According to The Athletic’s Joe Smith, Minnesota Wild forward Frederick Gaudreau will miss tonight’s game against the Florida Panthers.
Gaudreau left Thursday’s 7-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning with an upper-body injury. He logged 9:00 minutes of ice time before heading down the tunnel to the locker room.
The 30-year-old has tallied three goals and seven assists for 10 points in 35 games while averaging 14:20 minutes of ice time. Gaudreau has missed nine games due to injury earlier this season with a separate upper-body-related injury; it’s unclear whether this is the same injury or not.
Gaudreau is looking to continue his breakout performances over the past couple of seasons, where he’s averaged 17 goals, 25 assists, and 42 points in his first two seasons with the Wild. After last season’s performance, the Bromont, Quebec product earned himself a pay raise. The Wild signed Gaudreau to a five-year, $10,500,000 contract that carries an average annual value (AAV) of $2,100,000.
Gaudreau was an undrafted free agent signed by the Nashville Predators in 2016 after he joined their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, after his major junior career in 2014. He’s spent three seasons with the Predators, one with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the past three with the Wild.
Minnesota currently sits seventh in the Central Division with an 18-21-5 record and 41 points through 44 games. They trail two points back of the sixth-place St. Louis Blues and three points back of the fifth-place Arizona Coyotes. The Wild will play the Panthers on Friday and the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.
More must-reads: