Spurgeon scored two goals in a 7-2 preseason victory over Chicago on Tuesday.
Spurgeon and the Wild were up against Blackhawks goaltender Drew Commesso, who has no NHL experience, so take this exhibition showing from the 34-year-old defenseman with a grain of salt. Still, it seems to demonstrate that he's recovered from his hip and back surgeries, which he underwent in February and March, respectively. Spurgeon was limited to 16 regular-season appearances in 2023-24, recording no goals, five assists, 14 hits and 29 blocks.
... See More... See Less
Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Ready to rock
Rotowire
Spurgeon (hip) is not playing Saturday in the preseason opener versus the Jets, but he is skating with the non-game group.
Spurgeon underwent hip surgery in February and back surgery in March. Despite the significant procedures, he is active for training camp as initially expected. The 34-year-old is set to play in a top-four role in 2024-25, but he has missed significant time in three of the last five seasons, so fantasy managers will have to acknowledge some risk if they're interested in the defenseman.
... See More... See Less
Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Progressing well
Rotowire
Spurgeon (hip) said Friday that he is feeling very good and is confident he will be ready to play next season, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic.
Spurgeon missed the last 46 games of the season. He managed to dress in only 16 games in 2023-24, picking up five assists, with three coming on the power play. Look for Spurgeon to return to the 35-40 point range if he can remain healthy next season.
... See More... See Less
Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Will miss rest of season
Rotowire
Spurgeon is scheduled to undergo left hip surgery Feb. 6 followed by back surgery roughly four weeks later. He will miss the rest of 2023-24 but is expected to be ready for training camp.
Spurgeon, who last played Jan. 2, had five assists, 12 hits and 29 blocks in 16 games this campaign. The 34-year-old is still signed with the Wild at a $7.575 million cap hit through 2026-27. If he can stay healthy next season, there's a decent chance he'll rebound by recording 30-40 points while serving in a top-four capacity.
... See More... See Less
Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Moves to LTIR
Rotowire
Spurgeon (lower body) was moved to long-term injured reserve Monday, per PuckPedia.
In a corresponding move, Jonas Brodin (upper body) has been activated from LTIR. Spurgeon, who hasn't played since Jan. 2 against Calgary, won't be eligible to return until at least Jan. 27. He has picked up five assists, 21 shots on goal, 29 blocked shots and 12 hits over 16 appearances this season.
... See More... See Less
Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Aggravates lower-body injury
Rotowire
Spurgeon aggravated his lower-body injury during Tuesday's loss to Calgary, according to Joe Smith of The Athletic.
Spurgeon missed seven games with the original injury in December and returned to play in three games before he suffered the injury once again. Spurgeon was placed on injured reserve Wednesday and will miss at least a week of action. Spurgeon has five assists in 16 games this season.
... See More... See Less
Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Lands on injured reserve
Rotowire
Spurgeon (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday.
It's unclear if Spurgeon's trip to IR is related to his previous lower-body injury that cost him seven contests in December. The 34-year-old blueliner will be out until at least Jan. 10, though the Wild have not provided a timeline for his return. Daemon Hunt was recalled from AHL Iowa to take Spurgeon's place on the roster.
... See More... See Less
Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Good to go
Rotowire
Spurgeon (lower body) will return to the lineup Saturday against Winnipeg.
Spurgeon is projected to play on the second pairing and first power-play unit following a seven-game absence. He has accounted for four assists, 17 shots on goal, seven hits and 24 blocked shots in 13 appearances this campaign.
... See More... See Less
Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Still sidelined Wednesday
Rotowire
Spurgeon (lower body) will not be in the lineup for Wednesday's clash with Detroit, Kevin Falness of KFAN FM100.3 reports.
Spurgeon has already been out of action since Dec. 10 versus Seattle, a stretch of six games on the shelf due to his lower-body injury. Still, the veteran blueliner has been skating with the team and could be close to returning to the ice. In the meantime, Dakota Mermis should continue to see steady usage.
... See More... See Less
Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Won't play Saturday
Rotowire
Spurgeon (lower body) won't play Saturday against Boston, per Jessi Pierce of NHL.com.
Spurgeon will miss a sixth straight game, though he's trending toward a return following the holiday break. The 34-year-old blueliner has four assists through 13 games this season. Dakota Mermis will slot into the lineup Saturday against the Bruins.
