Minnesota Wild F Kirill Kaprizov returning Friday against Ducks
Kirill Kaprizov talked Wednesday about signing a 5-year deal to stay with the Minnesota Wild.
MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Wild and Dean Evason got some very good news as the team gathered for practice at TRIA Rink Wednesday morning.
Kirill Kaprizov was on the ice with his teammates, just a few days after suffering what looked like a nasty injury after being hit into the boards in a win over the Boston Bruins. Kaprizov scored a goal in that game, but left in the second period with an upper body injury and didn’t return. He left the ice, went straight to the locker room and was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game.
Wild coach Dean Evason said Wednesday he saw what he needed to see, and barring something unforeseen, Kaprizov will play Friday night as the Wild host the Anaheim Ducks at Xcel Energy Center.
:He looked good, maybe a little winded. But he looked real good. We’ve seen enough," Evason said Wednesday. He’s in great shape, these guys, they’re all athletes today and the players, they’re in such terrific shape they can recover quickly from those types of things. Certainly he’s in that category."
The Wild snapped a five-game losing streak with the win over the Bruins. Then without Kaprizov last Saturday, the Wild beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 in a shootout.
The Wild had games Monday at Winnipeg and Wednesday at Edmonton postponed due to COVID-19 protocols. Kaprizov leads the Wild with 40 points, 14 goals and a team-high 26 assists, in 32 games. The Wild signed Kaprizov to a five-year, $45 million deal before the 2021-22 season, making him the highest-paid player in franchise history.
The Wild is currently sixth in the Western Conference at 44 points, three points behind third place Colorado.