Brock Faber looks set to give the Wild a major boost this weekend.
According to Sportsnet’s Frank Seravalli, Minnesota’s defenseman is expected to make his season debut Saturday against the Boston Bruins. Faber, 24, has been sidelined since late September after suffering a fractured skull in a preseason game and later undergoing surgery.
Minnesota had already placed him on injured reserve and initially said there was no timetable for his return.
When Faber last played, he was coming off a huge 2025-26 season. He put up 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 points in 80 games while logging 24:41 of ice time per night. He also chipped in four goals and six assists for 10 points in 11 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Over three full NHL seasons, the 2020 second-round pick has built a strong résumé: 33 goals, 94 assists and 127 points in 242 regular-season games, with an average of 25:01 of ice time.
Faber’s path to the NHL also includes a decorated international and college resume. The Maple Grove, Minn. native helped the U.S. men’s hockey team win gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy and also earned gold at the 2021 World Junior Championships. At the University of Minnesota, he played three seasons and finished with seven goals and 46 assists for 53 points in 97 NCAA games.
His return comes with Minnesota rolling. The Wild are 13-3-4 through their first 20 games of 2026-27, good for 30 points and the top spot in the NHL entering Wednesday’s slate. Kirill Kaprizov sits second in the league with 17 goals and third with 32 points, while Quinn Hughes is tied for third in assists with 21 and tied for seventh in points with 27.
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Brock Faber Suddenly Looms Over A Huge Wild Lineup Decision
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Brock Faber is the name hanging over the rest of the decision-making. He has been practicing with the club after the skull fracture that sidelined him, but his status for the Canadiens game is still unresolved, and that uncertainty matters because of how much the Wild lean on him when he is available. With the roster already shifting around Spurgeons return, Fabers next step could determine whether Minnesota gets a major defensive boost now or has to keep waiting a little longer. [Read more 🡒]