The Minnesota Wild are on the verge of getting a major piece back on the blue line.
According to Sportsnet’s Frank Seravalli, defenseman Brock Faber is expected to return Saturday against the Boston Bruins, a welcome development for a team that has kept rolling without him. The 24-year-old has been working his way back from a skull fracture suffered in preseason, and his recovery has been a long one.
Faber was hit in the left ear by a shot in a September 25 game against the Dallas Stars. He had surgery a few days later and stayed hospitalized after his symptoms slightly worsened following the procedure.
About a month after that, he was medically cleared to resume conditioning. He returned to practice a week ago and has been traveling with the Wild on their current road trip through the Atlantic Division.
That trip wraps up Saturday in Boston. After that, Minnesota comes home for one game against the Nashville Predators before heading out again for a three-game swing through the Pacific Division.
Even with Faber sidelined, the Wild have been firing on all cylinders. They sit first in the Western Conference at 13-3-4 through 20 games, and that kind of start gives them some breathing room. Still, adding one of their best defensemen back into the mix only raises the ceiling.
Faber’s rise has been a big part of Minnesota’s recent story. The Maple Grove, MN, native broke through in 2023-24 with eight goals and 47 points in 82 games, along with a -1 rating, while logging nearly 25 minutes a night. He came close to becoming the second Wild player to win the Calder Trophy this decade, but finished behind Connor Bedard.
His second season was quieter. Faber’s production dipped to 10 goals and 29 points in 78 games, and he finished with a -2 rating. Even so, he found another gear last season, especially after Minnesota acquired Hughes.
Before that move, Faber had six goals and 15 points in 30 games. Afterward, he closed with what might have been the best stretch of his career: nine goals and 36 points in 49 games.
With the extension talks between Hughes and Minnesota still unresolved, the Wild’s defense could end up being built around Faber by season’s end - or at the very least by the start of next year.
In Other News...
Bill Guerin Faces A Massive Quinn Hughes Decision For The Wild
The Wilds fast start has given Bill Guerin some breathing room, even with injuries and roster turnover already forcing the front office to juggle the lineup. But the bigger roster conversation around the club is still simmering, and it centers on Quinn Hughes, who remains unsigned while speculation grows around how a major move might eventually come together.
One of the more intriguing ideas floating around involves a three-team trade with Tampa Bay and New Jersey, a kind of cap-driven puzzle meant to help each club solve a different problem. For Minnesota, the appeal is obvious: the possibility of landing a star talent without blowing up the roster structure. For now, though, it remains only a scenario, with the details still very much in the realm of possibility rather than something concrete. [Read more 🡒]
Brock Faber Could Fix One Wild Problem Fans Know Too Well
Brock Fabers return is arriving at a useful moment for the Wild, who have managed to stay afloat without him but still know what his presence can mean on the back end. After missing seven weeks with a fractured skull, the young defenseman is expected to rejoin the lineup and give Minnesota a steadier look in its own zone, while also helping the club move the puck with more confidence.
The bigger ripple effect may come at the other end of the ice, where the Wild have leaned heavily on their top line to carry the offense. Getting Faber back should help spread some of that burden around, giving Minnesota another defenseman capable of pushing play and opening up more scoring chances for a team that could use a little more balance in how it generates goals. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Guerin Faces A Wild Decision That Could Define This Season
With the Wild tied for the top spot in the Western Conference, Quinn Hughes has quickly become one of the biggest reasons their season has taken this shape. The defenseman has fit in well and given Minnesota the kind of impact on the blue line that can change the outlook of a contender, which is why his contract situation is already looming as one of the more important questions on the teams horizon.
As the 2027 trade deadline gets closer, Bill Guerin may have to decide whether to ride this out for a playoff push or start bracing for what comes next if Hughes is not part of the long-term picture. Keeping a player like that without an extension carries obvious risk, and the Wild would have to weigh the value of a deep run against the possibility that a major roster shift could follow soon after. [Read more 🡒]