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Minnesota Wild Recall Dakota Mermis

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The Minnesota Wild have recalled defenseman Dakota Mermis from the AHL’s Iowa Wild under emergency conditions, the team announced Wednesday afternoon.

While the Wild appear to have seven healthy defensemen on the roster, The Athletic’s Michael Russo and Joe Smith report that Mermis’ emergency recall comes in anticipation of injury or illness-related absences. Smith notes that an unnamed defender was banged up in last night’s win against the Los Angeles Kings and that Jonas Brodin isn’t in full health. Brodin’s missed time with a lower-body injury on two separate occasions this season.

Mermis, 29, is a versatile defenseman in his third season with the Wild organization. Stationed on taxi squad duty in his first year, 2020-21, he’s since put up eight goals and 40 assists in 105 AHL games with the Iowa Wild, maintaining his status as one of their top defenders.

He made two appearances with the Wild last season, going without a point. If he does appear in a Wild uniform on this call-up, it will be his first appearance of 2022-23.

Injury Notes: Slavin, Brodin, Raymond

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Carolina Hurricanes top defender Jaccob Slavin is returning to the lineup tonight against the New York Rangers, according to Hurricanes content producer Walt Ruff.

Slavin had missed the past six games before the All-Star break with a lower-body injury. His last game was on January 19, leaving late in a matchup against the Minnesota Wild. Carolina has won all six games in Slavin’s absence, three of them in regulation, and they’ll look to continue a seven-game winning streak tonight in Raleigh. Slavin, averaging over 22 minutes per game this season, is expected to return to his spot on the top pairing alongside Brent Burns.

  • Another important shutdown defenseman is returning to the lineup: Jonas Brodin of the Minnesota Wild. The Athletic’s Michael Russo notes he’s set to return to the lineup tonight against the New Jersey Devils alongside Matt Dumba on the second pairing. Brodin missed the team’s last two games with a lower-body injury. The 29-year-old has two goals and eight points in 43 games this season, posting a +6 rating and 22:32 average time on ice.
  • Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond is absent from today’s game against the Vancouver Canucks with a lower-body injury, ending his 132-game iron man streak. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press notes that Raymond suffered the injury in a collision with teammate Ben Chiarot yesterday during practice. Raymond’s status is day-to-day. The sophomore forward has 15 goals and 33 points in 50 games this season.

Injury Notes: Canadiens, Blues, Brodin

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The Montreal Canadiens will be without defenseman David Savard and forward Sean Monahan when they take on the Seattle Kraken tonight. Per the team, Savard is dealing with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day. At the same time, Monahan has a lower-body injury and will be reevaluated when the team returns to Montreal after their road trip concludes tonight.

Savard is second among Canadiens defensemen this season in points (eight) and average time on ice (22:17). While his defensive play hasn’t been what it was during the end of his time in Columbus, he’s a vital minute-muncher on a youthful Montreal defense. His usage is the highest it’s been in more than five years, so it’ll be testing for the Habs rookies to see if they can handle some increased minutes in his absence. Monahan is also in the middle of a well-documented resurgence, sitting in fourth place on the Habs with 17 points in 25 games this year. He’s also been great in the faceoff circle, winning over 55% of his draws and leading the team in total faceoff wins (177).

  • While the St. Louis Blues are on their way to a convincing road win on Long Island, they did it without a pair of key players in winger Pavel Buchnevich and defenseman Torey Krug. Buchenvich was out with a lower-body injury, while Krug missed the game with an upper-body injury. Head coach Craig Berube noted pre-game that both players need further evaluations before “knowing whether the injuries would be more short-term or long-term.”
  • Minnesota Wild head coach Dean Evason said today that although defenseman Jonas Brodin won’t make his return to the lineup tomorrow, the Swede looked “great” today and is close to returning. Brodin, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, has missed a combined five games this year with this injury and an earlier illness. While known for his defensive prowess, he’s still in the middle of a down year offensively, with just four assists in 19 games.

 

Minnesota Wild Recall Andrej Sustr

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With Jonas Brodin dealing with an injury, the Minnesota Wild have recalled Andrej Sustr from the minor leagues. Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that Brodin’s absence isn’t expected to be for very long, as the defenseman will travel with the team on their upcoming road trip.

Sustr, 32, was used repeatedly last season as an injury call-up, playing 15 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning and 23 for the Anaheim Ducks. He’s been stuck in the minors for this season, racking up five points in 15 games for the Iowa Wild. In terms of insurance options you could certainly do worse than the 6’7″ defender, who has 361 NHL games to his name and was once a regular with the Lightning.

Still, losing Brodin for any length of time is a hefty blow for Minnesota to deal with. The 29-year-old is one of the league’s best shutdown defenders and plays more than 22 minutes a night for the Wild. His offense hasn’t arrived this year, with just four points in 19 games, but he carries so much defensive responsibility for Minnesota that it’s hard to operate without him.

The group will have to step up tonight against the Edmonton Oilers, a team that Brodin has historically done quite well against as a Connor McDavid mark. The team was playing with seven defensemen when he went down, meaning Sustr doesn’t necessarily have to go into the lineup.

