Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello underwent surgery for a lower-body injury and will likely be sidelined three to four weeks, coach John Hynes said Friday.
A shot from teammate Brock Faber struck Zuccarello just below the waist in the first period of Minnesota’s 3-0 win against Montreal on Thursday.
Zuccarello ranks third on the team with 14 points (six goals, eight assists) and has skated on the front line with three-time All-Star Kirill Kaprizov and center Marco Rossi. Kaprizov is second in the NHL with 30 points ahead of the Wild (11-2-3), who have the second-best record in the Western Conference.
“Zucciy is such an important part of the team. I really enjoyed coaching him. He’s an experienced player. He’s an extreme competitor. He has great hockey sense, his value on the power play, obviously his chemistry with Kirill, but for me The way he has come in and played this year, he is a real key figure,” Hynes said. “Having said that, he’s also played for a long time, so I know when he comes back, he’ll be back where he is.”
The Wild will take on the Dallas Stars on Saturday in St. Paul.
