In a day of zero positive news, Marcus Johansson and Jonas Brodin also won't travel with the team on the road.

Shifts to IR

Wild GM Bill Guerin said Tuesday Kirill Kaprizov needs surgery on a lower body injury and is out at least four weeks.

When: Wednesday, 7 p.m., Scotiabank Arena TV: Sportsnet Radio: The Fan 590 Odds: Wild +119, Maple Leafs -147 The buzz After winning four in a row from Dec. 31 to Jan. 7, the Wild has lost six of its past nine games,

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

The Minnesota Wild have managed to hold together a highly competitive team all season despite a series of injuries that have sidelined several of their most important players. Their lineup got a big boost Thursday when star Kirill Kaprizov and captain Jared Spurgeon were activated from injured reserve.

The Minnesota Wild host the Utah Hockey Club Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center, and could be getting two of their best players back from injury. Forward Kirill Kaprizov and defenseman Jared Spurgeon were on the ice with the team at practice on Wednesday at TRIA Rink.

Superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov and veteran defenseman Jared Spurgeon returned to practice on Wednesday. Head coach John Hynes told reporters he's "cautiously optimistic" that both will play in their upcoming game against the Utah Hockey Club at Xcel Energy Center.

Without Spurgeon in the lineup the Wild went 5-4-0. They played a few games without Spurgeon, Kirill Kaprizov, Brock Faber, Jonas Brodin, and Jakub Lauko. It is safe to say the Wild are excited ...

Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov and captain Jared Spurgeon ... Minnesota was still missing defenseman Jonas Brodin (lower body) for the seventh straight game and left wing Marcus Johansson ...

What if I told you that the Minnesota Wild were ranked in the top 10 in the NHL in goals per game through the first quarter of the season? However, they have been slipping down the rankings since then.