Brock Faber Expected Back This Weekend

The Minnesota Wild should have one of their best defensemen back this weekend. According to Victory+’s Frank Seravalli, the Wild are expected to return defenseman Brock Faber on Saturday against the Boston Bruins.

Faber, 24, has been recovering from a skull fracture suffered in preseason. In a September 25 matchup against the Dallas Stars, Faber was struck in the left ear by a shot. He underwent surgery a few days later and remained hospitalized as his symptoms slightly worsened following the operation. Approximately one month later, Faber was medically cleared to resume conditioning.

The former second-round pick returned to practice a week ago and joined the Wild for their current road trip through the Atlantic Division. Saturday’s matchup against the Bruins is the final game of that road trip. Minnesota will return home for one game against the Nashville Predators before embarking on another three-game road trip, this time through the Pacific Division.

Despite Faber’s (and others’) absences being detrimental in most cases, the Wild have excelled without him. Minnesota sits atop the Western Conference with a 13-3-4 record through 20 games. Still, given how well they’ve played without him, Faber’s return could put them over the top.

The Maple Grove, MN, native burst onto the scene during the 2023-24 season, scoring eight goals and 47 points in 82 games with a -1 rating, while averaging nearly 25 minutes of ice time per game. He nearly became the second Wild to win the Calder Trophy this decade as the league’s top rookie, though he fell just short of Connor Bedard.

Unfortunately, Faber took a step back during his sophomore campaign. His production dropped by nearly 20 points, finishing with 10 goals and 29 points in 78 games, with a -2 rating. Still, he rediscovered his game last season, especially after Minnesota acquired Hughes.

In 30 games before the Wild acquired Hughes, Faber managed a respectable six goals and 15 points. However, he put together arguably a career-best stretch after, finishing with nine goals and 36 points in 49 games to close out the season.

Given the extension negotiations between Hughes and Minnesota, or lack thereof, the Wild’s blue line could very well be led by Faber by the end of the season, or by the start of next year, at the very least.