{"id":409353,"date":"2026-01-15T19:29:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T19:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/409353\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T19:29:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T19:29:09","slug":"wilds-jonas-brodin-week-to-week-with-lower-body-injury-potentially-endangering-olympics-availability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/409353\/","title":{"rendered":"Wild\u2019s Jonas Brodin week to week with lower-body injury, potentially endangering Olympics availability"},"content":{"rendered":"

ST. PAUL, Minn. \u2014 Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin is week to week with a nagging lower-body injury, coach John Hynes confirmed Thursday. The big question now is whether his availability for the Olympics is in jeopardy.<\/p>\n

Hynes wouldn\u2019t go so far as to predict that.<\/p>\n

Brodin, the team\u2019s shutdown left-shot blueliner, has been dealing with this injury for a while, but it\u2019s just now getting to the point that he\u2019s being shut down, with the team seeking further information. He missed four games in mid-December with an injury that Hynes indicated is related and something the team has been monitoring closely.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt didn\u2019t happen in one game,\u201d Hynes said. \u201cIt\u2019s something that I think has been building up a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the meantime, the Wild flipped Matt Kiersted for right-shot David Spacek from AHL Iowa ahead of Thursday\u2019s game against the Winnipeg Jets at Grand Casino Arena. Spacek, the son of longtime NHLer Jaroslav Spacek, will make his long-anticipated NHL debut on a third pair with Daemon Hunt \u2014 less than a month before he\u2019s set to represent Czechia in the Olympics.<\/p>\n

With Brodin out, Minnesota will elevate left-shot Jake Middleton to the second pair with Jared Spurgeon against the Jets. Zach Bogosian (lower body) will miss his fifth consecutive game with a foot injury and didn\u2019t skate Thursday after skating earlier this week. But Hynes indicated that Bogosian and injured center Joel Eriksson Ek will be on the upcoming trip to Buffalo, Toronto and Montreal.<\/p>\n

Spacek, 22, had a terrific career with Sherbrooke of the QMJHL, being named the league\u2019s defensive rookie of the year in 2021-22. The Wild drafted him in the fifth round in 2022. He\u2019s in his third season with Iowa and has scored 10 goals and 62 points in 168 games there. He won a gold medal with Czechia at the 2024 World Championship and was outstanding in two World Juniors appearances, winning silver in 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s played some solid hockey,\u201d Hynes said. \u201cHe\u2019s a good puck-moving defenseman. \u2026 He\u2019s played an efficient game.\u201d<\/p>\n

#mnwild<\/a> lines<\/p>\n

Kaprizov-Yurov-Zuccarello
Johansson-Hartman-Boldy
Foligno-Sturm-Tarasenko
Trenin-Jones-Pitlick<\/p>\n

Hughes-Faber
Middleton-Spurgeon
Hunt-Spacek<\/p>\n

Spacek\u2019s NHL debut appears tonight, Hinostroza scratched (long chat with Hynes before skate on ice)<\/p>\n

\u2014 Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) January 15, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Brodin, who has played in 42 of the Wild\u2019s 47 games this season, has been injured often throughout his career because of the tough minutes he plays. He dealt with injuries throughout last season, including a shoulder injury. He was then cleared to play in the World Championship, though the organization tried to talk him out of going. He played, aggravated the injury and ultimately underwent surgery in Colorado in June.<\/p>\n

He missed most of camp as part of his recovery and the first game of the season.<\/p>\n

The latest injury could lead the Wild to try to convince Brodin not to play in the Olympics, where he\u2019s set to join teammates Eriksson Ek, Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt on Team Sweden.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll cross that bridge when we come to it,\u201d Hynes said. \u201cThat\u2019d be between Billy (Guerin) and Jonas. Right now, we\u2019ll just see where he\u2019s at and exactly what it is. There needs to be more things looked at in order for us to get to that point. Maybe he\u2019s ready before the Olympics; maybe he\u2019s not. We don\u2019t know at this point out in time. But let\u2019s let it play out a little bit and see truly what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

If Brodin can\u2019t go, several other Swedish defensemen who were initially snubbed could replace him, including the Edmonton Oilers\u2019 Mattias Ekholm, who played for the team at the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Boston Bruins\u2019 Hampus Lindholm and the Detroit Red Wings\u2019 Simon Edvinsson.<\/p>\n