Minnesota Wild Assistant Captain Placed on Injured Reserve

The red-hot Minnesota Wild, now sitting at 17-4-4 and leading the NHL in points, are gearing up for a matchup tonight against the 10-11-3 Anaheim Ducks in Anaheim. However, they’ll have to take the ice without one of their top players.

Center and assistant captain Joel Eriksson Ek has battled injuries throughout his career, and unfortunately, he’s sidelined again. This time, it’s a lower-body injury that’s expected to keep him out for a few weeks.

Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek placed on IR

In Tuesday’s win over the Vancouver Canucks, Joel Eriksson Ek suffered a lower-body injury after colliding with another player. Initially labeled as week-to-week, his status hasn’t changed, but the team officially placed him on injured reserve today.

The #mnwild has placed forward Joel Eriksson Ek on Injured Reserve.

— Minnesota Wild PR (@mnwildPR) December 6, 2024

All this really means is that he’s out for at least seven days, which lines up with the original week-to-week plan. Putting Ek on injured reserve also frees up a roster spot, giving someone else a chance to step in.

Ek has been a key player for the Wild this season, helping them rack up 17 wins already. With 5 goals and 8 assists, he’s sitting at 13 points through 22 games. His +10 goal differential ranks 4th on the Minnesota Wild, behind only Kirill Kaprizov (+19), Jake Middleton (+18) and Brock Faber (+12).

Related: Minnesota Wild Trade 1st Round Pick for Top NHL-Ready Defenseman

The Minnesota Wild have managed to navigate injuries to key players like Mats Zuccarello and Jonas Brodin without much trouble, but losing a crucial “glue guy” like Joel Eriksson Ek is a different story. His absence is likely to have a bigger impact on the team. Hopefully, he’ll be back sooner rather than later.