The Minnesota Wild moved captain Jared Spurgeon to injured reserve on Sunday, a roster shift that keeps one of their key defensemen sidelined for the time being.
Wild general manager Bill Guerin made the move and, to fill the openings, the club recalled defenseman Carson Lambos and Hunter Haight from the Iowa Wild.
Spurgeon’s IR placement is retroactive to Oct. 12, which means he is not eligible to return until Tuesday, when Minnesota visits the Edmonton Oilers.
The veteran blue-liner has already missed the last two games because of an upper-body injury. The team has not said exactly what happened, but the issue will hold him out for at least three games.
Minnesota dropped a game to the Winnipeg Jets last Tuesday before bouncing back with a win over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.
Through the Wild’s first six games of the 2026-27 season, Spurgeon has put up a goal and four assists for five points. That leaves him tied for third on the team in assists. He also owns a plus/minus of +4 and is averaging 22:22 of ice time.
For Spurgeon, the injury concern fits an all-too-familiar theme. Across 17 NHL seasons, he has dressed for every game in only one of them, that coming in 2018-19. He did manage 79 appearances last season, two years after being limited to just 16 games.
Lambos saw limited action with Minnesota last season, making his NHL debut on Dec. 18 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 23-year-old has spent most of his pro career with Iowa and has two points in six games this season.
Haight also has recent NHL experience. He played in nine games for the Wild in 2025-26, finishing with a goal and an assist. He has started this season strong in Iowa, where he has five points in six games.
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