Wild Activate Nico Sturm; Reassign Hunter Haight

According to a team announcement, the Minnesota Wild have activated bottom-six forward Nico Sturm from the injured reserve. In a corresponding roster move, the Wild reassigned forward Hunter Haight to the AHL’s Iowa Wild.

Sturm, 31, has been working his way back from an upper-body injury for the past week. Though officially described as an upper-body injury, Sturm’s head was specifically injured. In the first period of Minnesota’s October 12th victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, Wild captain Jared Spurgeon accidentally shot the puck into Sturm’s head. The two-time Stanley Cup champion was taken to a local hospital as a precautionary measure.

Before the injury, Sturm had seen limited ice time with the Wild. In his second year of his second stint in Minnesota, Sturm has gone scoreless in three games while averaging 9:02 of ice time per game. Last season, he registered five goals and 11 points in 49 games while averaging nearly 11 minutes of ice time per game.

Regardless, given the number of injuries the team has faced early in the 2026-27 campaign, it’s a positive that players are beginning to return to the lineup. Sturm will likely reprise his role in Minnesota’s bottom six against the Edmonton Oilers tonight.

Meanwhile, Haight returns to Des Moines relatively quickly. The Wild recalled him two days ago as an extra forward, though they never utilized his services. The former second-round pick will look to pick up where he left off with the AHL Wild, as he scored three goals and five points in six games with a +4 rating to begin the season.