The Minnesota Wild have faced quite a bit of adversity this season and found a way to overcome, and they’ll have to do so again as they’ve been hit hard in the injury department. Thursday afternoon, Jan. 16, right around the time the team left for Buffalo, it was announced that Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy were placed on injured reserve.
They were already without Zach Bogosian and Jonas Brodin on defense; now they’ve lost two of their keys on the offense as well. They’re already in a bit of a slump, and they’ll have to find a way through this if they want to get back in the win column. In this article, we’ll look at what it means to lose Boldy plus Eriksson Ek, and what they have to do to win.
Wild’s Boldy & Eriksson Ek Critical to Offense
While Kirill Kaprizov has been one of the Wild’s leading scorers all season, Matt Boldy has been right alongside him. He’s found a way to find another level to his game, and he’s easily one of the best players on the team. When this injury hit, he was one point behind Kaprizov but two goals ahead.
He’s found his scoring stride and his moves along with it. The Wild have started to lean on him when it comes to scoring, and he’s had the puck on his stick a lot this season. While his offense has been the main priority, he’s also been strong defensively with 32 hits and 32 blocked shots. Speaking of defense, that’s where his teammate, Eriksson Ek’s, injury comes in.
Everyone who knows Eriksson Ek knows he’s one of the best two-way centers in the league. This season, his defense has shone a bit brighter than his offense because he’s had some trouble scoring goals. He does have 32 points this season with 11 goals and 21 assists, so not horrible numbers, but could be better.
Defensively, he’s produced 68 hits and 19 blocked shots, also not terrible numbers, but the blocks could be a bit better. Regardless of his numbers, he’s provided a lot of defense behind the scenes and unnoticed. It’ll be interesting to see who steps up and fills the hole he leaves in terms of defense.
Wild’s Boldy & Eriksson Ek Lead by Example
Neither one of them currently wears an “A” or “C” on their jersey, but they both lead by example with their play. When one of the other current captains of the team is unable to be on the ice, Eriksson Ek is usually the first to wear the “A”. His play both offensively and defensively is a great example for the rest of the team to follow. Not everyone can play that style, but the more that can, the better for the team overall.
Eriksson Ek’s efforts in front of the net are what the Wild could use more of as well. They’ve been able to tip quite a few goals in this season, and that’s his specialty. The Wild are going to miss that part of his play if no one else steps up and fills the void. Normally, it wouldn’t be too much of a worry because they would have Boldy, but now that he’s out, it’s going to be difficult.
Boldy’s leading by example has been his willingness to take charge of the play rather than passing the puck right away. Before, he wouldn’t always be the most assertive, but this season he’s been jumping into the play and making things happen. His absence will be quite hard to fill, especially with his goal scoring this season.
Wild Need More From Others
Every time an injury happens to the lineup, it’s expected that the rest of the team will find ways to step up and fill that void until the injured can return. The Wild have done that time and time again as they’ve hit the injury bug quite often. They’ve managed to be healthy for about a week or two this season before losing someone again.
With Boldy and Eriksson Ek out, they have to get more from Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Johansson, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Ryan Hartman. All of these players have contributed to the lineup, but with this much offense missing, they’re going to need these players to find a way to do even more. It also wouldn’t hurt if Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber got in on the scoring a bit more as well.
Related: Minnesota Wild Candidates for the 2026 Winter Olympics
It’ll be interesting to see how the Wild adjust the lines with these guys out, but they do have others they can rely on. They’ve struggled to score goals as of late, and if they want to win, someone has to step up, or even better, multiple players.
The Wild have had a tough stretch lately, and it’s not going to get any easier as they play some tough teams like the Buffalo Sabres, Montréal Canadiens, and the Detroit Red Wings over the next week. Hopefully, some players will step up until they get their injured back and they can get some big wins.
