Game Preview: Blues vs. Wild

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- It’s a Central Division matchup tonight in Saint Paul as the Minnesota Wild hosts the St. Louis Blues for the first time this season on Wild+ and KFAN FM 100.3. Minnesota is coming off a 5-2 loss to Winnipeg on Tuesday night while the Blues look to extend their point streak to four games.

Wild Head Coach John Hynes met with the media this morning during an optional team skate and gave a lengthy injury update. Forwards Nick Foligno, Marcus Foligno and Nico Sturm are all out tonight, along with defensemen Jared Spurgeon and Olli Maatta. Hynes didn’t have an exact timeline on their returns but noted that some of them could return when the Wild hits the road next week. Matt Kiersted will slot into the lineup and make his season debut with Minnesota tonight.

Minnesota will need to adapt the “next man up” mentality now more than ever it seems. The Wild has one more home game on Sunday against the Columbus Blue Jackets before hitting the road again for a five-game road trip out west against Edmonton, Calgary, Seattle, Vancouver (back-to-back) and Utah.

Jesper Wallstedt is back in net tonight for the Wild after backing up Calvin Pickard for the first time this season in Winnipeg. Wallstedt is 4-1-1 with a 1.82 GAA and a .933 SV% in his six starts this season. He ranks fifth among NHL goaltenders in SV% and eighth in GAA. For St. Louis, Joel Hofer is the expected starter. In his four starts this season, he is 2-1-1 with a 1.76 GAA and a .921 SV%. In three starts against Minnesota, Hofer is 3-0-0 with a 1.67 GAA and a .931 SV%.

The Wild will look to continue to ride the hot hand of Kirill Kaprizov, the owner of seven points (5-2=7) in his last three games.. He currently leads the NHL with eight goals and is T-8th in points (8-3=11).

Another name to keep an eye for Minnesota is Ryan Hartman. He is facing a team in which he has 15 career goals against and over his last six games against St. Louis, Hartman owns six points (4-2=6) and a plus-4 rating.

Info for Tonight's Game:

• When: Thursday, October 15 at 7:00 p.m. CT
• Where: Grand Casino Arena (St. Paul, Minnesota)
• Tickets: Buy Tickets
• Watch: Where to Watch
• Listen: KFAN
• Gamecenter: Blues vs. Wild

At Tonight's Game:

• Food Item of the Game: French Onion Brat available for purchase at Section 110
• Let's Play Hockey: David Davis
• Educator Appreciation Night: Fans who purchased the Educator Appreciation ticket pack can pick up their item near Section 114
• Retail Item of the Game: Howie's Rope Hat available at Hockey Lodge, a Fanatics Experience.
• School Supply Drive: The Minnesota Wild and Greater Twin Cities United Way are hosting a school supply drive, presented by Fortinet, on Thursday, Oct. 15 when the Wild face the St. Louis Blues at Grand Casino Arena.

Records:

• Wild Record: 4-2-1, 9 points

• St. Louis Blues Record: 3-2-1, 7 points

• All-Time Wild Record: 45-37-21 (27-16-9 at Grand Casino Arena, 18-21-12 at St. Louis)

Connections

• C Nico Sturm recorded one point (0-1=1) in 15 games during the 2024-25 season with Florida and skated in eight postseason games to help the Panthers win the 2025 Stanley Cup
• Minnesota Assistant Coach Jack Capuano worked as Associate Coach with Florida for two seasons (2017-19)
• D Matt Kiersted skated in 39 games and notched seven points (2-5=7) with Florida over parts of four seasons (2020-25)
• D Dmitry Kulikov collected 24 points (7-17=24) in 80 games with Minnesota in 2020-21.

Wild Leaders Against Blues

• F Ryan Hartman leads Minnesota with 24 points (15-9=24) in 39 career games against the Blues.
• F Kirill Kaprizov has 21 points (9-12=21) in 21 games.
• D Jonas Brodin has 17 points (5-12=17) in 49 career games.
• D Jared Spurgeon owns 16 points (4-12=16) in 56 games.
• F Nick Foligno has 15points (6-9=15) in 32 contests.

Blues Leaders Against Wild

• F Pavel Buchnevich leads St. Louis with 25 points (12-13=25) in 24 career games against Minnesota.
• F Robert Thomas has 23 points (4-19=23) in 32 games.
• D Cam Fowler owns 19 points (8-11=19) in 52 games.
• D Colton Parayko has 17 points (2-15=17) in 42 games.

Connections

• Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager
  Bill Guerin registered 47 points (28-19=47) in 61 contests with the Blues
  in 2006-07
• F Jimmy Snuggerud is a Minneapolis native, played one season (2019-
  20. at Chaska High School and three seasons (2022-25) at the University
      of Minnesota.
• St. Louis Assistant Coach Greg Cronin spent one season as
  Head Coach of the Iowa Wild (2025-26).

Fast Facts

• The Wild has never swept a season series against the Blues.
• Minnesota topped St. Louis in the 2015 First Round, clinching the series
  with a Game 6 win in Saint Paul – marking the first time in franchise history
  Minnesota won a playoff series on home ice.
• The Blues defeated the Wild in the 2017 First Round and 2022 First Round

For more information on tonight's matchup, check out the game notes below.