Wild vs Hurricanes: Game Preview and Lineup Updates
The Minnesota Wild (5-6-3) face the Carolina Hurricanes (8-4-0) on the road tonight, starting the first half of a back-to-back series. The Wild make a single lineup change with defenseman Daemon Hunt making his season debut on the third defensive pair alongside Zeev Buium.
Daemon Hunt, 23, has not appeared in an NHL game since October. He will play on his offside, and because the Wild are away, they have the last line change advantage, making this pairing's usage particularly interesting to watch. David Jiricek will be out of the lineup after going scoreless in ten games with a -3 rating.
Fourth Line Remaining Intact Despite Healthy Scratch
The Wild will keep their fourth line unchanged. This decision means Danila Yurov is a healthy scratch for the third straight game, raising questions about the young player's future with the team. The line featuring Ben Jones, Yakov Trenin, and Tyler Pitlick has played three games together, all resulting in wins for Minnesota.
Yurov scored his first NHL goal while centering the third line in New York but has been scratched in the last two games that the Wild also won.
Watching Yurov's continued scratches will be key to understanding the team's development plans.
Potential Return and Existing Line Combinations
Mats Zuccarello is likely to return for Saturday's game. Current line combinations include:
- Kirill Kaprizov – Marco Rossi – Marcus Johansson
- Vladimir Tarasenko – Joel Eriksson Ek – Matt Boldy
- Marcus Foligno – Ryan Hartman – Vinnie Hinostroza
Summary
Tonight’s game will test Minnesota’s defensive adjustments with Hunt’s debut and highlight the Wild’s ongoing lineup strategies, especially concerning young talent like Yurov.
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