The Wild have officially ran into trouble, amid a Brock Faber injury at the beginning of the season.
Minnesota placed Faber on injured reserve Monday after the defenseman was struck in the head by a puck during Friday’s preseason finale against the Dallas Stars. The 24-year-old was able to skate off under his own power and actually returned for another shift before being held out of the third period.
David Spacek and Charlie Stramel have made initial roster.
The Wild have described the injury as a head injury.
They have not publicly called it a concussion.
As noted by @RussoHockey, it was Heiskanen who fired the point shot that hit Faber (in the earhole?), not Sam Steel, like the game sheet indicates.
📽️: @TNTSportsUS
Still, the situation has become more concerning because Faber missed multiple practices before being placed on IR. Coach John Hynes said Sunday that the team wanted to give Faber more time because of the nature of the injury.
The good news is that the IR placement is retroactive to Friday, meaning Faber could theoretically return as early as Saturday against Boston if he is cleared.
But there is another possibility.
If this ultimately turns out to be a concussion, the Wild could be dealing with a much longer absence than the minimum seven days.
And that could create a serious problem for a Minnesota team that has legitimate expectations heading into the season.
A Brock Faber Injury Could Become Much Bigger if It Is a Concussion
The Wild are not saying Faber has suffered a concussion, so it would be premature to assume that he has.
But if that is ultimately the diagnosis, there is no way to know yet how long he could be out.
That is the frustrating part about concussions.
Recovery timelines can vary considerably. The CDC says most people with a mild concussion feel better within a couple of weeks, but some experience symptoms for months or longer. Athletes also have to go through a gradual return-to-play process, with each stage requiring monitoring for symptoms before progressing.
The NHL has a similar graduated approach. A player diagnosed with a concussion must be symptom-free at rest and during exertion and complete the required return-to-play progression before being cleared by the team’s medical staff.
So Saturday could be possible.
So could a much longer absence.
That uncertainty is what makes the Brock Faber injury particularly uncomfortable for Minnesota.
Faber is not just another defenseman. He has become one of the most important pieces of the Wild’s blue line, and Minnesota already made a major addition by bringing in Quinn Hughes.
The plan was presumably to have Hughes and Faber anchor the defense.
Without Faber, that changes.
Jared Spurgeon can take on a larger role. Jonas Brodin remains an important veteran. But asking those players to absorb Faber’s workload over an extended period is different from asking them to cover for him for a game or two.
And if Faber misses several weeks, Minnesota could suddenly find itself trying to compete in the Central Division without one of its most important defensemen.
That is a very different problem related to this Brock Faber injury.
The Wild Have Options to Replace Faber
The Wild have already prepared for the possibility that Faber would not be available.
David Spacek made the opening-night roster, while Daemon Hunt and Zach Bogosian are also available to take on additional responsibility. Olli Määttä and Jonas Brodin are expected to remain part of the regular rotation as well.
Spacek is probably the most intriguing name.
The 23-year-old defenseman has been developing within Minnesota’s organization and now has an opportunity to show that he can handle NHL minutes. He would not be expected to replace Faber one-for-one, but that is not really how this works.
The Wild simply need someone to prevent Faber’s absence from becoming a structural problem.
Hunt could also benefit from a larger role. He already has NHL experience and gives Minnesota another relatively mobile option on the back end.
Then there is Spurgeon, someone who could step up following the Brock Faber injury.
The veteran could be asked to take on more responsibility alongside Hughes, which is what Minnesota used during practice when Faber was unavailable.
That might work for a while.
But there is a limit to how much Minnesota can ask of its other defensemen.
If Faber is back after the minimum seven-day absence, this could become little more than an early-season inconvenience.
If the Brock Faber injury turns out to be a concussion that requires weeks of recovery, however, the situation changes completely.
The Wild are trying to build on a season in which they reached the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 11 years.
They added Hughes because they believe they are ready to take another step.
Losing Faber for an extended period would make that considerably more difficult.
For now, Minnesota can only wait for more information.
But this is one injury the Wild will be watching very closely.
Brock Faber Injury Could Be Concerning for Wild