Minnesota Wild News

Hughes has already missed four games this season due to an injury and will be held out again on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The talented 26-year-old defenseman has be great when in the lineup, scoring 13 points (1G / 12A) in 14, but has had trouble staying healthy recently, missing 14 games last season as well.

Hughes has already missed four games this season due to an injury and will be a game-time decision on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes. The talented 26-year-old defenseman has be great when in the lineup, scoring 13 points (1G / 12A) in 14, but has had trouble staying healthy recently, missing 14 games last season as well.

Hughes has already missed four games this season due to an injury and is day-to-day again. The talented 26-year-old defenseman has be great when in the lineup, scoring 13 points (1G / 12A) in 14, but has had trouble staying healthy recently, missing 14 games last season as well.

Kirkland has not played since November 1st will report to the Calgary Wranglers (AHL) after clearing waivers. The 29-year-old Kirkland scored eight points (2G / 6A) in a career-high 21 games last season. He has one assist through nine games in 2025-26.

On the tail end of a back-to-back, the Oilers will turn to Pickard on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Pickard allowed five goals on 21 shots (.762 SV%) in his most recent outing, entering a 9-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in relief. The 33-year-old Pickard has an ugly 4.00 GAA and .836 SV% in six appearances this season (2-2-1). Stuart Skinner was between the pipes earlier this week when the Oilers defeated the Blue Jackets 5-4 in overtime.

Minnesota has had good results in recent games with Jesper Wallstedt tending the twine, but will turn to Gustavsson on Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks. The 27-year-old Gustavsson struggled in his most recent outing, allowing four goals on 27 shots (.852 SV%) in a 4-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. He has a 3.19 GAA and .896 SV% in 12 games this season (4-7-1). Minnesota enters Tuesday's contest as sizable -205 home favorites against a Sharks team riding a three-game winning streak.

A fifth-round draft pick in 2022 by the Wild, Spacek has spent the last three seasons in the AHL and is yet to make his NHL debut. He has appeared in 12 games with Iowa this season, registering zero goals and six assists.

Yurov will slot back into the Wild lineup as they opt to get some fresh legs into their lineup for the tail-end of their back-to-back. Ben Jones will sit in his place.

Wallstedt will make just his fourth start of the season when the Wild travel to Long Island on Friday. The former first-round pick struggled mightily in his last outing, allowing six goals on 25 shots in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Sharks on October 26th. Wallstedt carries a 1-0-2 record and .863 SV% into the Friday night's matchup with the Islanders, where the Wild enter action at +130 on the money line.

For the first time this season, Minnesota has won consecutive games and will try to extend its winning streak to three when Gustavsson tends the twine on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes. Gustavsson has been solid in his last two games (2-0-0), saving 58 of 62 combined shots (.935 SV%). The 27-year-old goalie has a 3.11 GAA and .900 SV% in 11 games this season (4-6-1). Minnesota enters Thursday's contest as +167 road underdogs against a Hurricanes team that has lost three of its last five games (2-3-0).

Leskovar was a sixth-round pick, 174th overall, of the Minnesota Wild in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old defenseman is in his first professional season, but has been limited to only one game with the Iowa Wild (AHL) due to an injury. He scored si points (1G / 4A) in 2024-25 in 35 games with the Brampton Steelheads (OHL).

Minnesota snapped a four-game losing skid (0-2-2) in their most recent game, a 5-2 win over the Canucks where Gustavsson saved 26 of 28 shots (.929 SV%). Outside of a shutout in his first game of the season, the 27-year-old Gustavsson has struggled in 2025-26, posting a concerning 3.23 GAA and .895 SV% in 10 games (3-6-1). Still, Minnesota enters Tuesday's contest as sizable -202 home favorites against a Nashville Predators team that played last night and lost 5-4 in overtime to the Vancouver Canucks.

On the front end of a back-to-back, the Oilers will turn to Pickard on Monday against the St. Louis Blues. Despite a serviceable 2-1-1 record, the 33-year-old Pickard has struggled this season, posting an ugly 3.50 GAA and .846 SV% in four games. That said, the Oilers have played well lately, recording at least a point in six of their last seven games (4-1-2), and enter Monday's contest as -129 road favorites against a Blues team that has been outscored 51-34 through 12 games this season (3-7-2).

Hughes has not played since suffering a lower-body injury on October 25th, but he will draw back into the lineup on Monday, retaking his spot on the team's top powerplay unit. The 26-year-old Hughes was averaging a monstrous 26:38 time-on-ice before his injury. He has seven points (1G / 6A) in nine games.