Wild vs Hurricanes: Game Preview and Line Combinations
Tonight, the Minnesota Wild (5-6-3) will face the Carolina Hurricanes (8-4-0) on the road, marking the first half of a back-to-back series. A key update is the debut of defenseman Daemon Hunt in the Wild’s lineup.
Defense and Lineup Changes
Daemon Hunt, 23, will make his season debut on the third defensive pairing alongside Zeev Buium. Notably, Hunt will be playing on his offside, which could impact the Wild’s strategy since they have the last line change advantage.
David Jiricek will be scratched for this game. Jiricek has remained scoreless with zero points in ten games and carries a minus-3 rating.
Fourth Line and Healthy Scratch
The Wild will keep their fourth line unchanged. This means Danila Yurov will be a healthy scratch for the third consecutive game, raising questions about his future with the team.
“Yurov played as the third line center in New York, scoring his first NHL goal in that game. However, he has been scratched in the last two games, both of which the Wild won.”
The trio of Ben Jones, Yakov Trenin, and Tyler Pitlick have been on a line together for three games and remain undefeated (3-0-0) in those matches.
Probable Return
Mats Zuccarello is expected to return for Saturday's matchup, potentially impacting the Wild’s offensive lines.
Projected Forward Lines
- Kirill Kaprizov – Marco Rossi – Marcus Johansson
- Vladimir Tarasenko – Joel Eriksson Ek – Matt Boldy
- Marcus Foligno – Ryan Hartman – Vinnie Hinostroza
Author’s summary: Daemon Hunt’s debut and Danila Yurov’s continued healthy scratch highlight the Wild’s evolving lineup as they prepare for a tough road game against the Hurricanes.