that actually stepped up to get him, regardless of his perceived hesitancy to sign an extension.
Now, unlike other teams, the Wild have more than six months to convince Hughes to sign immediately when eligible, and even longer if both sides are comfortable with him entering the 2026-27 season as a pending unrestricted free agent. They got off to a good start last night, beating the Boston Bruins by four goals, with Hughes scoring his first goal with the team in the third period.
Additional morning notes:
- Likely because they’ve added forward Samuel Poulin to their AHL roster, the Bakersfield Condors connected with the Rockford IceHogs on an AHL trade yesterday. According to an announcement from Rockford, the Condors have traded forward Rem Pitlick to the IceHogs for defenseman Tyson Feist. Rem, cousin of Tyler Pitlick, is a veteran of 132 NHL contests, scoring 21 goals and 54 points. Meanwhile, Feist has only played in the ECHL this season, scoring one goal and seven points in 14 games for the Indy Fuel.
- Back in Minnesota, there were a few negatives that came from last night’s contest. Both defenseman David Jiříček and forward Marcus Johansson left yesterday’s game with lower-body injuries. According to Joe Smith of The Athletic, the Wild didn’t offer any updates for either player during the post-game media availability. Minnesota doesn’t play again until tomorrow, so more information should be provided before then.
Wild Recall David Jiricek
The Wild announced they’ve recalled defenseman David Jiříček from AHL Iowa, putting him on hand for tomorrow’s game against the Senators. A corresponding move won’t be necessary as Minnesota has an open spot on its active roster.
Jiříček’s recall comes as extra insurance as the Wild believe they may be down a yet-to-be-named defender after he got banged up in yesterday’s win over the Stars, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports. They already lost lefty Jacob Middleton to injured reserve after he sustained an upper-body injury in the previous outing against the Kraken, leaving them potentially without two regulars on the blue line against Ottawa – in addition to the four forwards they have stashed on IR.
The 22-year-old Jiříček was the sixth overall pick in 2022 by the Blue Jackets and arrived in the Wild organization by way of a trade early last season, stemming partially from his unhappiness with limited playing time in Columbus. The change of scenery didn’t alter his circumstances, though. He’s only made 18 appearances for Minnesota since his pickup over 12 months ago, spending most of his time in the organization with AHL Iowa. He made the team out of camp this year but has been reassigned to Iowa on two occasions. Today’s move ends his longest AHL stint of the season, last heading down to the minors on Nov. 21.
The 6’3″ righty’s development is in legitimate danger as a result. Iowa has long been one of the most hapless teams in the AHL, making the playoffs only twice since the Wild established the team in 2013. The team has a 33-54-9 record since the beginning of last season with a -83 goal differential. The lack of a legitimate supporting cast on Iowa’s blue line means Jiříček, once viewed as one of the brightest two-way talents in his draft class, has just one goal and nine assists with a -7 rating in 37 games since his arrival last year.
But when on the NHL roster, he hasn’t made a legitimate push for a regular role, either. In sheltered minutes (12:26 per game), he’s logged two assists and a -1 rating in 18 games across this year and last. The Wild have allowed 2.98 goals per 60 minutes with Jiříček on the ice at 5-on-5 this year, the highest figure among Minnesota defensemen.
For now, his status as a tweener will continue. Minnesota already recalled Matt Kiersted from Iowa in the wake of Middleton’s injury, and he sat as a scratch against Dallas. Whether he, a lefty, or Jiříček, a righty, enters the lineup tomorrow likely depends on the questionable defender’s handedness.
Wild Activate Zach Bogosian, Nico Sturm From IR
The Wild announced they’ve activated defenseman Zach Bogosian and center Nico Sturm from injured reserve ahead of Friday’s game against the Penguins. They opened up one roster spot yesterday by placing Vladimir Tarasenko on IR and made the other by reassigning defenseman David Jiříček to AHL Iowa in today’s corresponding move.
