The Minnesota Wild have their captain back.
Jared Spurgeon has been activated off injured reserve, the team announced today, and Carson Lambos has been reassigned to the Iowa Wild to clear the roster space. Minnesota was carrying a full 23-man active roster, so Lambos’ move was necessary to make room for Spurgeon’s return.
Spurgeon is expected back in the lineup tonight against the Calgary Flames after missing four games with an upper-body injury. His last appearance came in Minnesota’s 4-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 12.
The 36-year-old defenseman has been off to a strong start in the 2026-27 season, piling up five points in six games while averaging 22:21 of ice time per night. His 3:28 of shorthanded ice time per game leads all Wild skaters, a reminder of just how much he still handles for this team.
Even with Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes now ahead of him as Minnesota’s top overall defenseman, Spurgeon remains the club’s most trusted shutdown presence and one of its most important voices in the room. When healthy, he usually skates on the top pair with Hughes, forming a duo of undersized defenders who have still managed to become a force on both ends of the ice.
At 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds, Spurgeon has long been an outlier in the role he plays. That hasn’t stopped him from becoming one of the NHL’s best at it across a career that has now stretched to 1,018 games.
His return also shifts Minnesota’s blue line alignment. During his absence, veteran Jonas Brodin filled in alongside Hughes. With Spurgeon back, Brodin is set to slide down and anchor the second pairing with Olli Maatta.
Lambos, meanwhile, is the odd man out for now. The 23-year-old was recalled only a few days ago, but he did not dress in any games during this latest stint with the big club.
A 2021 first-round pick, Lambos has yet to fully match the expectations that came with that draft status, though he has developed into a usable depth option. He posted 19 points in 70 games last season and has two points in six AHL games this year.
If injuries hit again, he could be back in the mix.
In Other News...
Wild Fans Suddenly Have A Real Reason To Watch Dylan Larkin
Dylan Larkin has quietly become one of the most intriguing names in the trade market for Minnesota fans to follow. NHL insider Michael Russo reported that talks involving Larkin and the Red Wings have moved forward, and the Minnesota Wild are among the destinations on the list of teams he would accept, which gives the whole situation real relevance for a club that is always looking to sharpen its roster around the edges.
Russo also said the latest buzz picked up after a recent conference call with Detroit, with multiple sources believing the process is moving toward some kind of resolution. Still, the official line out of the Red Wings remains calm for now, with senior vice president Jim Devellano saying Larkin and the team have reconciled and interim general manager Shawn Horcoff describing things as status quo, so the next move could come fast or simply fade back into the background. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Face A Quinn Hughes Problem They Cant Ignore
Quinn Hughes has become one of the more important names in Minnesota as the season moves on, and not just because of what he does on the blue line. The Wild have been publicly confident they can still keep him around, but the bigger picture is hard to miss: he is getting closer to unrestricted free agency, and there is still no extension in place.
For now, the organization is trying to project patience while the clock keeps ticking. Around the league, early trade chatter has already put Hughes in the middle of the conversation if talks do not gain traction, which is the kind of pressure a team would rather avoid on a player it sees as part of its core. The Wild clearly want this to end with a new contract, but the longer the stalemate lasts, the harder it becomes to ignore every possible outcome. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Still Face One Big Quinn Hughes Question
Contract talks around Quinn Hughes have become one of the most closely watched threads in the league, and the Minnesota Wild are right in the middle of it. The feeling around the team is that Minnesota is prepared to go to the number Hughes wants on a long-term deal, which would mark a major commitment to the star defenseman and signal how aggressively the Wild are willing to chase a core piece.
Even with that kind of interest, the deal is not done, and there is still no agreement in place. Across the league, Nikita Kucherovs negotiations with Tampa Bay remain active as well, with the market shifting after the Leo Carlsson situation and prompting some rethinking on both sides. For Minnesota, the open question is no longer whether the Wild are willing to pay up, but whether Hughes is ready to actually close the door on his next contract. [Read more 🡒]