Kaprizov to undergo surgery on lower-body injury, out at least 4 weeks
Minnesota Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov will undergo surgery on a lower-body injury that will sideline him for at least four weeks, general manager Bill Guerin announced Tuesday.
Kaprizov's injury has been lingering since December. He recently returned from a 12-game injury absence but only played three contests before hitting the shelf again.
Minnesota is off from Feb. 9 to 21 due to the 4 Nations Face-Off, alleviating some of the concern about staying afloat in the standings without its top offensive player.
The Wild won't be able to use Kaprizov's cap hit for long-term injured reserve relief since the issue isn't season-ending, according to The Athletic's Michael Russo.
Kaprizov carries a $9-million cap hit and is eligible to sign an extension as of July 1.
The 27-year-old was in MVP form before being injured. He leads the Wild with 52 points in 37 games this season.
Minnesota sits third in the Central Division, just two points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche and one point behind the Dallas Stars.