The Wild have to weigh Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek's injury status before taking any big swings at the trade deadline.

The Minnesota Wild expect star winger Kirill Kaprizov and top center Joel Eriksson Ek to return before the end of the regular season, general manager Bill Guerin told reporters before Sunday's game against the Boston Bruins at the X in St. Paul, Minn.

ST. PAUL - The Minnesota Wild are already without its superstar forward Kirill Kaprizov. Well, the hits keep coming. On Tuesday, the Wild announced that center Joel Eriksson Ek was placed on the Injured Reserve.

Kirill Kaprizov, arguably the team’s best player, suffered a lower-body injury that required surgery in late January and while he was initially expected to miss around a month, that timeline has changed.