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Minnesota Wild Will Have To Make Decisions On Staal, Zucker Soon

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While the Minnesota Wild will likely need to fight every game for the rest of the season to reach the playoffs, there isn’t a lot of talk about what the team intends to do in the offseason, yet there are key decisions the Wild will have to make in the coming months, including what to do with a pair of their top forwards in Eric Staal and Jason Zucker.

While the team is already loaded in forwards who are locked up long-term, both Staal and Zucker have been key players for this year’s team. Staal still has another year remaining at $3.5MM, but would be eligible for an extension on July 1. At 33 years of age, the team is in a tough situation as it wants to make sure they don’t get stuck with a long-term deal with another aging player like it did with Mikko Koivu. However, Staal has put up 61 goals in two seasons for Minnesota and doesn’t look like he’s slowing down. The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required) writes that the team should consider a three-year extension in the $5MM range. He writes he doesn’t see a true slow-down by the veteran. It shows on back-to-back games, but the scribe writes that both his hands and legs haven’t slowed a bit. The real question is Staal still has another year. What if he declines before an extension kicks in? It’s a gamble either way.

Zucker is another player who has taken that next step every year in Minnesota. He has already passed his 22-goal career high from last year. Now with 26 goals, he finds himself on his last restricted free-agent year before becoming a unrestricted free agent after the 2018-19 season. The fear is the Wild could lose Zucker at that point to higher-profile teams, so locking the 26-year-old up this offseason makes the most sense. Russo writes that it could take a six or seven-year offer in the $5MM range to get a deal done. He might be open to signing now as he has quite a few community ties, including the fact that his wife is from Minnesota.

Both players would like to get money that is close to Nino Niederreiter or Mikael Granlund money, which could cause some problems. The team already has six forwards that are locked up until 2020, not including Staal or Zucker. They also have three defensemen locked up long-term as well, so the team might have to find to move out some contracts in the near future to make their cap situation work out the best. To make matters worse, the two players whose deals might hurt the team the most belong to Zach Parise and Koivu. Parise has struggled all season with injuries and, as expected, his 13-year deal he signed back in 2012 is starting to hurt the team. The 33-year-old still will be locked up until the 2025 season at $7.5MM per year with a no-movement clause (another issue if there is another expansion draft in two years). Koivu has had a down year as well. At 34, he just signed a two year extension at $5.5MM at the start of this season which kicks in next year. After putting up 56 points or more in each of the last two years, he has just 35 points in 65 games this year.

One other option, according to Russo, would be to trade Tyler Ennis, who has one year remaining on his deal at $4.6MM AAV. The 28-year-old has just 18 points this year, but if the team retains his salary, they might be able to trade him off to free up some cap room. A buyout of Marcus Foligno is also a legitimate possibility this summer.

West Notes: Jets, Brodin, Niederreiter, Canucks, Bellemare

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While many teams would prefer to add an impact player that is signed beyond this season, that isn’t the case for the Jets.  In an appearance on TSN 1290 (audio link), TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that Winnipeg’s preference would be to add rental players, or at least someone that is signed short-term.  The Jets have several youngsters that will be vying for full-time roster spots in the near future and they will not want to block their paths to the NHL.  McKenzie also suggests that General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff might be more open to dealing his first-round pick by the February 26th trade deadline than he has been at other times during his tenure as GM.

More from the West:

  • Wild blueliner Jonas Brodin has already resumed puck-handling drills just two weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured hand less than two weeks ago, notes Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. While the initial timeline for his return was three-to-four weeks, he could return slightly ahead of schedule.  The news isn’t as good for winger Nino Niederreiter, however.  He acknowledged that he won’t be fully healthy until next season after dealing with multiple leg issues this year including a fractured fibula that he just returned to the lineup from.
  • Canucks GM Jim Benning would like to add a top-nine forward with size and grit to their roster, he acknowledged to Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma. Vancouver has several skilled prospects on the horizon and adding a player like that would complement them nicely.  Benning also stated that they are not shopping defenseman Chris Tanev but that he will listen to offers if other teams call.  The team views the 28-year-old as someone that will mentor their younger blueliners including 2016 first-rounder Olli Juolevi.
  • The Golden Knights have placed center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, notes Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. There is no timetable for how much time he will miss but the IR placement means he’ll miss the next week at a minimum.  Vegas has recalled a pair of forwards from their AHL affiliate in Chicago to take his place on the roster in wingers Tomas Hyka and Stefan Matteau.

Central Injury Updates: Niederreiter, Sanford, Stars, Mason

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Minnesota is set to get a key player back in their lineup as winger Nino Niederreiter is expected to return tonight after missing the last eight games with an ankle injury, notes Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press.  The issue has been a lingering one for Niederreiter who sustained it early in the season and has been battling it since then.  Despite that, he has still been one of the more productive scorers for the Wild with 13 goals in 31 games this season; his goals-per-game average ranks tops on the team.  As the team didn’t place him on injured reserve, they don’t need to make a corresponding roster move to get him back on the active roster.

