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Eriksson Ek (rest) was on the ice for Thursday's practice session, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.
Eriksson Ek sat out the final three regular-season games for the Wild, but he should be good to go for Game 1 in Dallas. The Swedish center was rolling offensively prior to his stint in the press box, racking up two goals and five helpers in his last seven appearances. He figures to jump right back into a second-line role and should feature with the man advantage as well.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Taking third straight rest game
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Eriksson Ek (rest) won't play Tuesday versus the Ducks, Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News reports.
Eriksson Ek will be out of the lineup for the third straight game to end the regular season. The 29-year-old center was limited by injuries at times, posting 51 points over 70 regular-season contests. He's likely to be ready for Game 1 versus Dallas to open the playoffs.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Resting again Monday
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Eriksson Ek (rest) won't play in Monday's game against the Blues, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.
Eriksson Ek sat out Saturday's game against Nashville for rest purposes, and he'll miss a second consecutive matchup Monday. It's not yet clear whether he'll suit up for Tuesday's regular-season finale against the Ducks, but he should at least return to action for the start of the playoffs.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Set for rest day Saturday
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Eriksson Ek (rest) will not play in Saturday's road clash against the Predators, per Michael Russo of The Athletic.
With the Wild already having punched their ticket to the playoffs, Eriksson Ek will rest Saturday. The 29-year-old center has been hot as of late offensively with seven points over his last six games. Overall, he has 19 goals, 32 assists, 194 shots on net, 106 hits and 34 blocked shots through 70 games this season. He'll likely return to action for Minnesota's next tune-up game Monday against the Blues.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Three-point effort in win
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Eriksson Ek scored an empty-net goal on three shots, dished two assists, blocked two shots, added two PIM and went plus-3 in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Kraken.
Eriksson Ek has a goal and five helpers over four games to begin April. The 29-year-old continues to look steady in a second-line role, though he hasn't logged a power-play point since March 8 versus the Avalanche. The center is up to 19 goals, 51 points, 188 shots on net, 105 hits, 33 blocked shots, 32 PIM and a plus-17 rating over 69 appearances. This is the third time in four years he's exceeded the 50-point mark.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Pots game-winner Thursday
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Eriksson Ek scored the game-winning goal in Thursday's 3-2 win over Florida.
The Wild nearly squandered a 2-0 lead in the third period, but Eriksson Ek banged home a rebound with five seconds left on the clock to salvage the win. The 29-year-old center snapped a 10-game goal drought in the process, and on the season he's delivered 18 goals and 45 points in 64 contests with 181 shots on net, 95 hits, 26 PIM and a plus-13 rating.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Back in lineup Tuesday
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Eriksson Ek (lower body) will suit up in Tampa Bay on Tuesday, per Joe Smith of The Athletic.
Eriksson Ek missed the last three games due to his lower-body injury. The 29-year-old center hasn't scored since Feb. 27 in Utah, and he has just two helpers and 23 shots on goal over his last nine appearances. The Wild are also getting Kirill Kaprizov back in the lineup Tuesday, so Nico Sturm and Hunter Haight will be healthy scratches as a result of the team getting two of its top players back against the Lightning.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Not available for Saturday
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Eriksson Ek (lower body) has been ruled out of Saturday's clash versus Dallas, per Jessi Pierce of NHL.com.
Eriksson Ek will sit out his third straight game. The 29-year-old center has 17 goals, 27 assists, 92 hits, a plus-13 rating and 28 blocked shots across 62 outings this season. He is day-to-day and could return as early as Tuesday in Tampa Bay.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Dealing with lower-body injury
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Eriksson Ek won't suit up Tuesday in Chicago due to a lower-body injury and is day-to-day, Joe Smith of The Athletic reports.
Even though Smith reports that Eriksson Ek is day-to-day, general manager Bill Guerin said that the Swedish center will likely miss at least three games, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic. Robby Fabbri will draw back into the lineup Tuesday, while Hunter Haight was brought up from the minors to provide depth up front as a result of Eriksson Ek's absence.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Expected to play Sunday after all
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Eriksson Ek (face) is set to play Sunday versus St. Louis, per Michael Russo of The Athletic.
