Minnesota Wild injury update: Mikko Koivu out for rest of season
After tearing his right ACL and meniscus, the Minnesota Wild will be sans captain Mikko Koivu for the rest of the season.
The Minnesota Wild are making a push for the postseason. This is a critical season for them, as it’s their first one under general manager Paul Fenton. Anything short of advancing out of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will likely result in changes across the organization. The Wild will have a much tougher path to the second round without team captain Mikko Koivu.
On Wednesday, the team announced he suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee. Koivu will undergo surgery on Friday and will miss the rest of the season. He could also be in jeopardy for the start of the 2019-20 season.
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Koivu suffered this injury on Tuesday during the Wild’s 5-4 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres. It happened on his fourth shift of the game and he played just three minutes during the loss. Koivu had an awkward collision with Sabres forward Tage Thompson and it appears the worst possible result has occurred.
This is a significant loss for the Wild. Koivu was the leader of their shutdown line. He was having yet another one of his patented brilliant seasons and was in the discussion for the Selke Trophy. Koivu has 29 points in 48 games this season while leading the Wild’s second forward line.
Without him, Minnesota will likely turn to recent trade acquisition Victor Rask. He has two points in his first six games with the Wild. Rask will be expected to help lead what was one of Minnesota’s best lines. He’ll get some help from the likes of Jason Zucker and Mikael Granlund. But still, Rask is a clear downgrade from Koivu.
This makes an already fascinating Western Conference playoff race even more close. Currently, the Wild have 57 points and are the first wildcard team. However, every team except for the Los Angeles Kings is within six points of them. Even though Minnesota has a slight cushion, their lead in the wildcard hunt is certainly not safe. Especially not without Koivu.
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Long-term, it’s fair to question how much this injury will affect him. A torn ACL is hard for any athlete to come back from, but they tend to be especially hard on hockey players. Koivu is no spring chicken at nearly 36 years old. Hopefully, he can make a full recovery and will be back for the 2019-20 season. Because hockey is a far better sport when Koivu is a part of it.