Unexpected: Minnesota Wild KEY player to “MISS” 3-4 weeks after….

Wild Defenseman Spurgeon placed on long-term injured reserve after missing a game on October 5 due to an upper-body injury.

The Minnesota Wild placed Jared Spurgeon on long-term injured reserve on Wednesday.

The defenseman suffered an upper-body injury on October 5 during a preseason game against the Chicago Blackhawks, and he hasn’t played this season. The Wild announced the following day that he will be absent for a week.

Spurgeon’s placement on long-term injured reserve means that he will miss at least 24 days and 10 games.

In 79 regular-season games last season, the 33-year-old captain of the Wild recorded 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists), and in six Stanley Cup Playoff games, he recorded two assists. In 851 regular-season games, he has 379 points (110 goals, 269 assists), and in 67 postseason games, he has 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists), all with Minnesota.

The Wild(3-2-1) remembered what

American Hockey League forward Jujhar Khaira from Iowa on Wednesday.

Due to an upper-body ailment, Minnesota forward Frederick Gaudreau did not travel with the team on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+), when the squad began a three-game road trip at the Philadelphia Flyers. Tuesday’s 7-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers featured 15:23 of Gaudreau’s play.