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Wild 2024-25 Report Cards: Joel Eriksson Ek
Joel Eriksson Ek of the Minnesota Wild greets Mark Stone of the Vegas Golden Knights following Game Six of the First Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs (Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images)

Now that the “dog days of summer” have started, that means the quiet part of the offseason has started as well. The draft is over, and the urgency of the first few days of free agency is over, but next season is still a few months away. That means the report cards continue to roll out, and now it’s Joel Eriksson Ek’s turn. 

This past season was pretty rough on Eriksson Ek in terms of the injury front. Just like Kirill Kaprizov, he missed nearly half of the season. However, when he did play, he was able to contribute, and his absence showed how much the Wild rely on him. In this article, we’ll look at his regular season performance along with his production in the playoffs, starting with his short regular season. 

Eriksson Ek’s Injury-Ridden Season

Things looked very promising for the Wild at the beginning of the season, especially for Eriksson Ek, as he played basically straight through the first two months of the season, until December hit. That was when the first injury happened after he collided with another player and missed the next 11 games. Prior to the injury, he had been putting up points and was on a roll, and he picked up right where he left off when he returned. 

He was only back for a month and a half before he was injured once again, and this time he missed 21 games before he came back just before the start of the postseason. Once again, he stepped right back in like he never left. Through 46 games played, he scored 14 goals plus tallied 15 assists for 29 points. Not the most impressive season, but given what he had to overcome, he turned it into a decent season. 

His point production wasn’t as high, but he continued to throw hits even with the injuries, as he recorded 82 hits. He registered 36 blocked shots, but he also had 34 giveaways and 14 takeaways. Overall, he had a rough season and did the best he could with it. 

Eriksson Ek’s Calm Postseason

While he had quite the up-and-down regular season, his postseason was pretty calm as he made it through all six games healthy. He was likely still recovering from his injuries, but he found a way to assist on three goals. As always, he made an impact in front of the net and did what he could to help the team. 

He didn’t make a huge impact offensively, but he did defensively with eight hits and 10 blocked shots. However, the most impressive stat was his zero turnovers and two takeaways. He kept his puck handling very controlled and didn’t cause any scoring opportunities for the other team. The postseason didn’t end the way they hoped, but he helped the team take a big step in the right direction. 

Apart from the stats, Eriksson Ek is a good leadership presence on and off the ice as well. His calm demeanor helped keep the team going when things got tough, and he just kept playing at 110 percent. His attitude is exactly what the Wild need to get through all of the ups and downs of a season. 

Eriksson Ek’s Overall Grade

After looking over his performance in the regular season, especially after everything he’s had to go through, including two injury recoveries, he earned an A-. While that may seem high to everyone considering his stats, for what he had to overcome, he earned it. He stepped up when he could and would’ve had a great season had it not been for the injuries. It also wasn’t higher because the Wild could’ve used a bit more when he was healthy. 

As far as his postseason grade goes, he earned a B+. While he did have three assists and had good defense, they could’ve used more out of his offense. He didn’t score a single goal, which is what the Wild could’ve used to get them past the Vegas Golden Knights. His grade wasn’t lower because of his efforts, and still recovering from an injury. 

For his overall grade for the entire season, he earned a low A- because of his battle back from multiple injuries and still producing. However, as always, there is room to improve, and he had areas to fix. Hopefully, he’ll be fully healthy this next season and he can show everyone his true capabilities.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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