Eriksson Ek was originally considered doubtful for that game, but he received good news from the doctor. Eriksson Ek won't end up missing a match after being struck by a high stick during Friday's 5-2 loss to Utah. He has 17 goals and 42 points in 54 appearances in 2025-26.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Unlikely to play Sunday
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Eriksson Ek (face) probably won't play against St. Louis on Sunday, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic.
Eriksson Ek left Friday's 5-2 loss to Utah after receiving a high stick around his eye. The Wild should get a clearer picture of his timeline for a return following Saturday's visit with a doctor. Minnesota recalled Tyler Pitlick from AHL Iowa on Saturday to be an option for Sunday's contest. Eriksson Ek has 17 goals, 42 points, 150 shots on net and 78 hits across 54 appearances this season.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Leaves game after taking high stick
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Eriksson Ek sustained an injury to his face from a high stick in Friday's game versus the Mammoth, and there was no update on his status after the contest, Joe Smith of The Athletic reports.
Eriksson Ek's status is in doubt for Sunday's game versus the Blues. The 29-year-old forward saw his seven-game point streak come to an end when he failed to return to the contest. If he can't play, Ben Jones will likely draw into the lineup.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Strikes twice on power play
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Eriksson Ek scored a pair of power-play goals on five shots in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Avalanche.
Eriksson Ek had both of the Wild's tallies in the second period to help them establish a 2-1 lead. He's up to six goals and four assists during his seven-game point streak, with five of those 10 points coming on the power play. Overall, the Swedish center is up to 17 goals, 42 points (15 on the power play), 150 shots on net, 78 hits and a plus-14 rating through 53 outings. He continues to be an effective all-around player in a key role for the Wild.
Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Deposits opening goal Monday
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Eriksson Ek scored a goal and recorded two hits in Monday's 4-3 overtime win over Montreal.
Eriksson Ek wasted no time finding the scoresheet in Monday's contest, as he struck the back of the net just 38 seconds into regulation. The goal extended his point streak to five games, where he has four goals and seven points in that span. Overall, the 29-year-old center is up to 15 goals, 39 points, 143 shots on net and 77 hits across 51 outings this season. After a season riddled with injuries a year ago, where he suited up for just 46 regular-season games, he has been healthy outside of his recent six-game absence due to a lower-body injury. Because of his availability, he's already surpassed the majority of his major stat totals from a year ago. While playing a top-six role on a red-hot Minnesota offense, Eriksson Ek remains a solid fantasy option across most standard formats for the remainder of the season.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Picks up two points in win
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Eriksson Ek scored a goal and added an assist, both on the power play, in Saturday's 7-3 win over the Oilers.
Eriksson Ek has three goals and three helpers during a four-game point streak. The 29-year-old center is at 14 goals, 38 points (13 on the power play), 142 shots on net, 75 hits and a plus-14 rating through 50 contests overall. He continues to play a big role in the Wild's top six and on the first power-play unit, so Eriksson Ek can be trusted in most fantasy formats as a reliable all-around producer.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Key role in comeback
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Eriksson Ek scored a goal on two shots, added an assist and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 4-3 shootout win over the Blackhawks.
Eriksson Ek recorded both points in the third period. He scored to get the Wild within a goal and then set up Jared Spurgeon's tying tally with 2:02 left in regulation. Eriksson Ek has three points over his last two games and looks to be back up to speed after a six-game absence due to a lower-body injury. For the season, the center has 13 goals, 35 points, 141 shots on net, 74 hits and a plus-15 rating through 48 appearances in a top-six role.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Tallies on power play
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Eriksson Ek scored a power-play goal and added two hits in Saturday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Panthers.
This was Eriksson Ek's second game back after missing six due to a lower-body injury. The 28-year-old has resumed his usual role on the second line and is also back in the power-play mix. The center has earned 12 goals, 33 points, 139 shots on net, 73 hits, 20 blocked shots and a plus-13 rating over 47 appearances. He won't be the Wild's best player, but there's enough talent around him for Eriksson Ek to stay productive on a consistent basis.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Activated by Minnesota
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Eriksson Ek (lower body) was activated from injured reserve Thursday, Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News reports.
Eriksson Ek was considered a game-time decision ahead of Thursday's matchup against Detroit, and he'll be able to suit up following his six-game absence due to a lower-body injury. Over 45 appearances this year, he's recorded 11 goals, 21 assists, 68 hits, 20 PIM and 19 blocked shots while averaging 19:34 of ice time.