More injury notes from the Central:

  • Although Blues winger Zachary Sanford is with the team for their road trip, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the youngster is still a long way away from returning. Sanford stated that he’s unsure if he will be able to get back into the lineup at some point this month but it appears that he will be ready to play down the stretch.  The 23-year-old has yet to play this season after undergoing shoulder surgery in September and could make a push for a third line spot when he does return.
  • Although he did not suffer a concussion after being hit on the side of the face with the puck on Thursday, Stars goaltender Ben Bishop has been ruled out of Saturday’s contest against Minnesota, notes Mark Stepneski on the Stars’ team website. They are expected to recall a goalie to serve as the backup tomorrow.  Meanwhile, center Martin Hanzal (muscle pull) and defenseman Marc Methot (knee) skated with the team as they continue to work their way back from their respective injuries but head coach Ken Hitchcock does not have a timeframe for when the veterans may get the green light to play.
  • Jets goaltender Steve Mason skated on his own on Thursday for the first time since being diagnosed with his second concussion of the season, notes Postmedia’s Ken Wiebe.  As a result, he is still a while away from returning which could very well take Michael Hutchinson out of the equation as a possible trade option as they may prefer to keep him around as insurance if Mason’s recovery goes slower than expected.

Injury Updates: Crawford, Anisimov, Niederreiter, Hurricanes

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Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville told Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times that it is his “expectation and hope” that goaltender Corey Crawford will return at some point this season.  He also acknowledged that the netminder has done very limited workouts since being shut down with what has been reported to be vertigo-like symptoms and that they won’t be able to provide any sort of timetable for a possible return until he is able to resume working out.  In the meantime, they will continue to go with a tandem of Anton Forsberg and Jeff Glass although a trade for short-term help can’t be ruled out either.

More injury notes from around the league:

  • In a separate column, Lazerus also reports that Blackhawks center Artem Anisimov returned to practice on Friday for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury in late December. While he won’t play today, he could be back in the lineup as early as Monday against Tampa Bay and should slot in somewhere on the second or third line.
  • Wild winger Nino Niederreiter has suffered a setback in his recovery from a lower-body injury, head coach Bruce Boudreau told Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link). As a result, he is not expected to return until after the All-Star break.  Niederreiter sits tied for third on Minnesota in goals this season with 13 despite missing 15 games due to injuries already.
  • Carolina could be set to get a pair of players back for their game against Detroit tonight. Michael Smith of the Hurricanes’ team website notes that defenseman Brett Pesce and center Derek Ryan could both be ready to return from their respective upper-body injuries.  Pesce appears to be ahead of schedule as at one point, he wasn’t expected to be back until after the All-Star break.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Rinaldo, Barrie, Niederreiter

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The NHL released their three stars of the week, and Boston Bruins’ Tuukka Rask has top honors after starting three games last week, going 3-0 with a 1.30 GAA and a .954 save percentage. He made 16 saves in a 7-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, and then followed that up with a 37-save performance (along with three shootout saves) to lead the Bruins past the Winnipeg Jets, 2-1, Thursday. Saturday, he made 30 saves to defeat the Detroit Red Wings, 3-1. He is 11-8-3 on the season with a 2.28 GAA and a .918 save percentage.

Mathew Barzal and James Reimer rounded out the top three amazing performances for the week. Barzal led the New York Islanders with a six-point performance for the week, including four goals in three games. His hat trick against the Winnipeg Jets Saturday was the first of his career. The 20-year-old leads all rookies with 23 assists and 35 points. Reimer stopped 106 out of 110 shots on goal in three games to lead the Florida Panthers to three victories. He posted a 1.33 GAA and a .964 save percentage for the week as he has been filling in for injured starter Roberto Luongo.

  • The Department of Player Safety announced that it has offered Arizona Coyotes forward Zac Rinaldo an in-person hearing for throwing a punch at an unsuspecting opponent. During the second period of Saturdays’ game against the Colorado Avalanche, Rinaldo laid a hit on Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon. In response, Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard confronted Rinaldo, who subsequently sucker-punched him. Rinaldo has been suspended four times in his NHL career for a total of 19 games. The veteran has two goals and one assist in 31 games this year with 32 penalty minutes.
  • Mike Chambers of the Denver Post writes that Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie fractured a bone in his right hand in Saturday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes. He blocked a shot from Coyotes’ defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson in the first period that deflected off his hand. A timeline for his recovery has not been announced. Barrie is having a solid year with Colorado, with four goals and 23 assists in 34 games, ranking third in the league with 27 points for defensemen.
  • Sarah McLellan of the Star Tribune writes that Minnesota Wild winger Nino Niederreiter’s status remains unclear after he suffered a lower-body injury on Friday. He did not play Saturday and is day-to-day. “I don’t know if the puck hit him or if his foot banged against the boards,” said Boudreau, who figured Niederreiter was bruised on the play. The 25-year-old already missed six games earlier this season due to an ankle injury.

