The Minnesota Wild have yet another defenseman unavailable on Thursday night, adding to an ever growing list of injury problems.

Kaprizov has missed the past 10 games with a lower-body injury that has required lots of treatments and pushed-back timetables.

Minnesota held a practice back home in St. Paul on Tuesday. Faber and Kaprizov did not practice with the team but they did skate on their own. Spurgeon and Lauko also skated on their own. Brodin has yet to skate. The Wild host the Edmonton Oilers tomorrow. It doesn't sound like either of the five injured Wild players will play.

The Minnesota Wild have added defensemen Jonas Brodin and Brock Faber to their list of key ... The Wild also have been without star left wing Kirill Kaprizov (lower body), who missed his seventh straight game on Thursday. Kaprizov, who is tied for fourth ...

Case in point: Sunday’s goal in Vegas. He was on a two-on-one with Freddy Gaudreau. Hartman appeared to look over to Gaudreau as if to pass, but then he fired a great wrist shot and beat goalie Adin Hill glove-side.

While Kaprizov could be back this week, Wild coach John Hynes did not "want to put a timeline" on his potential return, according to Smith, but added the fact Kaprizov is skating every day and continuing to do more and more each day is "a good sign." There are signs Minnesota could be gearing up to have some players return soon.

Dylan Loucks is the Site Admin and Reporter for the Minnesota Wild team site with The Hockey News. A resident of St. Paul, MN, Loucks has spent the last four years covering hockey and in his spare time likes to work on his expected goals model and other models he is creating.

The Wild will be without Jonas Brodin for the next two games. The Minnesota Wild (26-12-4) are on the road for a back-to-back before they return home. They face the San Jose Sharks (13-25-6) on Saturday and the Vegas Golden Knights (28-10-3) on Sunday.

Dylan Loucks is the Site Admin and Reporter for the Minnesota Wild team site with The Hockey News. A resident of St. Paul, MN, Loucks has spent the last four years covering hockey and in his spare time likes to work on his expected goals model and other models he is creating.

I think the guys have really bought in and understand that we have to play a really strong team game,” said coach John Hynes. “When you have players out, then it’s incumbent on the guys that are

Kirill Kaprizov last played on Dec. 23, scoring his team-leading 23rd goal of the season in a win over the Chicago Blackhawks. He did not make the team’s post-Christmas trip to Dallas.

MacKinnon is the most likely Avalanche player to take advantage of a Wild defense that is bleeding shots. Not only is he the best shot-generator on the team, but the Wild have allowed the second-most shots to centers in the NHL over the past few weeks.