With two top forwards out, it’s becoming more likely the Wild, third in the West, become active at the March 7 trade deadline.

Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov turns up ice against the Utah Hockey Club during a Dec. 20, 2024, game at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Kirill Kaprizov will be out longer than anticipated for the Minnesota Wild because of a lower-body injury, general manager Bill Guerin said Friday. The forward had surgery in late January because of a lower-body injury and was expected to be out a minimum of four weeks.

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.