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The Minnesota Wild's 2026-27 season outlook
Michael Russo from The Athletic takes a look at the Minnesota Wild's upcoming season.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Wild starts the NHL regular season Thursday night at the Nashville Predators, and they won’t have one of their top defenseman.
Brock Faber suffers skull fracture
What we know:
The Minnesota Wild on Tuesday placed defenseman Brock Faber on injured reserve. He had to have surgery for a skull fracture on Sunday, and there is no timetable for his return.
Faber suffered the injury during the Wild’s preseason finale Friday night against the Dallas Stars. He took a wrist shot to the head during the second period, and immediately went down on the ice in pain.
He was able to skate off, but would soon learn the injury was significant.
Mats Zuccarello, a former teammate, suffered a similar injury in 2015. He wouldn’t regain his speech for four days and lost the feeling in the right side of his face. For several weeks, he couldn’t get up from the couch without feeling dizzy. To regain his speech, Zuccarello underwent about a month of speech therapy.
What it means for the Wild
Why you should care:
Faber is one of the team’s top defensive players, paired alongside Quinn Hughes. In 80 regular season games last year, Faber had 15 goals and 36 assists. As a top defenseman, he’s tasked with shutting down the opponent’s top forwards, and often puts his body on the line for shots toward the net.
What we don't know:
Faber, a Maple Grove native, is entering his fifth season with the Wild. There is no immediate indication of when Faber could return.
What's next:
Minnesota opens the season at Nashville Thursday night. The home opener is Saturday night, Oct. 3, against the Boston Bruins at Grand Casino Arena.