The Minnesota Wild are once again a strong team despite having to manage a very tough cap situation. They should make the playoffs but don’t have many scoring threats. One of those scoring threats that is only getting better is Matt Boldy. Unfortunately, the Wild got hit with some bad news about their talented young winger. It was reported that Boldy isn’t on the ice for practice and that he’s week-to-week with an upper-body injury. For arguably the second-best point producer on the team, this is a huge blow.
While the Wild scramble to find scoring and win as they did at the end of last season when Kirill Kaprizov was injured, they will have to do that here for a while. In terms of fantasy hockey impact, we’re going to take a look at which Wild players benefit and who is negatively impacted by Boldy’s injury.
Which Wild Players Get a Bump From the Matt Boldy Injury
We’ve already seen the bump for Brock Faber and Calen Addison because captain Jared Spurgeon is out of the lineup. Now one player at least gets that bump up front and more in other facets of the game. With Boldy out, that means a spot on the second-line wing opens up. The Wild do not have impressive depth by any means, but the team appears to be going with 11 forwards and seven defensemen for their game on Tuesday, October 17. This could see three centers be utilized or have a different player fill in on the second line every shift. If that’s the case, give a boost to Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello, and Ryan Hartman who can all play the wing.
We may also see some shifts where Marcus Foligno and Frederick Gaudreau get to play on the second line. If the Wild go more of a three-center approach, then Marco Rossi will benefit the greatest from that. Of course, Hartman and Joel Eriksson Ek will see a lot more ice time as well, but Rossi, who has already impressed, will get to really step into the light and hopefully shine.
The Wild also have to replace Boldy on the top power-play unit. Marcus Johansson seems to have found his way onto that unit as he has been a solid offensive contributor in the team’s time of need since being acquired. If you’re looking for power-play points on the waiver wire, Johansson is surely available right now, but might not be for long. The Wild are no offensive powerhouse but can score. Adding someone in the top six of a playoff-bound team that gets power-play time is the obvious right choice.
Who is Negatively Impacted on the Wild
There are two players that will be impacted the most by Boldy’s injury, and that’s his linemates, Eriksson Ek and Johansson. The Wild were weak enough as it is and Boldy is someone who has 47 goals and 104 points in 130 games to begin his career. He started the season with a goal and an assist in two games as well. Eriksson Ek had a very good and underrated offensive season in 2022-23, partly because of Boldy.
The power play will be negatively impacted by taking a scoring presence like Boldy off of it. While I believe that Johansson can fill in adequately, they will still be missing that extra level. It is tough for an entire team to lose a scorer like Boldy. The team will likely score fewer goals overall as well. This should see an already lackluster offensive presence on defense, record even fewer assists and points.
The Wild hope that Boldy’s injury isn’t too long and that they can get him back soon. While you can take advantage of a player like this coming out of the lineup, also be wary if you have someone who will be negatively impacted. This is a tough hit to Boldy owners in fantasy hockey.