The Minnesota Wild are getting a key piece back just in time for tonight’s clash with the Florida Panthers. Winger Matt Boldy is expected to be activated off injured reserve, a welcome boost for a team that’s been grinding through a season full of lineup shuffles. With Hunter Haight and Ben Jones sent back to the minors yesterday, the move clears the way for Boldy’s return without any further roster juggling.
Boldy’s been sidelined with a lower-body injury since January 15 against the Jets, missing four games. While that absence could’ve been a major blow-especially with Joel Eriksson Ek also landing on IR around the same time-the Wild managed to avoid a full-blown crisis. Eriksson Ek made his return in Thursday’s overtime win over the Red Wings, and now Boldy is back to complete what’s been one of Minnesota’s most effective forward trios.
Head coach John Hynes is expected to reunite Boldy with Eriksson Ek and Marcus Johansson on the second line, a group that’s been quietly dominant all season. In 256 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time together, they’ve controlled 55% of the expected goals and boast a staggering +14 goal differential-outscoring opponents 17-3, according to MoneyPuck.
That kind of chemistry doesn’t just happen. It’s built on trust, timing, and a shared understanding of how to control the pace of play.
The bigger picture here? Minnesota finally has a fully healthy forward group.
That’s been a rarity this season-this will be just the 11th time in 53 games that the Wild have had all hands on deck up front. And yet, despite the injuries, this offense has quietly surged.
Since the start of January, they’ve ranked ninth in the NHL in scoring, averaging 3.55 goals per game. Getting Boldy back only adds fuel to that fire.
Boldy’s role in this offense can’t be overstated. He’s not just a complementary piece-he’s Minnesota’s most dangerous weapon not named Kirill Kaprizov.
Through 48 games, he’s tied with Kaprizov for the team lead in goals at 27 and sits second in points with 51. What’s more, he’s doing it with a career-best 17.2% shooting percentage.
If he keeps firing at that clip, he’s on track to hit the point-per-game mark for the first time in his five-year NHL career.
For a Wild team trying to claw its way back into the playoff picture, Boldy’s return couldn’t come at a better time. When he’s in the lineup, Minnesota’s attack becomes deeper, more dynamic, and a whole lot tougher to defend.