MINNEAPOLIS — So much for Kirill Kaprizov potentially reaching 50 goals.
After scoring 39 through 64 games and putting himself on pace to reach the 50-goal plateau for the first time in his career, Kaprizov will be out three-to-four weeks with an injury suffered Wednesday, the Minnesota Wild announced Thursday evening.
Here's how the injury occurred.
Kaprizov was able to skate off on his own, but did not return to the game.
"Obviously this is a massive blow for the Minnesota Wild," said Locked on Wild host Seth Toupal.
Toupal added it could have been worse if Kaprizov would be done for the rest of the year, but there's still no underselling what this means for the club.
"The Minnesota Wild have struggled to score all season," Toupal pointed out. "What this does is remove the top goal scorer for the Wild, the top play driver, the top power play option. Up and down the lineup, you're taking away the biggest playmaker on a team in which goals have been a premium throughout the entire season."
Minnesota ranks 26th in the NHL in goals per game, the lowest of any team in the playoff picture and behind a bunch of clubs closer to winning the draft lottery than competing for a Stanley Cup.
While Kaprizov will miss much of the balance of the regular season, Minnesota's playoff chances appear to be safe.
Kaprizov, 25, leads Minnesota with 39 goals and 74 points in 65 games, while averaging a team high in ice time (21:06), a distinction usually reserved for defencemen.
Their leading scorers are now Mats Zuccarello (20 goals, 59 points) and Joel Eriksson-Ek (22 goals, 49 points).
As a team, Minnesota was second in the Central Division with a record of 37-21-7. They sit two points back of the Dallas Stars in the Central, and securing the division lead will be that much more difficult with Kaprizov out for a few weeks.