Jared Spurgeon Returns to Wild Lineup After Latest Stint on IR

The Minnesota Wild are finally getting their captain back, which means Jared Spurgeon has officially survived his latest stint on injured reserve. Daily Faceoff reports the 36-year-old defenseman is returning to the ice Thursday night against the Calgary Flames after missing four games with an upper-body injury.

At this point in his 17-year career, checking Spurgeon's medical chart requires a scroll wheel. He has only played a full 82-game season once, which makes his healthy stretches feel less like a guarantee and more like a limited-time promotional event.

"Daily Faceoff reported Spurgeon's return to the lineup after a four-game absence."

But when he actually laces them up, he still produces. Before getting shelved, Spurgeon was quietly putting together a vintage start with five points in his first six games.

He was also eating up over 22 minutes of ice time a night and sitting at a plus-four rating. You do not just replace that kind of production with a call-up and a prayer, especially on a blue line that was already looking dangerously thin.

To make room for the captain's return, Matt Kiersted is getting handed a healthy scratch. It is a tough break for the depth guys, but that is the reality of NHL roster math when a top-pairing guy is ready to go.

Minnesota managed to tread water without him, dropping a tight 4-3 game to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday after scraping out wins against the Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues. But surviving a few games is very different from sustaining a winning pace in the Western Conference.

The Wild roll into Calgary on Thursday night, and getting their defensive anchor back completely changes the math for anyone eyeing the puckline. If Spurgeon can actually stay out of the trainer's room, Minnesota might just have the stability they need to make some real noise.