Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Three-point effort in Game 1
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Eriksson Ek scored two power-play goals and added an even-strength assist during the Wild's 6-1 win over the Stars in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series Saturday.
The 29-year-old center opened the scoring for Minnesota early in the first period to get the rout started. Eriksson Ek had heated up to close out the regular season, producing a goal and six points in five April contests, and he's carried that momentum into the playoffs. He'll look to keep rolling in Game 2 on Monday.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: At practice Thursday
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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: 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: 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.
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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: 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.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Game-time decision Thursday
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Eriksson Ek (lower body) will be a game-time call versus Detroit on Thursday, per Michael Russo of The Athletic.
Eriksson Ek has missed the last six games and will have to be activated off injured reserve if he's cleared to play. The center has 11 goals, 21 assists, a plus-13 rating, 133 shots on goal and 68 hits over 45 games this season.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: On injured reserve
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Eriksson Ek (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Friday, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic.
Matt Boldy (undisclosed) was also put on IR, while Hunter Haight and Nicolas Aube-Kubel have been summoned from the minors. Eriksson Ek hasn't played since Jan. 8, so his placement can be retroactive to that date, which would enable Minnesota to activate him whenever he's healthy. Still, the Wild presumably wouldn't have put Eriksson Ek on IR unless he was expected to miss at least one more game, so look for him to remain on the shelf Saturday versus Buffalo. He has 11 goals and 32 points in 45 appearances in 2025-26.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Not playing Thursday
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Eriksson Ek (lower body) is doubtful Thursday against the Jets, Jessi Pierce of NHL.com reports.
Eriksson Ek is getting closer to returning and will travel with the team when they are in Buffalo on Saturday. Eriksson Ek will miss his third straight game Thursday and has 11 goals and 32 points across 45 appearances this season.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Remains out against Devils
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Eriksson Ek (lower body) will not be in the lineup versus New Jersey on Monday, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.
Eriksson Ek will miss his second straight game due to his lower-body problem, but he continues to be classified as day-to-day. Over his last 11 outings, the 28-year-old center generated four goals, four assists and 34 shots while averaging 18:26 of ice time. Once given the all-clear, Eriksson Ek should reclaim a spot in the top six for the Wild in addition to seeing power-play minutes.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Out of action Saturday
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Eriksson Ek (lower body) won't play Saturday versus the Islanders, Sarah McLellan of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Eriksson Ek will miss at least one game due to the injury. Ben Jones will draw into the Wild's lineup Saturday, but Ryan Hartman and Danila Yurov figure to get the biggest bumps in ice time to cover Eriksson Ek's absence. Eriksson Ek is considered day-to-day heading into Monday's game against the Devils.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Gets injured in collision
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Eriksson Ek sustained an undisclosed injury when he got tangled up with another player near the bench during Thursday's game versus the Kraken, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.
Eriksson Ek left the game in the second period. Head coach John Hynes wasn't overly concerned about the injury, labeling Eriksson Ek as day-to-day. His status for Saturday versus the Islanders is uncertain, but it doesn't appear to be a long-term concern even if he misses a couple of contests.
