Wild’s Brock Faber to make season debut vs. Bruins

The Minnesota Wild are set to welcome defenseman Brock Faber back into the lineup for the first time this season on Saturday, as they visit the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. 

The Wild activated Faber from injured reserve Saturday morning, marking his return to the healthy roster for the first time since he suffered a fractured skull after a puck hit his helmet during a preseason contest against the Dallas Stars on Sept. 25. 

Already having missed the first 21 games of the season, Faber will come into the lineup looking to pick up where he left off in 2025-26, a campaign which saw him net 15 goals and 51 points across 80 regular season games, before scoring another four goals and 10 points in 11 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

In his NHL career, the 24-year-old has 33 goals and 94 assists for 127 points in 248 regular-season games.

His return to the lineup benefits the Wild’s defensive setup, which already ranks third in the NHL with just 46 goals conceded, tied with the Bruins but one goal more than the NHL-leading Carolina Hurricanes. At the same time, it will allow him and USA gold-medal-winning Olympic teammate, Quinn Hughes, to further elevate the team’s offensive production from the blueline. 

The Wild currently sit atop the Western Conference and are second to the Hurricanes in the NHL standings with 32 points at the one-quarter mark of the season, while boasting a +24 goal differential, good for the same standing in both categories. 

Following Saturday’s top-of-the-standings clash with the Bruins, the Wild will look ahead to a brief one-game home stand against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, before embarking on a three-game Pacific Division road swing against the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks, highlighted by Hughes’ second visit to Vancouver since leaving the club in a trade 11 months ago.