Bogosian hasn’t played since sustaining a lower-body injury against the Capitals on Oct. 17. The 35-year-old righty is in his third season with the Wild after initially being acquired from the Lightning early in the 2023-24 season in exchange for a seventh-round pick. He’s been a stable bottom-pairing fixture since and played in all but one game for Minnesota last year, making this absence the longest one he’s had since shoulder surgery sidelined him for the first several weeks of the 2022-23 season while with Tampa Bay.
In five games this season before exiting the lineup, Bogosian looked the part of a reliable, veteran stay-at-home rearguard in limited minutes. Averaging 13:53 of ice time per game, he didn’t record a point but had a +3 rating while controlling 48.3% of shot attempts at 5-on-5, third among Minnesota defenders this season behind Jiříček and Jonas Brodin.
Bogosian is replacing Daemon Hunt in the Wild lineup, per Michael Russo of The Athletic, and it’s easy to see why. Minnesota reclaimed the 23-year-old off waivers from the Blue Jackets at the beginning of the year after sending him to Columbus last year in the trade that brought them Jiříček. He’s remained on the roster since and had gotten into a recent stretch of games with Bogosian out and Jiříček’s playing time being reduced, but he’s averaged only 11:53 per game and has been shelled despite receiving sheltered minutes. While Hunt has a +1 rating, the Wild have been outshot 46-24 and outchanced 43-28 with him on the ice at 5-on-5, the worst possession numbers this season from a Minnesota rearguard by a significant margin. Bogosian represents a sizeable upgrade in third-pairing duties with Zeev Buium as a result.
As for Sturm, he’s yet to play this season after sustaining a back injury at the beginning of training camp. Unlike Bogosian, he’s not a certainty to return to the lineup tonight. Russo said a Sunday season debut against the Jets is the more likely outcome.
Still, the 30-year-old is a big boost to a Wild bottom six that’s starved for offense. After starting his NHL career in Minnesota, Sturm returned to the Wild this summer after three-plus years away on a two-year, $4MM deal. A faceoff and defensive specialist first and foremost, he’s still put up respectable point totals, averaging 11 goals and 23 points per 82 games over his seven-year NHL career. Considering the entirety of Minnesota’s fourth line had been held without a goal this season, he’ll be a significant upgrade in a down-the-middle slot when he does get back into the lineup.
The Wild want Jiříček playing, so returning the 2022 No. 6 overall pick to the minors after scratching him in three straight games is no surprise. It’s the second time Jiříček has been assigned to Iowa this season after making the opening night roster, although his last demotion lasted for just two days. This year, the 6’4″ righty has been a passable third-pairing option but hasn’t shown anything more than that. He’s continued to have fits finding his offensive ceiling, going without a point and logging a -3 rating through 12 appearances.
Wild Recall David Jiricek And Tyler Pitlick, Assign Liam Ohgren To AHL
The Wild have made a trio of roster moves heading into their game tonight against the Flyers. The team announced that they’ve recalled defenseman David Jiricek and winger Tyler Pitlick from AHL Iowa while assigning winger Liam Ohgren to Iowa.
Jiricek has been up for most of the season but has played just once, resulting in his assignment to the minors yesterday. He suited up for Iowa last night, making him eligible to be recalled as he has fulfilled the one-game requirement, part of the new rules brought into play this season to try to cut down on paper transactions.
Jiricek hasn’t had a lot of success at the NHL level since Columbus drafted him sixth overall in 2022. He has played in just 60 games at the top level since then, 43 of which came in 2023-24; since then, he has been more of an AHL player, even after Minnesota dealt four draft picks and Daemon Hunt to acquire him last season.
Pitlick, meanwhile, is in his first season with Minnesota after signing a two-year, two-way deal with them on the opening day of free agency back in July. He’s off to a good start in Iowa with two goals through three games and has 420 career NHL appearances over parts of ten seasons with eight different franchises. His best showing came back in 2017-18 with Dallas when he had 14 goals and 13 assists in 80 games.
As for Ohgren, while he has played in all five games so far, playing time has been rather limited as he’s averaging just 9:10 per game while failing to record a point. Given that he’s still just 21 and waiver-exempt, it might be better for his development to play in a more prominent role with Iowa for a little while Pitlick, a 33-year-old veteran, is better suited to play a low-minute role on the fourth line. Ohgren had 37 points in 41 games with Iowa last season.
