Eriksson Ek (lower body) skated before Thursday's game-day practice but remains week-to-week, per Jessi Pierce of NHL.com. Eriksson Ek's return to the lineup is not imminent, but he will probably accompany the Wild on the team's three-game road trip, which begins Monday versus New Jersey. He will miss his 16th consecutive game against Washington on Thursday. Eriksson Ek has compiled nine goals, 24 points, 123 shots on net, 31 blocked shots and 69 hits in 42 appearances this campaign.
Chisholm (lower body) will not be in action versus Washington on Thursday, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports. Chisholm has managed just one point in his last 24 appearances for the Wild, so few fantasy players are likely to be impacted by his continued absence. Even once given the all-clear, Chisholm could struggle to break into the lineup now that Jonas Brodin is healthy and available. If he does play down the stretch, Chisholm would likely take on a third-pairing role with Jon Merrill the strongest candidate to be dropped from the lineup.
Kaprizov (lower body) was on the ice before Minnesota's morning skate Thursday but remains week-to-week, Jessi Pierce of NHL.com reports. Kaprizov will miss his 23rd straight game versus Washington on Thursday. He appears to be progressing, but his return to the lineup is not imminent. Kaprizov will probably travel with the Wild on the team's upcoming three-game road trip, which begins Monday against New Jersey and could start practicing with his teammates. Kaprizov has amassed 23 goals, 52 points and 128 shots on net in 37 appearances this season.
Gustavsson will protect the home net against Washington on Thursday, per Jessi Pierce of NHL.com. Gustavsson has gone 3-1-0 in his last four outings, allowing only four goals on 112 shots. He has a 28-16-4 record with five shutouts, a 2.47 GAA and a .918 save percentage through 49 appearances this season. Washington ranks first in the league with 3.63 goals per game in 2024-25.
Foligno (upper body) is expected to play against Washington on Thursday, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports. Following a five-game absence, Foligno will draw back into the lineup. He has accounted for 11 goals, 22 points, 72 shots on net, 219 hits and 66 PIM across 67 appearances this season. Foligno could replace Devin Shore or Brendan Gaunce in a bottom-six role versus the Capitals.
Shore's point drought reached 13 games in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Golden Knights. The Wild have scored two or fewer goals in 11 of 14 contests in that span, with Shore serving as a healthy scratch once. The team's injury issues have largely kept the 30-year-old forward in the lineup as a fourth-line forward. Since there's not a lot of offense to go around, it's no surprise a depth player like Shore is having trouble chipping in. He's at four points, 35 shots on net, 69 hits, 33 blocked shots and a minus-7 rating over 49 appearances this season.
Zuccarello logged an assist and went minus-2 in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Golden Knights. Zuccarello has three goals and two assists over his last eight outings. The Wild's offense has managed just 17 goals in that span, so points are hard to come by, even for a top-line winger. Zuccarello has 45 points, 130 shots on net and a plus-1 rating over 59 appearances this season. While injuries, both his own and the lower-body issue that has kept Kirill Kaprizov (lower body) sidelined for the better part of two months, have taken a toll on Zuccarello's scoring output, it's also possible part of his decline is due to age, as he has played the full season at 37 years old.
Johansson scored a goal and added two hits in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Golden Knights. Johansson tallied for the third time in his last six games to get the Wild on the board late in the third period, but that was all they could muster against Adin Hill. The 34-year-old Johansson continues to serve as a depth scorer on the second line. He's now at eight goals, 26 points, 101 shots on net, 39 hits and a minus-6 rating over 62 appearances.