Will Less Strain Mean More Productivity For Joel Eriksson Ek?

Joel Eriksson Ek is back to full health and has resumed his role as a key player for the Minnesota Wild, especially on the power play. He’s averaging 19:55 time on ice per game (TOI/G) through the Wild’s 4 regular season games, has scored a power play goal, and has 3 assists. 

Although they lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets, 7-4, on Saturday, Minnesota scored 4 power-play goals, converting on half of their eight opportunities with the man advantage. Eriksson Ek assisted on 2 of the goals and was on the ice for all 4. 

On Kirill Kaprizov’s first goal, Dante Fabbro tripped Eriksson Ek and pushed him from behind. Eriksson Ek popped right back up and screens Elvis Merzlikins with his 6-foot-3 frame, and Kaprizov scores on a wide-open net. 

Minnesota’s power-play success is collective. Kaprizov is healthy again, rookie Zeev Buium is finding the back of the net, and Vladimir Tarasenko is making key assists. Injuries, or lack thereof, tend to compound because when a key player is out, other players have to make up for the lost ice time and effort. 

Before Kaprizov’s injury, Eriksson Ek averaged 19:45 TOI/G. After, he averaged 20:41. While it’s less than a minute per game, it can add up game after game. When Minnesota had less depth, the few players they were able to put in place also ran the risk of overuse injuries. 

While the Wild have experienced injuries throughout their roster, the past 2 seasons have been especially tumultuous for Eriksson Ek. Numerous injuries have kept him off the ice. Last year, he played 46 games, unlikely at full strength. He started training camp and the regular season healthy, but will he be able to play anywhere close to all 82 games?

Overuse has long been a contributing factor to the issue. Joel Eriksson Ek’s TOI/G average was 19:46 in the 2024-25 season and 20:32 in the 2023-24 season. For comparison, the average TOI/G for a center is 15:23. Connor McDavid has spent the most time on ice for a center in the 2025-26 season so far, with an average of 23:49 minutes on the ice. 

However, the Wild are healthy to start the season, and they seem to have more depth this season, so hopefully, they don’t have to overwork Eriksson Ek. 

Last year, some of Eriksson Ek’s injuries resulted from his physical and end-to-end playing style, like his broken nose after Adam Larsson elbowed him in the face. The injury was reminiscent of the one he suffered when he fractured his fibula while blocking a shot in 2023. 

When discussing Eriksson Ek’s playing style, Filip Gustavsson noted that he “[takes] a big beating [at faceoffs]” and “people want to give cheap shots back to him” because he plays a little dirty. There’s no fix there unless he starts wearing a cage and steel shin guards. Eriksson Ek is undoubtedly going to block shots and take some more elbows to the face.

On February 25, ESPN announced that Joel Eriksson Ek had suffered a lower-body injury during practice and was placed on injured reserve. He missed 22 games between February and April. It’s unclear what happened and whether this issue will persist throughout the season. He returned for 4 games at the end of the season and playoffs. 

After the season, Eriksson Ek mentioned that he would undergo core surgery, but didn’t elaborate on why. The only detail he gave was that the injury was unrelated to the lower-body injuries he struggled with during the season. He also said that he would “rest a little bit better” when asked if his summer would look different. 

During the 2025 training camp, Eriksson Ek reiterated that he spent time healing over the summer, as well as strength training and rehab. While the core surgery could be related to a number of things, players use their core to win faceoffs. Still, he hasn’t been moved to wing to avoid them and has won 48.5% this season, up from 47.1% last season.

While there isn’t a ton of data yet, his strong start to the season, combined with his ability to take faceoffs unhindered, suggests that the rest and rehab have been effective so far. 

Last season, Eriksson Ek represented Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off, despite missing a game against the New York Islanders before the tournament.  If there were an All-Star weekend or even 4 Nations again, he should probably skip it in favor of resting for the regular season and 2026 playoffs. 

However, the 2026 Winter Olympics will take place in February instead. The NHL already has Eriksson Ek on a predicted roster for Sweden. Some players may value an Olympic medal over a Stanley Cup, and I’m not sure even a broken leg would stop Eriksson Ek from representing Sweden. 

When Eriksson has managed to stay healthy, he is a key player for the Wild. He had 30 goals and 64 points in 2023-24, his most productive season. A full healthy season from Eriksson Ek could make a serious difference in making the playoffs and getting through them. 

Eriksson Ek did what he needed to over the summer to prepare for this season. Hopefully, that will keep him on the ice, on a deeper team that may not require him to stretch his time on ice to cover for injured teammates.