ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Wild right winger Mats Zuccarello underwent surgery for a lower-body injury and is expected to miss three to four weeks, coach John Hynes said Friday.
A shot from teammate Brock Faber hit Zuccarello just below the hip in the first period of Minnesota's 3-0 win over Montreal on Thursday.
Zuccarello is tied for third on the team with 14 points (six goals, eight assists) and was on the front row with three-time All-Star Kirill Kaprizov and center Marco Rossi.
Kaprizov is second in the NHL with 30 points for the Wild (11-2-3), who have the second-best record in the Western Conference.
“Zuccy is such an important part of the team. I really enjoyed coaching him. He is an experienced player. He is an extreme competitor. He has a great feel for hockey, puts a lot of emphasis on the power play and obviously he and Kirill have good chemistry, but for me he's a real key player because of the way he came in and played this year Hynes said. “That being said, he’s played for a long time too, so I know he’ll be back where he is when he gets back.”