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Minnesota Wild veterans Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin disclosed on Friday that foot fractures kept them out of the team’s second-round playoff defeat against the Colorado Avalanche, which ended with a 4-3 overtime loss in Denver on Wednesday.
Eriksson Ek revealed during Minnesota’s season-ending media availability that he suffered a broken heel bone in his right foot during Game 6 of the first-round series against the Dallas Stars. The 29-year-old center attempted to work his way back into the lineup and even practiced on a limited basis before Game 3 against Colorado, but he admitted he could not properly push off or plant his foot on the ice because of the pain.
Before the injury, Eriksson Ek had been one of the Wild’s most productive playoff players. He recorded five points and a plus-7 rating in five games against Dallas before being sidelined.
Brodin also missed the entire five-game series against the Avalanche after suffering a fractured big toe and first metatarsal in his right foot when blocking a shot in Game 5 against the Stars. The 32-year-old defenseman later underwent surgery and said he initially believed the injury was manageable before the pain worsened. Brodin missed Minnesota’s series-clinching win over Dallas and all games against Colorado.
The absence of the two veterans left the Wild vulnerable against an Avalanche team that finished with the NHL’s best regular-season record. Head coach John Hynes relied on an injured Zach Bogosian and Jake Middleton on the blue line, with both defensemen finishing the postseason at minus-2.
Brodin, who completed his 14th NHL season with Minnesota, said he hoped to return if the Wild had advanced to the conference finals.
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