Central Notes: Brodin, Jets, Johnson, Stillman, Husso

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The Wild announced (Twitter link) that they activated defenseman Jonas Brodin off injured reserve prior to their game tonight against the Rangers.  The 28-year-old has had a bit of trouble staying in the lineup as he had also missed time due to COVID protocol and an upper-body injury before sustaining this lower-body injury three weeks ago.  In between all of that, Brodin has put together a strong season, notching 16 points in 29 games while averaging 23:35 per night and blocking nearly two shots per contest.  With Brodin’s activation, Minnesota now has its top seven fully healthy.

Elsewhere in the Central Division:

  • Jets defenseman Nathan Beaulieu has been ruled out for their two-game road trip due to a lower-body injury, reports Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun (Twitter link). Meanwhile, they’ll have to wait for at least one more game to get blueliner Josh Morrissey back from his stint in COVID protocol while defenseman Dylan DeMelo has resumed skating but also won’t be ready to suit up on Saturday in St. Louis.
  • Blackhawks center Tyler Johnson is still a month away from returning to the lineup, relays Scott Powers of The Athletic (Twitter link). The veteran is working his way back from artificial disk replacement surgery, the same procedure that Jack Eichel had after being traded to Vegas.  Meanwhile, Powers adds that blueliner Riley Stillman will be out for two to three weeks due to a shoulder injury sustained last week.
  • Although Blues goaltender Ville Husso has fared much better in his second NHL season and could be an intriguing trade option at the trade deadline, Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch feels that St. Louis would be better served by holding onto the pending UFA. Even though they may be hard-pressed to re-sign him for next season, Jordan Binnington’s recent struggles would make it advisable for them to hold onto the 26-year-old as an insurance policy even if it means they lose him for nothing this summer.  Husso has a 1.81 GAA with a .945 SV% in 14 games so far this season.

Jon Merrill Enters Protocol; Jonas Brodin Returns To Practice

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The Minnesota Wild will be without Jon Merrill and Nico Sturm for the next few days after they were placed in the COVID protocol. Both players missed practice today, though their status moving forward was not confirmed. If they are a confirmed positive case of COVID-19, they’ll be held out for the normal minimum of five days, meaning they would not be available for at least the next two games.

The loss of Merrill from the lineup may not be felt as strongly as one might think, as the Wild had Jonas Brodin back at practice today. The veteran defenseman hasn’t played since January 6 but is now medically cleared to return and is a possible option for Friday in New York. Brodin told reporters including Michael Russo of The Athletic that he has been skating on his own and believes his conditioning level is in good shape.

Sturm’s absence comes at a disappointing time, given how well he played in Monday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. The 26-year-old scored a goal and registered three points in just under 13 minutes of action, a little more than his season average. He now has seven goals and 15 points on the season, close to matching the 17-point rookie season he had in 2020-21.

For Minnesota, who have won three straight, getting Brodin back is key if the team is going to make a second-half run for a Central Division playoff spot. They now sit in fourth, but just four points behind the second-place Nashville Predators with six games in hand. While the Colorado Avalanche will be a difficult train to catch, the Wild should be considered a real contender in the Western Conference and a team to watch as the trade deadline approaches.

Central Notes: Buchnevich, Wheeler, Wild, Kuemper

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Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich has been cleared from COVID protocol, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  As a result, St. Louis – who has had 21 different players unavailable due to positive tests in recent weeks – now doesn’t have anyone missing for that reason (though defenseman Scott Perunovich is out with an unspecified injury).  Buchnevich will be a welcome addition back to the lineup for the Blues as he sits tied for second in team scoring with 14 goals and 21 assists in 34 games.  St. Louis had an open roster spot so they didn’t need to make any corresponding roster move to bring him back onto the active roster.

More from the Central:

  • Jets winger Blake Wheeler could return to the lineup this weekend, reports Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe. The captain has missed nine straight games with a knee injury, an amount that could have been much higher had it not been for the COVID-related postponements.  Wheeler has only scored once in 22 games this season but had 16 assists which is still tied for third on Winnipeg despite missing more than a month.
  • Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin has resumed skating as he works his way back from a lower-body injury, relays Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Twitter link). He was injured blocking a shot a week and a half ago.  His pending return will be welcome with Jared Spurgeon expected to be eased back into the lineup; McLellan adds that it’s unlikely that the captain – who is working his way back from a lower-body injury – will play both ends of the upcoming home-and-home with Chicago.
  • While Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper left Monday’s game against Minnesota with an injury, he isn’t expected to miss any time, mentions Mike Chambers of the Denver Post (Twitter link). He’ll serve as the backup goaltender tonight and is slated to start on Thursday in Los Angeles.

