By Kalisha Turnipseed -
It's time to worry about Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek's health. Eriksson Ek is on pace for 43 points in 68 games. He plays a demanding role as the team's garbage man in grueling matchups. Opponents constantly cross-check him in the back when he's in front of their net.
Eriksson Ek has never played 82 games in a season. However, Eriksson Eik played all 56 games during the 2020-21 COVID-19 season. Imagine if there wasn't a shortened season. Would Eriksson Ek have played all 82 games?
His injury history shows Eriksson Ek has mostly dealt with lower-body injuries.
The Wild must find a new role for Eriksson Ek
Eriksson Ek's availability is the most important factor. He has played more than 18 minutes a night since the 2020-21 season. The Wild have been overusing Eriksson Ek and need a backup plan to reduce his minutes and cover for him when he gets injured. He plays so well in a crucial role when healthy that everyone can take him for granted.
What if the Wild kept Eriksson Ek's time on ice between 15 and 17 minutes? Would he have been healthier and more productive? John Hynes should regulate Eriksson Ek’s minutes until his contract ends after the 2028-29 season.
The Wild should consider reuniting Eriksson Ek with Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. That’s how they got the best out of Eriksson Ek, and he completed both Kaprizov and Boldy. Minnesota needs Eriksson Ek’s production to make a playoff run. Keeping him healthy and productive is vital.
Below are the Wild’s options for an Eriksson Ek contingency plan.
1. Trade for Sam Bennett and extend him for no more than five years
Bennett may not be a trade option because the Florida Panthers are on track to make the playoffs and defend their championship. However, Bennett is a rental player in Florida, so what if the Panthers were willing to listen to offers? Should the Wild get involved in trading for Bennett? The Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche are reportedly interested.
The Panthers forward is 28 and plays a ruthless, agitating game that opponents can't stand. He's a better agitating force than Ryan Hartman.
Bennett may prevent opponents from targeting the Wild’s star players. He is a great physical factor against opposing stars. Bennett is the kind of player the Wild need if they face heavy teams like the Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, or Los Angeles Kings in a playoff round.
Is this where the Wild can move someone like Yakov Trenin and possibly Liam Ohgren?
The Wild just signed Trenin for four years, and it's unlikely they'll move him right after. Trenin and Hynes have ties. Trenin played for the Nashville Predators from 2019-20 to 2023-24, and Hynes coached in Nashville from 2019-20 to 2022-23. However, Bennett's production is a meaningful upgrade over Trenin's. If anything, Bill Guerin must consider improving his secondary scoring depth.
The Panthers are closer to contending than the Wild. Their championship window is already open. They signed Anton Lundell long-term to take over the second-line center role behind Aleksander Barkov. He will likely replace Bennett's production.
The Panthers can also use Sam Reinhart as a center, allowing them to have Barkov, Reinhart, and Lundell as its three centers down the middle. Trenin will likely take over the fourth-line center spot or play the wing.
Trenin is a versatile, bottom-six forward with physicality and grit. The Wild signed him to a $3.5 million cap hit. Trading for him would allow the Panthers to manage their cap situation. The Wild would have to figure out how to extend Bennett while extending Kaprizov, Marco Rossi, and Filip Gustavsson. Doing so will be challenging, especially with Brock Faber's $8.5 million cap hit starting in 2025-26.
Bennett has also proven he can score in the playoffs. Ohgren’s not ready for a top-six role yet. However, he could play an immediate top-nine or middle-six role for the Panthers, supplementing Trenin’s lack of offense. Rossi can move to wing, and Bennett can center Rossi and Danila Yurov. Once Marcus Johansson gets healthy, he'll join Hartman and Zuccarello on the third line, creating three scoring lines for the playoffs.
2. Trade for Brock Nelson and sign him to a bridge deal
New York Islanders center Brock Nelson is 33 years old, and Wild fans have heard enough of bringing in players pushing 35 years old. However, what if putting Nelson into a sheltered role brings out the best in Eriksson Ek, where he's back at producing 60-plus points in a season? Would it matter if Nelson's production regresses to 40-plus points but still registers 20-plus goals?
Nelson had three straight 20-goal seasons from 2014-15 to 2016-17, averaging 15 minutes a night as New York’s third-line center. The Wild should aim to play Nelson for 14 minutes but no more than 15 minutes a night. The rest of the minutes will go to Rossi, who's made the most of his opportunities. Freddy Gaudreau can also take on backing up Nelson, playing checking minutes that will round out 13 minutes a night or less.
The Wild should extend Nelson for two to three years. Nelson grew up in Warroad and would be playing out the end of his career where it all started. He'll serve as a fan favorite and someone who will score crucial goals.
Signing Nelson sets him up as a stopgap as more prospects develop. The Wild may have to part ways with Ohgren, Heidt, Haight, or perhaps Charlie Stramel. Could the Wild also interest the Islanders in future draft picks plus a lower-rated prospect, much like the Wild used to trade for David Jiricek? The Islanders will likely ask for any of these assets if they're moving on from Nelson, who plays top-six minutes for them.
3. Sign Charlie Stramel to an Entry-Level Contract (ELC)
This option is the least likely. Stramel is thriving in his junior year at Michigan State. He should spend his senior year in East Lansing, allowing head coach Adam Nightingale, Stramel's US National Development Program coach, to develop his game further. Staying for another season sets up Stramel to sign his ELC with the Wild later next season.
Stramel may start in Iowa because Minnesota has a few players blocking him. Hartman, Marcus Foligno, Gaudreau, and Trenin will be on the team until Hartman departs in 2027-28. Bringing in Stramel earlier than expected means Guerin will either bring back Marat Khusnutdinov or Jakub Lauko, who will be Restricted Free Agents (RFAs).
Stramel will turn 21 in October. Eriksson Ek played his first full season at the same age. Bringing in Stramel will bring size and speed to the bottom six. Stramel can take some of the load off of Eriksson Ek.
The Wild need to find a better plan for Eriksson Ek to stay healthy. Can the Wild land Bennett? Could the Wild use Nelson as a stop-gap option? Is Stramel NHL ready? The Wild placed Kaprizov on Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR), with more cap room for an active deadline. Which option is the most suitable, or should they do nothing and keep the core intact?
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