The Minnesota Wild got some tough news on the health of defenseman Jonas Brodin after he was struck in the face by a puck on Tuesday night against Nashville.
Brodin suffered a broken cheekbone and is out indefinitely, the club announced on Wednesday.
“It was gruesome to watch,” Wild head coach Mike Yeo told the team website. “It’s disappointing.”
The 20-year-old rearguard left last night’s contest and didn’t return after this:
Widely believed to be a Calder Trophy snub a year ago (after scoring 11 points and averaging 23 minutes a game), Brodin’s sophomore campaign was off to a tremendous start. He had 3G-3A through his first 10 games -- leading all Wild defensemen in scoring -- and was again averaging over 23 minutes per night.
Minnesota will insert Nate Prosser into the lineup with Brodin gone. As for a timetable for the Swedish defenseman, the Wild said they hope to have a better idea by Thursday.