Mats Zuccarello will miss the next two games for the Minnesota Wild, Joe Smith of The Athletic reports.
Evason said they’re not sure if Gustavsson will be ready by Sunday to play, calling it being “optimistic.” They hope he’ll feel better by then. Didn’t rule out McIntyre starting. Zuccarello won’t play next two games but expected on New York trip.
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) January 6, 2023
Zuccarello is dealing with an upper-body injury suffered in a victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday. The former Ranger was having another impressive season for the Wild, with 16 goals and 24 assists in 37 games. Last season he finished with 24 goals and 55 assists in 70 games.
Zuccarello usually plays on a line with Kirill Kaprizov, and the two have meshed together very well. Matthew Boldy is expected to take that spot on the top line with Kaprizov until Zuccarello is ready to return.
The Wild will travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Saturday. Minnesota is +210 (-1.5) on the puck line and -110 on the moneyline, with an over/under of 6.5, over (-112), and under (-108) on Saturday. You can find the lines and props for this game and all others on the FanDuel Sportsbook.