The Minnesota Wild recalled forward Luke Kunin and assigned defenseman Mike Reilly to the Iowa Wild, the team announced Friday.
Minnesota defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 on Thursday night, but not without ramifications. Already missing Mikael Granlund and Zach Parise because of injuries, forwards Charlie Coyle, Nino Niederreiter and Marcus Foligno were hurt during the victory. The Wild finished the game with just eight forwards -- and an awfully roomy bench.
With all five previously mentioned forwards expected to miss Saturday's home opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Kunin, the Wild's first-round pick in 2016, will look to make his National Hockey League debut.
Through two American Hockey League games, Kunin had already made an impact in Iowa, with a goal and an assist. He played two years of collegiate hockey for the Wisconsin Badgers and led the team in points, goals, and shots on goal during his sophomore season in 2016-17.
Kunin also served as captain on Team USA at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, guiding them to a gold medal.
