The Minnesota Wild took a big hit Tuesday, learning veteran forward Mats Zuccarello will be sidelined for at least seven to eight weeks with a lower-body injury.
It’s a tough break for the Wild, who’ll now be without their crafty playmaker for about a quarter of the season. The earliest we might see Zuccarello back on the ice is November 18, but realistically, it could be closer to Thanksgiving or even later.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Minnesota, who just locked up another top-six forward earlier in the day.
At 38, Zuccarello’s been defying Father Time. The 5-foot-8 Norwegian has been one of the Wild’s most reliable scorers, putting up 54 points (19 goals, 39 assists) in 69 games last season.
That kind of production isn’t easy to replace.
He’s been especially impressive since joining Minnesota as a free agent in 2019, averaging what would be 70 points over a full 82-game season. Sure, he’s had some injury troubles – missing chunks of the last two seasons – but when he’s on the ice, he’s still got it.
Zuccarello averaged more than 19:30 of ice time per game last year, often playing alongside superstar Kirill Kaprizov. Though by playoff time, he’d moved to a middle-six role after Matt Boldy took his spot on the top line.
So who steps up now?
Vladimir Tarasenko might get his chance. The veteran winger, picked up from Detroit this summer, could slide into a second-line role alongside Joel Eriksson Ek. It’s been a rough stretch for the former All-Star, who’s now on his sixth team in four years after posting just 11 goals and 33 points last season.
There’s also an opportunity for some young blood. Recent first-round picks Liam Ohgren and Danila Yurov could get their shot at regular NHL minutes.
Meanwhile, the Wild also announced they’ve released Brett Leason from his professional tryout. The 220-game veteran had 17 points in 62 games with Anaheim last season.
