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Minnesota Wild

Brock Faber was back in the lineup for the Wild against the Nashville Predators on Saturday, registering two shots in 25:10 of ice time.

The defenseman had missed four matches due to an upper-body injury suffered during a 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Blues on January 7. So far, Faber has tallied 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 42 games, boasting a team-leading average of 24:58 of ice time per contest.

“I’m thrilled. I feel great,” Faber expressed. “It certainly [is disappointing] to be injured. It’s the first time in quite a while that I’ve had to sit out games. It can drive you bonkers, that’s for certain. But I feel well. I’m eager to return with the guys. It’s genuinely thrilling.”

Jakub Lauko also played for 9:18 on Saturday. The forward had been sidelined since December 14 after re-aggravating a lower-body injury. He currently has four points (two goals, two assists) in 25 appearances this season.

“I may have overestimated my condition a bit, and I didn’t fully understand the injury,” Lauko remarked. “So, it happened yet again, and I encountered a slightly different issue as well. It has been a prolonged time. I was getting a bit tired of only lifting, lifting, and everything from a distance. So, I’m pleased to be involved with the team, to embark on a trip again and hopefully play some games.”

The Wild summoned goalie Dylan Ferguson from Iowa of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis Saturday, as Filip Gustavsson was unavailable due to illness.

Kirill Kaprizov has been assigned to retroactive long-term injured reserve and is not accompanying the Wild on a two-game road trip, which includes a match against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday. The forward, who has been absent for 10 games because of a lower-body injury, practiced with the team on Friday and is eligible for return once he is fit.

Kaprizov leads Minnesota in goals (23), assists (27), and points (50) over 34 games this season.

“It hasn’t been a setback; it’s simply taken a bit longer in the recovery process of pushing it and noting how it responds to that, and then pushing it more and seeing how that reacts,” Wild coach John Hynes commented.

Jared Spurgeon also participated in practice and is continuing to improve from a lower-body injury. Spurgeon last played on December 31 and was placed on injured reserve on January 6. The defenseman and Wild captain has accumulated 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 32 games while averaging 20:43 of ice time.

Defenseman Jonas Brodin, who suffered a lower-body injury on December 7, has not yet returned to skating and was placed on injured reserve on Saturday. He is currently working out off the ice. — Jessi Pierce