The Minnesota Wild announced Friday that forward Joel Eriksson Ek is week-to-week due to a lower-body injury.
Eriksson Ek exited Thursday's contest against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second period after blocking a shot.
The 26-year-old has tallied a career-high 61 points in 78 games this season. He's averaged 19:00 of ice time per contest as Minnesota's most used center. His 49.4% faceoff percentage is tops among Wild players with more than 100 draws.
However, the impact of Eriksson Ek's loss may be lessened with the return of star forward Kirill Kaprizov.
Minnesota announced its leading scorer will feature in the lineup Saturday against the St. Louis Blues. Kaprizov has missed 13 games with a lower-body injury sustained against the Winnipeg Jets. The 25-year-old has 39 goals and 74 points in 65 contests.
The Wild also announced forward Oskar Sundqvist is day-to-day with a lower-body ailment. The trade-deadline acquisition has three goals and seven points in 15 games with the team.
Minnesota sits third in the Central but is just two points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the division lead.
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