Boldy removed from injured list, slated to return this weekend

Dean spilled the beans this week, but the Minnesota Wild have officially confirmed what head coach Dean Evason told reporters on Tuesday - that 2019 first-round draft pick Matt Boldy has been officially removed from the non-active injured list, and, according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo, should make his regular season debut for the Wild’s AHL affiliate in Iowa this weekend as they take on the Tuscon Roadrunners.

If he sees the ice as expected either Friday or Saturday in Des Moines, it will mark Boldy’s first competitive action since fracturing his left ankle on October 7th in an NHL preseason game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Boldy made his professional debut last season in the middle of Iowa’s season, scoring six goals and 12 assists in 18 games. His 1.29 points per game ranked tops on the baby Wild, ahead of forwards Gerry Mayhew, Gabriel Dumont and Mason Shaw. This year’s iteration of the Iowa Wild include new faces in Marco Rossi, Nick Swaney and Adam Beckman - all of whom have looked impressive. Swaney and Rossi are currently tied for the team lead in points with 11 (along with Shaw and Joe Hicketts), and Adam Beckman has seven points in seven games, having spent three games up with the big club filling in for COVID issues amongst the Minnesota Wild’s roster.

Finally getting to see what Boldy can do when skating with players like Rossi or Swaney will no doubt be exciting, and hopefully a portent of things to come in a couple years when Rossi and Boldy will no doubt have permanent spots on the NHL roster.

But those days will come. For now, it’s good to see Boldy back and healthy after a gnarly collision that cost him the start of the season.