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.
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Wild's Matt Boldy: Reaches 40 helpers
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Boldy collected two assists, one on the power play, in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Kraken.
Both points came in a frantic third period that featured five of the game's seven total goals. Boldy finished the campaign with a six-game point streak, and the surge took him to a career-high 40 assists and 69 points on the season. The 23-year-old winger should be locked into a top-six role with the Wild in 2024-25, and he likely hasn't hit his ceiling yet, especially if Boldy keeps seeing regular shifts alongside Kirill Kaprizov.
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Wild's Marc-Andre Fleury: Dragged down by Kraken
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Fleury stopped 23 of 26 shots in Thursday's 4-3 loss to Seattle, with the Kraken's final goal getting scored into an empty net.
A 1-1 tie through two periods turned into a wild final frame, and Fleury hit the bench for the final two minutes with Minnesota down 3-2, only to see each team score once more. The 39-year-old netminder lost his final three starts of the season, leaving him with a 17-15-5 record, 2.98 GAA and .895 save percentage through 40 outings. A one-year contract extension he signed earlier this week will bring him back to Minnesota in 2024-25 as Filip Gustavsson's backup, and Fleury still has some personal milestones he can reach -- Flower needs two more shutouts to move into sole possession of 10th place on the NHL's all-time list.
Fleury will start Thursday at home against Seattle, per Jessi Pierce of NHL.com.
Fleury struggled in his last start against one of his former teams, surrendering seven goals on just 30 shots in a 7-2 loss to Vegas on Saturday. The 39-year-old has recorded an .895 save percentage and a 17-14-5 record in 39 appearances this year. He will have a favorable matchup against Seattle, who ranks 29th in goals per game at 2.59.
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Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Returning to action Thursday
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Zuccarello (personal) will be back in the lineup Thursday versus Seattle, according to Jessi Pierce of NHL.com.
Zuccarello missed the last three games of the regular season, but he'll slot into a second-line role for the final game of the campaign. He has 11 goals and 62 points in 68 appearances this season. Zucc is expected to return to the top line with Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek.
Fleury agreed to terms on a one-year, $2.5 million contract extension with Minnesota on Wednesday.
Fleury will put retirement off for at least one more season, instead deciding to stick around with the Wild for his 21st NHL campaign. 2023-24 marks the first time Flower won't appear in the postseason since 2005-06 when he was a second-year player with the Penguins. Even with another year ahead of him, Fleury won't be able to top Martin Brodeur for the all-time wins mark considering Fleury is still 130 victories shy of Brodeur's mark.
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Wild's Adam Beckman: Returns to AHL
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Beckman was reassigned to AHL Iowa on Tuesday.
Beckman wasn't slated to play Thursday versus the Kraken, so he'll head back to Iowa to close out the season. The 22-year-old produced two assists, 13 hits and 12 PIM over 11 NHL contests this season.
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Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Sent back down
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Wallstedt was reassigned to AHL Iowa on Tuesday.
Wallstedt won both of his games during this stint on the NHL roster, but those were against the Blackhawks and the Sharks. Marc-Andre Fleury will start Thursday's season finale versus the Kraken, so there's no need to keep Wallstedt in the NHL to close out the campaign.
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Wild's Jacob Middleton: Assists in consecutive games
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Middleton logged an assist in Monday's 3-1 win over the Kings.
Middleton has a helper in each of the last two games following an eight-game point drought. The 28-year-old defenseman is up to 24 points through 79 outings, by far the best season of his career. He's added 145 hits, 158 blocked shots, 84 shots on net and PIM, though his minus-16 rating is one negative mark on an otherwise solid campaign for a stay-at-home blueliner.
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Wild's Brock Faber: Snags helper Monday
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Faber notched an assist, three shots on goal and two hits in Monday's 3-1 win over the Kings.
Faber is putting together a strong finish to the campaign with five helpers over his last six games, though he's also gone minus-3 in that span. The rookie defenseman is up to 46 points, 133 shots on net, 150 blocked shots and 64 hits through 81 outings overall. He was able to command a top-pairing role throughout the campaign as one of the best rookies in the league.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Sends assist in win
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Eriksson Ek registered an assist, three shots on goal, two PIM and two blocked shots in Monday's 3-1 win over the Kings.
Eriksson Ek helped out on a Ryan Hartman tally late in the second period, which ended up being the game-winner. The helper was Eriksson Ek's second in as many contests, but he's been limited to three assists over eight games in April. The center has put together a career year with 64 points, 266 shots on net, 167 hits, 60 PIM and a plus-18 rating, all personal bests, in 76 outings, but he's faded late in the campaign.
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Wild's Marco Rossi: Earns two assists in win
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Rossi provided a pair of assists, including one on the power play, in Monday's 3-1 win over the Kings.
Rossi had been limited to three goals with a minus-7 rating over his previous 12 contests. The 22-year-old set up goals by Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov in Monday's victory. The pair of helpers got Rossi to the 40-point mark, and he's added 167 shots on net and a minus-3 rating over 81 appearances in his rookie campaign.
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Wild's Ryan Hartman: Tallies late in second period
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Hartman scored a goal on two shots and blocked three shots in Monday's 3-1 win over the Kings.
Hartman's goal came in the dying seconds of the second period, and it stood as the game-winner. Three of his 21 tallies this season have been game-winners. The 29-year-old forward has 44 points, 173 shots on net, 74 hits, 72 PIM, 64 blocked shots and a plus-7 rating through 73 appearances as a solid and physical two-way forward capable of playing just about anywhere in the lineup.
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Wild's Matt Boldy: Strikes on power play Monday
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Boldy scored a power-play goal on four shots in Monday's 3-1 win over the Kings.
Boldy extended his point streak to five games (three goals, four assists) with the first-period tally. The 23-year-old has 14 points over his last 13 outings as he's continued to thrive in a top-line role. Boldy is up to 29 goals, 38 helpers, 224 shots on net, 48 PIM and a plus-5 rating through 74 appearances this season.
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Wild's Kirill Kaprizov: Goal, assist in win
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Kaprizov scored a goal on five shots and added an assist in Monday's 3-1 win over the Kings.
Kaprizov recorded his fourth multi-point effort over the last six games. The winger hasn't gone quietly even with the Wild missing out on the playoffs this year. He's up to 45 goals, 95 points, 271 shots on net, 55 hits and a plus-12 rating through 74 appearances. He'll have one more chance to add to those numbers in Thursday's season finale versus the Kraken.
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Wild's Filip Gustavsson: Strong in win
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Gustavsson stopped 23 of 24 shots in Monday's 3-1 win over the Kings.
Gustavsson had a shutout bid deep into the third period, but Blake Lizotte broke it up with 5:24 left in the game. The 25-year-old Gustavsson held on for the win, his first since March 28. The Swede was able to get to the 20-win mark for the second year in a row, but it was a challenging campaign. He's 20-18-4 with a 3.11 GAA and an .898 save percentage through 45 appearances this season. Marc-Andre Fleury is scheduled to start the season finale Thursday versus the Kraken, so Gustavsson is likely done for the campaign.
Wild's Marc-Andre Fleury: Gets starting nod for Thursday
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Fleury will patrol the blue paint for the season finale against Seattle at home Thursday, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.
Fleury could be playing in his final career game, given his expiring contract and the fact that he has publicly stated he would only sign in Minnesota. If the Wild opt to go in a different direction, the three-time Stanley Cup winner is reportedly poised to hang up the skates. On the year, he is 17-14-5 with two shutouts, a 2.98 GAA and an .895 save percentage through 39 contests.