Wild Activate Charlie Coyle From Injured Reserve

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Little by little, the Minnesota Wild are getting healthier. The team announced this afternoon that they have activated forward Charlie Coyle from long-term injured reserve. In a corresponding move, they have moved fellow forward Zach Parise to LTIR, though Parise has yet to play a game for the team this season due to lingering back issues.

Coyle suffered a right fibula fracture back on October 12th in a game that saw three Wild forwards go down with serious injuries. Coyle was originally given a six-to-eight week time frame for his return, so his activation just over a month after a major injury scare is a best-case scenario for Minnesota. The young Massachusetts-native has missed the Wild’s past 16 games, the vast majority of the season, but in his first three contests in 2017-18 had a pair of assists and was seeing career-high ice time.

Up until this injury, Coyle had been developing quite the iron man reputation with three straight 82-game seasons. His scoring totals have jumped significantly with each campaign as well, so a healthy Coyle for the remainder of th year would be a major boost for Minnesota. With Nino Niederreiter, Mikael Granlund, and Marcus Foligno all back and healthy as well, the Wild are as close as they’ll come to full strength for the time being and can begin to work on climbing out of the basement of the Central Division. The team is currently riding a five-year postseason streak; if that is to continue they need to keep everyone at full health and contributing at full strength.

Minnesota Activates Nino Niederreiter From Injured Reserve

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The Minnesota Wild have dealt with injuries all throughout their lineup to start the season, and have felt it in their record of 4-3-2. On Saturday they found their defensive game against the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1. Now, they’ll be getting back one of the best two-way forwards in the league to help give them even more punch at both ends of the rink.

Nino NiederreiterNino Niederreiter has been activated from injured reserve, and is expected to play against the Winnipeg Jets tonight. Accruing some Selke votes last season, Niederreiter was one of the Wild’s best forwards for the entire season, scoring 25 goals and 57 points in 82 games. His possession numbers are outstanding, and he easily led the team in hits.

Getting him back, especially while Charlie Coyle and Zach Parise remain injured, will be a huge boost to the Wild’s forward group. In the game against Pittsburgh, they were forced to rely on the top line for 20 minutes of ice time, limiting their bottom group. Niederreiter allows them to lengthen out that lineup and play some of their younger forwards in a more sheltered role.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minnesota Confirms Back Surgery For Zach Parise

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As noted yesterday by The Athletic’s Michael Russo and now confirmed by the team, Zach Parise has undergone microdiscectomy (back) surgery and will be out for eight to ten weeks.

The surgery was to relieve a herniated disc that was causing Parise pain in his leg, and will likely keep him out through Christmas. It’s a big blow for the Wild, who were relying on Parise’s play to help them stake their claim as a Stanley Cup contender. The 33-year old is one of the most consistent offensive producers on the club, though he did take a slight step backwards last year.

Instead, the Wild will have to rely on their next wave of talent in players like Luke Kunin and Joel Eriksson Ek. While the veteran core of the team remains, Charlie Coyle, Mikael Granlund and Nino Niederreiter have dealt with their own injuries this season. The club, now 2-2-2, will take on the Vancouver Canucks tonight.

With Minnesota so close to the salary cap ceiling, they will likely place Parise on long-term injured reserve to free up some of his $7.54MM contract. While they’re already in LTIR with Coyle’s deal, both are expected back at some point. Both will provide some level of relief, but the team will likely still have to remain fairly fiscally responsible in the coming weeks. By adding any new contracts, they could put themselves in an impossible situation when the pair of forwards get back on the ice.

Minor Moves: Minnesota, Vancouver, Ottawa

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More recalls as the day goes on, and teams start filling in roster pieces due to injury or inconsistent play. Here are the latest moves around the NHL.

