Report: Kirill Kaprizov 'not close' to returning to Wild
The Minnesota Wild continue to stay in the thick of the Central Division playoff race, but it appears that Kirill Kaprizov won't be returning any time soon.
According to The Athletic's Michael Russo, Kaprizov still isn't skating after suffering a lower-body injury March 8 against the Winnipeg Jets. Russo also says that Kaprizov isn't expected to make the next road trip to even practice.
The Wild have done fine since Kaprizov limped off the ice in Winnipeg, posting a 4-1-2 record in seven games with the lone regulation loss coming to the NHL-leading Boston Bruins. Minnesota has also scored 30 goals in those games after scoring 31 goals in the 14 goals prior to Kaprizov's injury.
Other players have picked up the slack, with 21-year-old Matt Boldy has eight goals and four assists since Kaprizov went down.
With 91 points, the Wild are virtually a lock to make the playoffs, sitting 11 points ahead of the Nashville Predators with 10 games to play. But they also sit one point behind the Dallas Stars for first place in the Central Division and one point ahead of the Colorado Avalanche, who are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games.
Kaprizov was originally given a timetable of 3-to-4 weeks for his return, but it's looking like his return will be on the back end of that time frame. Whenever their superstar does hit the ice, it will be a welcome return for a team looking for its first playoff series win since 2015.
