ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild have listed right winger Matt Boldy as week-to-week with a lower-body injury, a significant blow just days into training camp for a team that general manager Bill Guerin said is counting on better health to rebound from an injury-riddled 2023-24 season.
Coach John Hynes lowered the temperature after the team announced the news Monday, though, saying the injury isn’t considered major and the team is anticipating that Boldy will be back in time for the Oct. 10 season opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“Matt was obviously having a very good training camp for the first few days and had a really good summer,” Hynes said. “So I think if he just has a little bit of a break here, he should be fine. But we’re anticipating him near the end of camp and ready for the start of the season.”
Boldy watched part of the Wild’s first of two practices Monday from the bench in workout attire and participated in team meetings. He worked out and practiced fully Saturday, speaking to the media afterward. It wasn’t until he got home that Boldy had trouble walking and realized something was wrong, Hynes said.
Hynes found out before the Wild’s exhibition game that night in Winnipeg.
“It kind of popped up,” Hynes said.
Boldy, 23, has combined for 60 goals over the past two seasons and registered a career-high 69 points last season. Playing for Hynes and the United States at the World Championship in May, the Massachusetts native led the tournament in scoring with 14 points (six goals) in eight games.
Instead of returning to Boston this offseason, Boldy spent most of the summer in Minnesota working out with strength and conditioning coach Matt Harder and his staff and skating with skating and skills coach Andy Ness.
“There’s always goals, always ways to improve,” Boldy said Saturday. “I mean, I’m confident in myself. I have my goals set and stuff like that, but just being consistent and helping our team every night and having an impact.”
Boldy sustained an AC joint sprain in the second game of the 2023-24 season. That led to a slow start, and he didn’t score his second goal of the season until his 13th game — Hynes’ debut as coach. He went on a tear from there, scoring 28 goals and 61 points in his final 63 games.
How does this impact the Wild?
In the short-term, it will mean some line juggling as Boldy started camp on the second line with Marcus Johansson and Joel Eriksson Ek and was expected to be on the No. 1 power play.
But long-term, it could actually hurt the penalty kill more.
The Wild ranked 30th in the NHL last season on the penalty kill. New assistant coach Jack Capuano’s philosophy is that stars should be on the penalty kill if they have the right skill set. Capuano, who will share PK coaching duties with Pat Dwyer, has pointed to the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins as examples of teams that use top scorers on the PK.
Boldy, who didn’t play on the penalty kill in his three years in the NHL, is expected to be the big internal personnel addition this season because of his smarts, long reach and offensive prowess. Capuano said Monday that Boldy will still take part in all the PK meetings in camp, but he obviously needs reps and the injury will likely mean he can’t start the season on the PK.
“It’s disappointing that that the injury did happen, because you can show them as much video as they want, but the repetition’s gonna drive the execution, right?” Capuano said. “So, you want to have a lot of reps, and unfortunately for him, he won’t.”
Does Boldy’s injury open the door for other players?
Well, if it’s true Boldy will be ready for the start of the season, technically no.
But what it does do is create an elevated role for others in camp, especially youngsters like Liam Ohgren, Caedan Bankier and perhaps Riley Heidt and some of the depth forwards who played well during Saturday’s 5-2 win at Winnipeg. Those players include Travis Boyd, Ben Jones and Devin Shore.
This also may allow Freddy Gaudreau, who is hoping for a bounceback year after five goals last season but is currently penciled in at fourth-line right wing, to move to a higher line until Boldy returns.
Heidt and Ohgren, who should make their preseason debuts Wednesday in Dallas, haven’t been on regular NHL lines in camp as of yet, so Boldy’s injury could allow them practice and game reps with higher quality players. In the long run, that could give them more of a chance to shine as management evaluates things the remainder of camp and in advance of final roster cuts.
(Photo: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
