ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello had surgery on a lower-body injury and will likely be sidelined for three to four weeks, coach John Hynes said Friday.
A shot by teammate Brock Faber struck Zuccarello just below the waist in the first period of Minnesota’s 3-0 win against Montreal on Thursday.
Zuccarello is tied for third on the team with 14 points (six goals, eight assists) and has skated on the first line with three-time All-Star Kirill Kaprizov and center Marco Rossi. Kaprizov is second in the NHL with 30 points for the Wild (11-2-3), who have the second-best record in the Western Conference.
“Zuccy’s such an important part of the team. I’ve really enjoyed coaching him. He’s a veteran player. He’s an extreme competitor. He’s got great hockey sense, his value on the power play, obviously his chemistry with Kirill, but to me the way he’s come in this year and he’s played, he’s a real key guy,” Hynes said. “That being said, he’s played a long time, too, so I know when he comes back, he’s going to be back to where he is.”
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