Wild’s Nick Foligno leaves game with upper-body injury

An early end to one of the grittier veterans in the game.

On Tuesday night, Minnesota Wild forward Nick Foligno exited a game against the Buffalo Sabres early after suffering an upper-body injury.

The team didn’t specify when or where Foligno was injured, but the 38-year-old had a rather inauspicious collision with Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin earlier in the game, when Dahlin powered through an attempted hit from Foligno.

Foligno exited the game after registering just 3:29 of ice time across five shifts. The Wild surrendered a 2-0 lead on the road to brother Marcus’ former team, with the game eventually going to overtime. The Sabres would prevail with a 3-2 victory.

The elder Foligno had dressed for the Wild’s first three games of the season, scoring in the team’s season opener against the Nasvhille Predators last Thursday. It was his lone point so far in 2026-27. The Buffalo native came into Tuesday night with a plus/minus of +2 while averaging 13:11 of ice time per game.

This is Foligno’s first full season in Minnesota. He was acquired by the club ahead of the trade deadline last March, as the Chicago Blackhawks dealt the former Columbus Blue Jackets captain to the Wild for future considerations. He posted four points across 17 regular-season games to end the 2025-26 season, helping the Wild secure third place in the Central Division. He added two goals and an assist in 11 postseason contests, as Minnesota reached the second round before falling to the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.

Foligno re-signed with the Wild this past offseason, agreeing to a one-year contract with a cap hit of $900,000.

In 1,289 regular-season games in the NHL, Foligno has notched 252 goals and 361 assists for 613 points, with another 30 points in 79 Stanley Cup Playoff appearances.