ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — All-Star left wing Kirill Kaprizov is expected to miss the next three to four weeks with a lower-body injury, the Minnesota Wild announced on Thursday.
Kaprizov was hurt in the game on Wednesday at Winnipeg, when 6-foot-7 Jets defenseman Logan Stanley collided with him as he protected the puck and Stanley delivered a check. Stanley’s momentum carried all of his weight on top of the back of Kaprizov, who then fell to the ice as his left knee bent awkwardly and his legs spread apart in a scissors-kick motion.
In his third year with the Wild, Kaprizov has played in 214 of a possible 216 games including the playoffs, but this injury will likely cost him most of the remainder of the regular season.
The Wild have 17 games left. Their win at Winnipeg moved them into a first-place tie with Dallas for the Central Division lead, with the Stars having played one fewer game.
Kaprizov leads the Wild with 39 goals, which was tied for sixth in the league as of Thursday. The Wild are just 26th in the NHL with an average of 2.75 goals per game, and with a team-leading 74 points Kaprizov has had a hand in more than 41% of their goals.
The Wild, who are 9-0-2 in their last 11 games, recalled forward Sammy Walker from their AHL affiliate in Iowa. They play next at San Jose on Saturday night. ___
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