ST. PAUL, Minn. \u2014 So injury-riddled throughout last season, the Minnesota Wild\u2019s new campaign is already off to a precarious start.<\/p>\n
Mats Zuccarello was already out until November after surgery on a lower-body injury, and now center Nico Sturm \u2014 the offseason pickup intended to help cure the Wild\u2019s ills in the faceoff circle and on the penalty kill \u2014 is sidelined for what\u2019s expected to be a \u201csignificant amount of time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coach John Hynes didn\u2019t offer a specific timeline Wednesday, but league sources told The Athletic that Sturm is expected to undergo surgery for a back injury that has been ailing him since the first practice of training camp.<\/p>\n
This is a significant hole in the lineup because Hynes planned to deploy Sturm in a variety of ways beyond his fourth-line role.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to divide up the responsibilities,\u201d Hynes said. \u201cSeeing Marco (Rossi) in camp, Marco has taken a step. He\u2019s a top-four penalty killer right now. I think that helps ice time. (Joel Eriksson Ek) is obviously going to be in those situations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got an injury to one of our centermen, but we\u2019ve got three veteran centers. This is a great opportunity for Ryan Hartman to step up and be the guy we need him to be \u2014 to either not put some guys in certain situations but also be a guy we can count on night in and night out, shift in and shift out, regularly to help us win games.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hunter Haight, 21, was recalled in Sturm\u2019s absence and is set to make his NHL debut on the fourth line unless something changes. His parents, Steve and Amy, and girlfriend, Brie, will be in attendance for the game. Liam Ohgren and Vinnie Hinostroza will likely be on his wings, which means Danila Yurov\u2019s NHL debut appears to be on hold.<\/p>\n
Talk about a roller coaster of emotions for Haight, who was the final cut of training camp. Monday, Haight was going to dinner with AHL Iowa teammates when Iowa general manager Matt Hendricks called with the good news.<\/p>\n
Haight was excited and looked comfortable in Wednesday\u2019s practice. He had terrific chemistry last season in Iowa with his now-NHL linemate Ohgren.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I\u2019m ready,\u201d Haight said. \u201cIt\u2019s just \u2026 I\u2019m excited. \u2026 It\u2019s always an opportunity when you\u2019re here. I\u2019ve got to take full advantage of it and try to do what I can to help the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no doubt president of hockey operations and GM Bill Guerin will be paying attention to whether Haight can fill Sturm\u2019s shoes. If not, they\u2019ll need Yurov, who wasn\u2019t nearly as good at center in training camp as he was at wing, to move to the middle, or they\u2019ll need to look to Iowa or make a trade.<\/p>\n
The Wild checked in with free agent Jack Roslovic this week, but even though he remains unsigned to start the season, he thinks he can sign for more money than Minnesota was willing to pay him.<\/p>\n
He would have had a chance to fit into the lineup on any line between 2 and 4 and play center or wing, so we\u2019ll see if that ever changes.<\/p>\n
#mnwild<\/a> lines<\/p>\n Kaprizov-Rossi-Boldy Middleton-Faber \u2014 Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) October 8, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Hynes didn\u2019t commit to the exact lineup in St. Louis, but judging by line rushes, Hynes saying Ohgren would play and Haight\u2019s parents flying to St. Louis, by process of elimination, Yurov\u2019s NHL debut will wait.<\/p>\n Hynes had said Monday that Yurov and Ohgren likely would not play in the same lineup initially.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve talked with Danila,\u201d Hynes said. \u201cHe\u2019s learning every day. He\u2019s getting better. He\u2019s going to be a good player. We believe in him as a player. I think coming in sometimes to \u2018first games,\u2019 we\u2019re going to have to make choices. I think when you have the possibility of some of the younger guys around, there\u2019s other guys (to choose from). Hunter has played in the American League. He\u2019s played in North America. He scored 20 goals last year. Ohgren has been up and down. He\u2019s got some experience.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t mean that Danila is not going to play. We may make the decision to go with guys who have more North American experience, and then we\u2019ll go there. There\u2019s lots of games coming, so we\u2019ll just get the lineup that we feel comfortable with and gives us the best chance to win against St. Louis.\u201d<\/p>\n Brodin closer<\/p>\n Defenseman Jonas Brodin practiced in a regular jersey Wednesday, indicating he could undergo full contact \u2014 the next step in his return to game action. Whether that will be in Thursday\u2019s opener remains to be seen.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t have an answer for you yet,\u201d Hynes said.<\/p>\n John Hynes and Jonas Brodin wrapping up a long conversation. Regular colored sweater for Brodin pic.twitter.com\/VfzzQVoGIf<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) October 8, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Brodin had offseason surgery on an upper-body injury but has been skating with the group since captain\u2019s practices. He\u2019s been working his way up to different levels of physical contact in practices.<\/p>\n When Brodin is back, Hynes indicated \u2014 at least at the start \u2014 he\u2019ll probably keep rookie Zeev Buium with captain Jared Spurgeon. So it would be Brodin with Zach Bogosian or David Jiricek, or perhaps Jake Middleton will go to the third pair and Brodin will play with Brock Faber.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve been a good pair and worked well,\u201d Hynes said of Buium-Spurgeon. \u201cZeev continues to progress and show what he can do. He understands the other parts of the game too.\u201d<\/p>\n Hunt excited to be back<\/p>\n Each time Daemon Hunt, a third-round pick by the Wild in 2020, has walked into the dressing room the past three days, he has smiled simply because he can\u2019t believe he\u2019s back after being blindsided by last November\u2019s trade to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Jiricek deal.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like a full-circle moment,\u201d said Hunt, who was claimed off waivers Friday<\/a>. \u201cBut it\u2019s kind of funny, just like a little six-month vacation in Columbus and Cleveland and then back. I wasn\u2019t sure if anyone was going to claim me. It was my first ever time on waivers. There\u2019s always that chance. Lucky enough, it was Minnesota again.\u201d<\/p>\n Daemon Hunt looking comfortable in #mnwild<\/a> colors pic.twitter.com\/ODcZeZ3GYu<\/a><\/p>\n
Foligno-Eriksson Ek-Tarasenko
Trenin-Hartman-Johansson
Ohgren-Haight-Hinostroza
Yurov<\/p>\n
Buium-Spurgeon
Bogosian-Jiricek
Brodin-Hunt<\/p>\n