Looking back at 2023-24, injuries and annoyances are piling up for the Minnesota Wild

Eriksson Ek was elbowed in the face by The Kraken’s Adam Larsson on Saturday night and has a broken nose. The center is scheduled to play in St. Louis on Tuesday, the second of seven straight road games that include reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida, perennially difficult Tampa Bay and perennially troublesome Pittsburgh.

“Those are two big losses,” defenseman Brock Faber said of Eriksson Ek and Spurgeon. “We’re just the next man up mentality. Everyone will play a slightly different role, and with this team we can win hockey games.”

In the Wild’s second game last season, forward Matt Boldy was injured in Toronto and was sidelined for two weeks.

During their subsequent practice in Montreal, defenseman Alex Goligoski was injured, and the Wild actually had to face the Canadiens, who had lost a player because they did not have enough salary cap space to bring in a replacement.

And when they returned home, they didn’t have much time to recover, having played three games in six days before heading back on tour.