The Minnesota Wild’s MVP candidate Kirill Kaprizov is headed for surgery, dealing another blow to the team’s explosive forward.
The star winger will miss at least four weeks with a lower-body injury that’s been nagging him all season. While GM Bill Guerin made it clear this isn’t season-ending, it’s a tough break for both Kaprizov and the Wild.
He’d just made it back into the lineup for three games after sitting out 12 straight. But something still wasn’t right.
The timing might actually work out pretty well for Minnesota, believe it or not.
The NHL is taking a two-week break in February for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament (which is replacing the All-Star game this year). With no Wild games scheduled between Feb. 8 and Feb. 22, Kaprizov won’t miss as much action as he could have.
Still, we’re looking at least 10 games without their superstar, including six before the tournament break kicks in.
When you add up all his missed time this season, Kaprizov will be out for more than a quarter of Minnesota’s games. That’s a huge loss for a team that’s been surprisingly good this year.
Before getting hurt, Kaprizov was playing out of his mind. In just 37 games, he racked up 52 points – 23 goals and 29 assists. That’s good for fifth-best in the NHL, putting him right up there with superstars like Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon.
His 1.41 points per game had him in serious MVP conversations. The Wild have never had a league MVP in their history, and Kaprizov looked like their best shot at changing that.
Missing this many games probably kills his MVP chances. But that’s not what matters most right now.
The Wild are focused on having their star healthy for the playoffs. Getting this surgery now, even if it means missing some regular season action, could be exactly what Kaprizov needs to come back stronger when it matters most.