Wild Reassign David Jiricek
The Wild have reassigned David Jiricek to AHL Iowa, according to a team announcement. There’s no corresponding transaction yet for the roster spot that their No. 2 prospect is vacating.
Today marks a week since opening night for the Wild, which was Jiricek’s only appearance out of the club’s first four games. That’s despite the 21-year-old having a strong showing in what was his first outing for the club since January of last season. He only saw 14 minutes of ice time and didn’t record a point, but had a +3 rating in their 5-0 win over the Blues. He won his minutes possession-wise with a 53.3 CF% at even strength.
Then, Jonas Brodin returned to the lineup after missing the first game while recovering from offseason upper-body surgery. That pushed Jiricek out of the picture, with Minnesota opting for a more veteran lineup on the right side of their defense, with Zach Bogosian slotting in behind top-four staples Brock Faber and Jared Spurgeon. It’s hard at the moment for head coach John Hynes to justify scratching Bogosian to get Jiricek another look. The 35-year-old has also done well in his limited minutes, recording a +3 rating with seven blocks and four hits in four appearances while averaging 14:19 per game. He’s trusted on the penalty kill and has yet to be on the ice for a goal against at even strength.
Minnesota wants its promising young righty playing, and that isn’t happening on the NHL roster right now. As such, they’ll take advantage of his continued waiver-exempt status and return to Iowa, where he spent most of last season after the Wild acquired him from the Blue Jackets in November. The only player Minnesota surrendered in that deal, Daemon Hunt, is now back with the organization after being claimed off waivers from Columbus and will serve as their lone healthy extra for the time being, with Jiricek down.
It’s an inauspicious sign amid a tough couple of years for the 2022 No. 6 overall pick. After the former AHL All-Star looked like he was on the verge of capturing a regular role with Columbus after making 43 appearances for them in 2023-24, he was a frequent scratch to begin last season, leading to his trade out of town. Yet even amid mounting injuries on the Wild’s blue line last year, Jiricek, included in those troubles amid a ruptured spleen, didn’t get much of a chance and only made six NHL appearances after the swap. In 27 appearances with Iowa, he only mustered seven assists and a -1 rating.
He’ll be destined for as many minutes as he can handle now in the minors as he looks to get consistent playing time and fuel some long-awaited forward progress in his development. For now, Minnesota will be operating with an open roster spot to fill as necessary if more injuries pop up.
Wild’s David Jiříček Done For Season With Lacerated Spleen
The Wild announced defense prospect David Jiříček is done for the season after sustaining a lacerated spleen last weekend while playing for AHL Iowa. His season is over, and he won’t be an option for them, assuming they make the playoffs.
Minnesota acquired Jiříček from the Blue Jackets early in the season. The right-shot defender had averaged just 11:12 of ice time through six appearances with Columbus, who decided a fresh start was the best option for their 2022 sixth-overall pick. On a deeper Wild blue line, the 21-year-old hasn’t had much opportunity to play despite injuries to names like Jonas Brodin, Jacob Middleton, and Jared Spurgeon. He’s played just six NHL games for Minnesota since the trade, posting 1-1–2 with a plus-two rating while averaging a still-paltry 13:02 per game.
Instead, Jiříček has spent most of the season on assignment to Iowa. He’s struggled there, too, ending his season with seven assists and a minus-one rating in 27 games. It’s still a noteworthy loss – Minnesota isn’t particularly deep on the blue line outside of their group of seven regulars. Jiříček would have easily been the highest-upside and most NHL-experienced option to insert into the lineup if injuries boiled over again.
While that holds true, they’ve still got six of their seven available to dress right now (Declan Chisholm is day-to-day with a lower-body injury), so Jiříček’s absence doesn’t throw a huge wrench into their short-term plans to hold onto a playoff spot. They’re still overwhelmingly safe with 92% odds of clinching a berth, but they’ve got about a 20% chance of slipping behind the Blues and falling to the second wild-card spot in the West, per MoneyPuck.