Minnesota Wild place Kirill Kaprizov on LTIR

The Minnesota Wild have placed their top forward, Kirill Kaprizov, on long-term injured reserve due to a lingering lower-body injury, allowing them to exceed the salary cap and manage their roster amidst multiple injuries. Kaprizov, who leads the team with 23 goals and 27 assists, has missed 10 games and is eligible to return as early as January 18, though his immediate return remains uncertain. The move enabled the team to call up forwards Brendan Gaunce and Liam Ohgren from the Iowa Wild, while Marcus Johansson was placed on injured reserve with a concussion, further depleting the roster. Despite these challenges, the team is optimistic about the return of Brock Faber and Jakub Lauko, who have been participating in practice. The Wild are preparing to face the Nashville Predators, but Kaprizov is not expected to join them for this game nor the subsequent one in Colorado. Coach John Hynes remains hopeful that Kaprizov will return next week, emphasizing the importance of player readiness over immediate availability.