Key Wild Forward to Miss Significant Time

The Minnesota Wild will likely be without another key forward on a long-term basis.

Jan 20, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek (14) prepares to take a face off in the third period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Wild have been one of the top teams in the Western Conference all season, but have started to see key injuries pop up. Already without Kirill Kaprizov and Jakub Lauko, the Wild might be without another key forward for quite some time.

Joel Eriksson Ek suffered an injury during a recent Wild practice and was placed on injured reserve. With his move to the IR, Eriksson Ek will have to miss at least a week, which adds up to four games.

According to Michael Russo of the Athletic, things might be a bit worse for Eriksson Ek. Russo said in a tweet that he’s heard Eriksson Ek will be out a lot longer than just a week.

BAD #mnwild NEWS: Center Joel Eriksson Ek was injured in practice yesterday and has been placed on injured reserve. Must miss at least 7 days (next 4 games), but I hear he's going to be out a lot longer. Jakub Lauko will likely be activated off IR and replace him on roster

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) February 25, 2025

Eriksson Ek is currently listed as the Wild’s second-line center with 24 points (9G-15A) in 42 games played. Having already missed some time this season, the Wild might not be able to afford to lose him on another long-term basis.

The Wild hold a 34-19-4 record for 72 standings points and sit third in the Central Division. They had a red-hot start, but a team like the Colorado Avalanche is starting to catch up to the Wild as the playoff race heats up.

Eriksson Ek is coming off of a huge tournament with Team Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Swedes didn’t appear in the championship game, but Eriksson Ek was an impact player for Team Sweden.

It’s not clear what kind of injury Eriksson Ek is dealing with, but he previously missed time after suffering a lower-body injury.

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