The Minnesota Wild got off to a tough start against the Colorado Avalanche and the 2-0 series deficit has everyone holding their breath. The availability of Jonas Brodin and Joel Eriksson Ek is just one of the worries heading into Game 3 after the two Swedes missed the opening games of the Western Conference Semifinals with lower body injuries.
Wild fans may hope to see either player come out of the tunnel in true WWE fashion on Saturday night. But looking at their previous playoff opponent, the Dallas Stars, getting either player back might be a pipe dream as eight different players had significant injuries in the aftermath of the first-round series according to DFW The Ticket’s Michael Dixon.
With everything from torn MCLs to a facial laceration, it’s a reminder of how brutal the Stanley Cup Playoffs can be and it’s perhaps a sign that either Eriksson Ek or Brodin are dealing with something more serious than it appears.
Stars injury reveal could be foreshadowing for Wild playoff hopes
Wild fans may look at how Brodin and Eriksson Ek got injured and wonder what’s taking so long for them to return. Brodin was injured in a Game 5 victory in Dallas when he blocked a shot in the second period and hasn’t taken the ice since leaving that game.Â
Eriksson Ek went down in the series-clinching Game 6 victory in St. Paul after jamming his ankle against the boards and while he was able to finish the game, he also hasn’t returned to game action in the second round.
The news got worse on Thursday when head coach John Hynes revealed that neither Eriksson Ek or Brodin have skated their injuries per The Athletic’s Joe Smith. But the laundry list of injuries the Stars are recovering from may hint at what’s to come.
Per Dixon, Roope Hintz missed the entire series against the Wild due to a torn hamstring. Miko Rantanen, who had just one goal but seven points in the six-game series, also was playing through a torn MCL suffered during the Olympics in February.Â
Other injuries included Thomas Harley playing through a broken foot he suffered in November, Nathan Bastian’s broken finger, Radek Faska’s foot laceration, a torn oblique for Miro Heiskanen, and a Grade 5 high-ankle sprain for Arttu Hyry.
Even Nils Lundkvist who had a scary moment taking a skate to the face in Game 4 was revealed to have a concussion, showing the scars of not only a deep run into the playoffs but an 82-game regular season.
Wild fans have been down this road before. General manager Bill Guerin revealed that Brock Faber played through broken ribs over the final two months of the 2023-24 season and Eriksson Ek tried to play with a broken leg during Minnesota’s first-round playoff series against the Stars in 2023.
While Hynes said he wouldn’t rule out Eriksson Ek if he didn’t skate before Saturday’s game, it’s clear he’s dealing with something serious as many players this time of the year.
Alas, if the Wild want the cup, they’ll have to earn it by coming back from a 2-0 hole and could have a long list of injuries regardless if they’re able to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
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