The Minnesota Wild have introduced that group captain Jared Spurgeon is about to overlook the rest of the season after surgical procedure on his again and hip. Spurgeon has been restricted for a lot of the season, enjoying in simply 16 video games this yr. He hasn’t performed since Jan. 2nd, although, as he’s persevering with to wrestle with lower-body accidents. This consists of an harm suffered within the preseason that compelled him to overlook the month of October and elements of November.
It’s been a disastrous season for the 34-year-old professional, now in his 14th season with the Wild. Spurgeon has managed simply 5 factors this yr, however recorded an admirable 11 objectives and 34 factors in 79 video games final season. Nonetheless, accidents have been constant in his latest seasons, with the defender failing to look in 70 or extra video games in 5 of his final seven seasons, together with this yr.
Spurgeon has change into a prolific NHLer regardless of the accidents. He has appeared in additional video games than every other defenseman in Wild historical past, together with his 867 profession video games far forward of second-place Ryan Suter’s 656 video games with the group. The truth is, just one participant has appeared in additional video games for the Wild – former long-term captain Mikko Koivu, who performed all 1,028 video games of his profession in Minnesota. Spurgeon additionally ranks fourth in all-time scoring for the membership, behind solely Koivu, Marian Gaborik and Zach Parise.
The 5-foot-9 Spurgeon has come a great distance since being drafted within the sixth spherical of the 2008 NHL Draft – the identical spherical that noticed Cam Atkinson be a part of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Collectively, the duo paved a path for “undersized” gamers within the NHL, proving simply how impactful they are often with the correct vitality and grit.
It’s protected to imagine that Spurgeon’s absence will result in extra minutes for depth defensemen like Dakota Mermis and Daemon Hunt. The Wild can even now be relieved from Spurgeon’s $7.575M cap hit for the rest of the yr. Whether or not their depth items, or potential acquisitions, will have the ability to fill in for the group’s prime defenseman now turns into an essential query to Minnesota’s success for the remainder of the season. The Wild presently rank seventh within the Central Division with an 18-20-5 document.
