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: 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.
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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.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Pots power-play tally Saturday
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Eriksson Ek scored a power-play goal on five shots and added two PIM in Saturday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Kings.
Eriksson Ek has been on a productive offensive run with seven goals and nine helpers over his last 14 outings. He contributed his third power-play point in that span in Saturday's contest, though he remains on the top unit and should make some noise as a net-front presence. Eriksson Ek is up to 11 goals, 32 points (10 on the power play), 125 shots, 68 hits and a plus-13 rating through 43 contests this season. Fantasy managers should have plenty of room for a 60-point center in most formats.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Nets game-tying goal
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Eriksson Ek scored a goal, placed four shots on net, served two PIM and had two hits in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime loss to Nashville.
Eriksson Ek scored the last goal before overtime when he recorded the game-tying tally less than a minute into the second period. With the twine finder, he is up to nine goals, 27 points, 111 shots on net and 63 hits through 38 games this season. The 28-year-old center has 11 points in his last nine games while maintaining his strong two-way play style. Eriksson Ek's inclusion in the lineup has been a welcome sight for fantasy managers who drafted him after appearing in just 38 games a season ago. If he can stay healthy, he has plenty of time to reach 60-plus points and 100-plus hits in the same season for the third time in his career. His strong category coverage makes him a great player in nearly all fantasy formats moving forward.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Two points including GWG
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Eriksson Ek scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in Thursday's 5-2 victory over Columbus.
The 28-year-old center jammed home a rebound midway through the third period to break open a 2-2 tie. Eriksson Ek extended his point streak to six games in the process, a stretch in which he's collected four goals and 10 points with a stunning plus-10 rating -- a far cry from his prior seven contests, when he managed only one assist with a minus-1 rating.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Steals win late
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Eriksson Ek scored a goal on two shots, added four PIM and logged two hits in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Senators.
Eriksson Ek scored for the third straight game, and it couldn't have come at a better time for the Wild. He tallied at 19:36 of the third period to give them a lead. He's racked up six points during his recent hot stretch, which was preceded by a five-game slump. Overall, the center has seven goals, 22 points, 97 shots on net, 55 hits, 16 PIM and a plus-4 rating through 32 appearances. He may not get back to the 60-point mark this year, but 50 points is very much within reach.
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Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek: Another multi-point effort
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Eriksson Ek had a goal, an assist, five shots and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Stars.
Eriksson Ek has participated directly in five of the Wild's nine goals during the team's two-game winning run, tallying two goals and three assists in that stretch. The productive run snapped a five-game sample where Eriksson Ek didn't muster a single point.
