Injury issues pestering Wild, but center Joel Eriksson Ek is back after nose surgery

Joel Eriksson Ek was already an unmistakable presence on the ice for the havoc he tends to create in front of the net, but now he'll stand out for a different reason: his new headgear.

The center rejoined the Wild with a full-face shield attached to his helmet after having surgery on the broken nose he suffered Saturday against Seattle.

"It's a little different," Eriksson Ek said Thursday after the Wild practiced at the Recreation Outdoor Center in St. Louis Park. "Just tried to stay out there a little bit extra, maybe get used to seeing through it. I'm not sure exactly how long I'll be wearing it. Probably a few weeks at least."

The Wild's top center was injured in the second period of the team's 5-4 shootout loss at Xcel Energy Center when he took an elbow to the face from the Kraken's Adam Larsson, what Eriksson Ek called a hockey play.

Larsson wasn't penalized, and Eriksson Ek actually returned for one shift in the third period wearing a shield. But it was tough for him to breathe, and Eriksson Ek struggled to see because of blood filling the bubble.

On Monday morning, he went for surgery ("I saw the pictures of his nose right after the surgery. It didn't look good," coach John Hynes said), but the swelling has gone down and Eriksson Ek is progressing.

"First couple days after surgery, it was really sore," he said. "But it's getting better now."

While on the mend, Eriksson Ek tried not to move much — "The pressure in the face is the worst," he said — but Eriksson Ek didn't really think about his nose when skating.

He figured the last time he wore a full shield was when he was an under-18 player. As for staying out of the shoving matches that usually evolve from his net-crashing style, "We'll see," Eriksson Ek said. "Once you get out there and it's competitive, that side usually takes over."

Hynes anticipates the Wild getting back Eriksson Ek and winger Marcus Johansson, who missed the 4-1 win at St. Louis on Tuesday after a collision in Saturday's game.

Defenseman Jonas Brodin didn't practice Thursday for maintenance, but he should play.

One skater who isn't a possibility for the Wild when they resume their seven-game road stretch Saturday at Columbus is captain Jared Spurgeon.

The defenseman won't accompany the team for the start of its remaining five games of the road trip as he deals with a lower-body injury that occurred Saturday and is related to the hip and back surgeries Spurgeon had earlier this year.

President of Hockey Operations Bill Guerin said this is part of Spurgeon's healing and that the team will know more in time. For now the Wild are in day-by-day, week-to-week mode.

In the meantime, Spurgeon will rest, with the team not wanting him to take a step back, and the Wild are hopeful he can join the group for the second half of the trip; the Wild also have stops at Florida, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and they will add Daemon Hunt from the minors to have an extra defenseman.

Last season, Spurgeon appeared in only 16 games. His debut was delayed by a preseason shoulder injury. Then in January, the 34-year-old was shut down to address his nagging hip and back issues.

"It's just part of that process of getting his body back to being able to do what these guys have to do every day," Hynes said.

Despite being without two of their best players, the Wild banked a point from a 2-1 overtime loss Sunday at Winnipeg before winning in St. Louis in memorable fashion thanks to Filip Gustavsson scoring the first goalie goal in team history — an almost rink-length empty-net shot with nine seconds to go.

Overall, the Wild are 2-0-2 and haven't trailed in any period.

"This is the first little bit of adversity that we're having, and so far the guys have really stepped up and played really well," Guerin said. "This is part of pro sports. We have to be able to play through this stuff."