  • The Minnesota Wild have brought up a pair of forwards to help bolster their roster, as the team recalled Justin Kloos and Luke Kunin. As we wrote earlier, there is a chance that Zach Parise undergoes surgery this week and is out long-term, but the team did welcome Mikael Granlund back to practice. Still, with Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle out the team needed reinforcements. Kunin has already been up with the team, playing in three games this year, but Kloos would be making his NHL debut if he gets into a game. The 5’9″ forward signed as an undrafted free agent with Minnesota this spring, but is a homegrown product that played his college career with the Golden Gophers.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have brought back Patrick Wiercioch and Thatcher Demko, after sending the former back down just a few days ago. With the Canucks still having two other goaltenders on the roster, the Demko recall is intriguing. Either there is an injury that hasn’t been reported, another move coming, or the Canucks are just positioning themselves as close to the cap as possible before moving players to long-term injured reserve. That would allow them to get the entire benefit, and with Alex Edler, Loui Eriksson and possibly Troy Stecher (who has flown back to Vancouver for further testing after leaving last night’s game) out long-term, the team needs some extra cap space.
  • Max McCormick has been recalled by the Ottawa Senators, presumably to help fill in for Bobby Ryan who broke his finger again in Saturday night’s victory over the Maple Leafs. Ryan will be out a month, giving some of the younger players in the Senators system a chance to show what they can do. McCormick, 25, has just 27 games of NHL experience but provides both some scoring touch and a willingness to drop his gloves. The energy forward scored 21 goals last season in the AHL in just 66 games.
  • The St. Louis Blues have recalled Beau Bennett, giving the team a 13th forward on the roster. The team sent Ivan Barbashev and Samuel Blais down yesterday, giving the youngsters more ice time to develop. Bennett is still relatively young at 25, but has plenty of NHL experience already under his belt. A first-round pick of the Penguins in 2010, Bennett put up 19 points for the New Jersey Devils last season but wasn’t issued a qualifying offer this summer. The Blues’ signed him to a one-year, $650K contract but sent him to the AHL to start the year. He’ll provide some depth for the bottom-six, and try to show that he belongs in the NHL full-time.

Minnesota Wild Overwhelmed With Injuries

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UPDATE: The team has confirmed the speculation, but things are in fact worse than anticipated. Coyle suffered a right fibula fracture, for which he underwent surgery today. His time frame is actually six-to-eight weeks, longer than estimated by Russo, and he has been placed on long-term injured reserve. The Wild needed that space, but it’s not quite over yet. Niederreiter too has been placed on IR, as he in fact did suffer a high ankle sprain, which was not expected, and will be out a minimum of three weeks. High ankle sprains can often be month-to-month injuries depending on the severity, so Niederreiter’s status will be worth constant monitoring. With now two roster spots freed up, Minnesota will be able to field a nearly-normal lineup tomorrow and in the near future, but at a steep cost. Finally, Foligno’s facial fracture is confirmed and he will miss a minimum of a week after undergoing facial reconstructive surgery tomorrow. It’s a dark day for Wild fans…

3:00PM: When the Minnesota Wild recalled first-year pro Luke Kunin from their AHL affiliate in Iowa today, it was clear that the injuries suffered in last night’s game versus the Chicago Blackhawks were potentially more serious than originally believed. The Wild were already without Mikael Granlund (ankle) and Zach Parise (back) heading into the contest, but had been making due with their deep veteran lineup. That was before disaster struck on Thursday, as Charlie Coyle, Nino Niederreiter, and Marcus Foligno joined their teammates on the injury report by the end of the night.

Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) was given some early injury updates that range in their severity. It is believed that Niederreiter only sustained a sprained ankle, which Russo specifically differentiated from the feared high ankle sprain, and may even be ready to go for Saturday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Foligno suffered what looked to be a broken cheekbone courtesy of a haymaker from John Hayden after the pair dropped the gloves. A facial injury, while painful, does not limit Foligno’s playing ability, but will almost certainly keep him out of the lineup for a week or so. Coyle is likely the worst case of the three; early indications are that a Jared Spurgeon slap shot may have fractured his fibula or tibia a.k.a a broken leg. If that is the case, Russo states that it is a four-to-six week recovery and Coyle will land on the injured reserve.

As bad as that sounds, an IR-worthy injury may be exactly what the Wild need right now. If all five of Coyle, Niederreiter, Foligno, Parise, and Granlund cannot play tomorrow – a distinct possibility – the Wild will be left with just nine forwards for the game. And that is including Kunin. Defenseman Mike Reilly, who was sent down today for Kunin, is one of only two waiver-exempt players on the team, the other being forward Joel Eriksson Ek, which of course is no help. Even if the Wild could move another defenseman or goalie to the minors for a forward, they wouldn’t; they have only two goalies and six defenseman on the roster too. So, if Coyle could be placed on IR, that would at least open up another roster spot to bring the healthy forward count to ten.

No official word has come in on the statuses of the three players injured last night, with only Niederreiter lookly like a remotely possible player for tomorrow night, while last word on Parise and Granlund were expectations they would return late next week. While awaiting more information, coach Bruce Boudreau and his staff must begin preparing to square off with the Blue Jackets with maybe only nine forwards and, given their luck, maybe even less by the end of the game.

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