Wild Recall Carson Lambos; Reassign Justin Kirkland

The Minnesota Wild are dealing with more injuries to their defensive corps. Needing reinforcements, the Wild announced they recalled defenseman Carson Lambos from the AHL’s Iowa Wild. In a corresponding roster move, Minnesota reassigned depth forward Justin Kirkland.

Because of the new injuries,  Matt Kiersted will make his 2026-27 season debut tonight against the St. Louis Blues. Earlier today, Joe Smith of The Athletic reported that captain Jared Spurgeon and Olli Määttä are nursing upper-body injuries, with no timeline for their returns. Already without Brock Faber, Marcus Foligno, Nick Foligno, Filip Gustavsson, and Nico Sturm, the Wild are relying on their internal depth to navigate the foreseeable future.

Depending on the severity of Spurgeon and Määttä’s injuries, Lambos, 23, may remain on Minnesota’s roster for the next little while. The former first-round pick has played in the Wild organization for the last four years, though he has only managed one NHL appearance.

Despite solid two-way play with the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice, Lambos has yet to excel at the professional level. Since the 2023-24 season, Lambos has registered 18 goals and 54 points in 211 AHL contests with a -13 rating and 160 PIMs. Disappointing as his production may be, it’s been a recurring issue for nearly every player in Iowa. The AHL Wild have won only 83 of 220 games since Lambos debuted four years ago.

Meanwhile, Kirkland returns to Des Moines after two days on the NHL roster. The 30-year-old forward is in his first season with the Wild after signing a one-year, two-way deal worth $850K this past offseason. Brought in to raise Iowa’s ceiling, Kirkland has registered two assists in four games this season.