West Notes: Hayton, Gostisbehere, Wild, Sharks

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Coyotes center Barrett Hayton is expected to undergo hand surgery that will keep him out for the next five to eight weeks, reports Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports (Twitter link).  It has been a disappointing season for the 21-year-old who has been given a much bigger role than he had under Rick Tocchet but it hasn’t materialized in more production as he has just two goals and four assists in 26 games despite playing over 16 minutes a night.  His entry-level deal expires this summer and being out for this long certainly won’t help him build any value for his next contract.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference:

  • Still with Arizona, Shayne Gostisbehere is a player whose fortunes have changed for the better since being dealt to the desert. After Philadelphia had to part with a pair of draft picks to get the Coyotes to take on the rest of his contract, the 28-year-old has picked up 23 points in 32 games to sit second on the team in scoring.  Despite that, GM Bill Armstrong indicated in an interview with Arizona Sports (audio link) that they’re not particularly anxious to move him even though they may be able to get some value for him.  Gostisbehere is signed through 2022-23 with a $4.5MM AAV.
  • The Wild may soon be getting some more bad news on the injury front as Michael Russo of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that defenseman Jonas Brodin’s upper-body injury is believed to be serious enough to be a long-term issue. He was injured while blocking a shot against Boston on Thursday and leads all Minnesota players in ice time at 23:35 per game.
  • Minnesota should get some good news soon when it comes to their ever-growing injury list, however, as Russo adds in a separate tweet that center Joel Eriksson Ek is ahead of schedule in his recovery from his upper-body injury and could return as soon as Friday. His IR placement earlier today was retroactive and he will still be eligible to play in that game.
  • Meanwhile, as part of a long list of players not playing tonight, the Wild revealed (Twitter link) that defenseman Alex Goligoski has been placed in COVID protocol. He joins Brandon Duhaime and Jordan Greenway as those currently unavailable and if his placement was for a confirmed positive test, he’ll be out for at least the next five days.
  • The Sharks announced (Twitter link) that they’ve added center Nick Bonino along with assistant coach John MacLean to the COVID protocol list. They join center Logan Couture and forward Lane Pederson as those that aren’t available for the time being.

More Injury Troubles For Minnesota Wild

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The Minnesota Wild won last night, with the winner going to Matt Boldy on his first career goal and Kaapo Kahkonen stopping 36 of 38 shots. The future looks bright in Minnesota, but the present, not so much.

Kirill Kaprizov was helped to the locker room after being hit by Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic, a play which head coach Dean Evason called “predatory.” Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that Kaprizov is still being evaluated but the reporter has been told it is “not good.”

But the injury concerns from last night don’t end there. Marcus Foligno was given a maintenance day after blocking a shot at the end of the game, but Jonas Brodin was also missing from practice as he is evaluated for a similar block. Once again, Russo tweets that it “doesn’t sound good” for Brodin, who only just returned from a stint on the COVID-19 protocol.

The Wild are already missing Joel Eriksson Ek, Jared Spurgeon, Cam Talbot, Jordan Greenway, Nick Bjugstad, and Brandon Duhaime, meaning any new injuries would take their toll. But Kaprizov and Brodin are arguably the two most important players on the roster even when it’s at full strength, and would be a devastating loss for the Wild if they are out for any significant amount of time.

With the win last night, the Wild are currently tied with the Colorado Avalanche for third place in the Central Division by standings points. They would actually be ahead of the St. Louis Blues and almost even with the Nashville Predators (but behind Colorado) if sorted by points percentage, given their 20-10-2 record.

Luckily, if this situation can be called that at all, the Wild have only one game (tomorrow) between now and January 14. Only three between now and January 21. That would, in theory, give them an opportunity to heal some wounds, though it isn’t clear how long Kaprizov and Brodin will be out at this point. Every team goes through injuries, but this is certainly going to be a difficult stretch for the Wild.

Jonas Brodin Enters COVID Protocol

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Jan 1: The Wild were hoping Brodin would be able to test out of the protocol given the league’s reduced isolation period, but Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that the veteran defenseman will miss the Winter Classic. Addison has been officially recalled and is expected to play in Brodin’s place.

Dec 28: The Minnesota Wild already ruled out Jared Spurgeon and Joel Eriksson Ek for the upcoming Winter Classic, and now appear to be losing another one of their best players. Jonas Brodin will not practice with the team today due to the league’s COVID protocol.

If Brodin is held out–a confirmed positive with symptoms would keep him out a minimum of ten days, while an asymptomatic case would need two negative tests 24 hours apart–it’s another huge loss for the Wild and the fans that will be at Target Field in just a few days. The hope at this point will be that no other key Minnesota players are pulled from the lineup between now and Saturday, as this game isn’t exactly one that can be rescheduled for later in the season.

The 28-year-old defenseman is an absolute horse for the Wild, logging huge minutes every night and playing some of the best two-way hockey in the league. While his 14 points in 28 games don’t immediately jump off the page, Brodin is the anchor that drives a Minnesota transition game that can strike extremely quickly. His smooth skating and quick defensive stick constantly disrupt plays before the opposition even gets a chance at the net, and his ability to escape forecheckers results in easy breakouts for the Wild.

Now, without Brodin or Spurgeon in the lineup, a lot of pressure will be placed on Matt Dumba and veteran Alex Goligoski for Saturday’s game. The team also may decide to recall some youngsters, giving someone like Calen Addison a chance to play on the national stage.

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