... See More... See Less
Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Ruled out against Canadiens
Rotowire
Spurgeon (lower body) will be sidelined versus Montreal on Thursday but hasn't been ruled out for Saturday's clash with Boston, Jessi Pierce of NHL.com reports.
Spurgeon will be out of action for his fifth straight contest due to his lower-body issue but at least seems to be trending in the right direction. The blueliner has yet to score a goal in 13 games this season while managing just 17 shots. Despite the lack of shots, Spurgeon has continued to feature with the man advantage, earning three of his four assists on the power play.
... See More... See Less
Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Doesn't make road trip
Rotowire
Spurgeon (lower body) didn't accompany the Wild on the team's two-game road trip, per Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
As a result, Spurgeon won't play Monday against Pittsburgh and likely won't be available for Tuesday's matchup with Boston either. He has supplied four assists, 17 shots on goal and 24 blocked shots over 13 appearances this season. Daemon Hunt has been playing during Spurgeon's absence.
... See More... See Less
Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Out against Canucks
Rotowire
Spurgeon (lower body) won't play Saturday against Vancouver, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.
Spurgeon will miss a second straight game with a lower-body issue. The veteran blueliner has four assists and a plus-six rating through 13 contests this season. Daemon Hunt will likely remain in the lineup in Spurgeon's absence.
... See More... See Less
Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Game-time call Saturday
Rotowire
Spurgeon (lower body) will be a game-time decision for Saturday's matchup with Vancouver, Joe Smith of The Athletic reports.
Spurgeon's status versus Vancouver probably won't be confirmed until pregame warmups. The veteran defender has picked up four helpers through 13 contests this year.
... See More... See Less
Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Dealing with lower-body issue
Rotowire
Spurgeon is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury and won't play Thursday versus Calgary, Jessi Pierce of NHL.com reports.
With Spurgeon on the shelf, Dakota Mermis will draw into the lineup against the Flames. Check back for another update on Spurgeon, who's been limited to four assists through 13 contests this season, once he's cleared to rejoin the lineup.
... See More... See Less
Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Grabs power-play helper
Rotowire
Spurgeon notched a power-play assist, seven blocked shots and a plus-3 rating in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Flames.
Spurgeon is back on track after initially struggling following his return from an upper-body injury that cost him the first month of the campaign. He's picked up an assist in each of the last four games, and three of those helpers have come on the power play, where he's seeing time on the first unit. Spurgeon has added a plus-4 rating, 13 shots on net, 18 blocked shots and six hits through 10 appearances.
... See More... See Less
Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Nearly plays hero in return
Rotowire
Spurgeon didn't record a point but collected three blocked shots, two hits and a minus-1 rating in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Sabres.
Activated off IR earlier in the day, Spurgeon saw 21:52 in ice time -- second among Minnesota blueliners to Jonas Brodin -- and very nearly sent the game to overtime, but his shot with 10 seconds left in regulation rang off the post behind Devon Levi. Spurgeon also skated on the second power-play unit in his season debut, and with Calen Addison now a Shark, there could be a spot for the 33-year-old on the top unit before long.
... See More... See Less
Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Activated off injured reserve
Rotowire
Spurgeon (upper body) has been taken off injured reserve ahead of Friday's matchup with Buffalo.
Previous reports indicated Spurgeon wouldn't be ready to play Friday but it seems that the veteran defender is good to go. Given his lengthy absence, the Edmonton native could be eased back into action with limited minutes. In a corresponding move, Daemon Hunt was shipped down to the minors.
... See More... See Less
Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Set to miss two more
Rotowire
Spurgeon (upper body) is expected to be unavailable for at least the Wild's next two games, Jessi Pierce of NHL.com reports Wednesday.
Spurgeon will have missed 14 games when Minnesota faces Dallas on Sunday. The continued absence of the veteran no doubt factored into the club's decision to bring in Zach Bogosian while trading away Calen Addison on Wednesday. Whenever Spurgeon is given the all-clear, he could find himself slotting into the No. 1 power-play unit which would bolster his offensive upside.
... See More... See Less
Wild's Jared Spurgeon: Nearing return
Rotowire
Spurgeon (upper body) is nearing a return to action after taking part in an optional morning skate Tuesday, but he won't play in the evening's matchup with the Islanders, Joe Smith of The Athletic reports.
Spurgeon has yet to play this year due to an upper-body injury, but it appears he could be ready to make his season debut in the near future. The 33-year-old defender picked up 11 goals and 34 points, four of which came on the power play, through 79 games last campaign.
