Wild vs. Kraken: COVID-19 leads to new lineup against a new opponent

Mats Zuccarello and fellow Minnesota Wild forward Rem Pitlick have been placed in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol ahead of matchup with Seattle. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Mats Zuccarello and fellow Minnesota Wild forward Rem Pitlick have been placed in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol ahead of matchup with Seattle. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Minnesota Wild will be without two of their forwards as the team heads into Seattle for an inaugural matchup with the expansion Kraken on Thursday.

Mats Zuccarello, who is the Wild’s leading scorer through six games, and Rem Pitlick are both in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocal, according to a team media release.

Connor Dewar, Kyle Rau and Jon Lizotte have all been recalled from the Iowa Wild in a corresponding move.

Pitlick is coming off his debut with the Wild on Tuesday night in Vancouver. He assisted on Matt Dumba’s third-period goal that turned out to be the game-winner as Minnesota remained undefeated on the road.

The players being placed on protocol comes after three Wild assistant coaches and general manager Bill Guerin testing positive for COVID-19

The matchup at Climate Pledge Arena is the middle of the Wild’s three-game road trip that concludes on Saturday in Colorado.

https://twitter.com/mnwildScribe/status/1453506762619822086

Lineup

With the two forwards not available, the Wild will take these line combinations into the matchup with the Kraken.

Familiar faces

Seattle defenseman Carson Soucy, a fifth-round selection by the Wild in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, was chosen by the Kraken during the Expansion Draft this past summer. Soucy, who had 31 points in three seasons with Minnesota, is one of three Kraken players who spent time with the Wild.

Left wing Marcus Johannson had six goals and 14 points with the Wild last season, and center Ryan Donato had 18 goals and 39 points over two years with Minnesota.

Power rankings

–The Wild remained seventh in the NHL.com  ‘Super 16’ list for the second straight week.

–Minnesota is 11th in ESPN’s ‘NHL Power Rankings’ poll. It is a move up from four spots in the previous rankings.

ESPN said of the Minnesota:

"The Wild have been living close to the edge. They started 4-0-0, but in each game had to regain a blown lead. That kind of luck is bound to run out eventually, and it did for Minnesota against Nashville. What’s remained consistent is that the Wild’s best unit is proving to be a scrappy fourth line anchored by Nick Bjugstad."

Live streaming: fuboTV

fuboTV has live NHL games on ESPN in which you can stream from your phone, television, and all your favorite devices. This is a service that broadcasts live TV over the internet, no cable required. Watch your favorite teams, network shows, news, and movies on 100+ channels. Plus on-demand entertainment including full TV series. fuboTV is currently available in the United States, Canada, and Spain.

Betting odds

The Wild vs. Kraken odds on WynnBET has the Wild as a 1.5 favorite on the road. Seattle has -112 moneyline odds while Minnesota is the underdog at +102. The total goals is set at an over/under of six

Upcoming Wild schedule

Saturday, Oct 30: @Colorado, 8 p.m. CST

Tuesday, Nov 2: Ottawa, 7 p.m. CST

Saturday, Nov. 6: @Pittsburgh, 6  p.m. CST