DENVER — The Minnesota Wild will be without Joel Eriksson Ek, their best two-way center, for the start of their second-round series against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday night, coach John Hynes confirmed Sunday.

Eriksson Ek did not accompany the team to Colorado and won’t play Games 1 and 2 because of a lower-body injury. Hynes called him “hopeful” for Game 3. He said the team was deciding between Danila Yurov and Hunter Haight to replace him in the lineup.

Defenseman Jonas Brodin (lower body) also remained in Minnesota. Jeff Petry came into the lineup for Brodin in Game 6 of the first-round series against the Dallas Stars, but Daemon Hunt said he is in for Game 1 against the Avalanche.

Wild president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin said the team is hoping the three off days between Games 2 and 3 help Eriksson Ek and Brodin return without missing too much action.

“They’re important players in our lineup, but you just can’t cry over it,” Guerin told The Athletic. “You just have to be prepared, be ready. Be ready with the guys that are able to play, and when those guys come back, they come back. But this is life, this is hockey. Injuries happen, and that’s why you have depth.”

It wouldn’t be a postseason without an Eriksson Ek injury concern. Last season, he missed a couple of months with a broken leg before returning just ahead of the playoffs. In 2023, he played one shift against the Stars after breaking a bone in his lower leg late in the regular season. In 2022, he was lost for a large chunk of the decisive loss to the St. Louis Blues when he was clipped by a high stick. In 2021, he played with a significant knee injury against the Vegas Golden Knights.

This time, in Game 6 against Dallas, he lost his edge on his own and crashed hard into the side wall right leg first early in the third period. He left the bench for several minutes before returning to finish the game.

Brodin was hurt in Game 5, blocking a shot from Mikko Rantanen.

In 2021, the Wild also lost the oft-injured Brodin early in Game 7 at Vegas with a shoulder injury.

Eriksson Ek had three goals and two assists in six games in this year’s first-round series against Dallas. The Wild outscored the Stars 4-0 during Eriksson Ek’s shifts at five-on-five. Brodin played 87 minutes of five-on-five in the first round and was on the ice for two goals against, according to Natural Stat Trick.