Wild Wrap Up Three-Game Road Trip in Florida

The Wild closes out its three-game road trip tonight against the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena. Puck drop is set for 5:00 p.m. CT, with fans able to watch on Wild+ or listen on KOOL 107.9 FM.

Minnesota enters tonight's matchup 0-1-1 on the road trip, following an overtime loss to Buffalo and a regulation loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday. Looking to finish the trip strong, the Wild owns a 22-10-5 all-time record against Florida and has earned a point in six of the last seven meetings (4-1-2).

Florida enters tonight with a record of 2-0-2 with three of their first four games going into overtime. The Panthers are also well rested as they have not played since their win over Los Angeles on Tuesday night. Tonight is also the first home game of the season for Florida as they began their season in Carolina before heading west for games against San Jose, Anaheim and Los Angeles. While a return home will be nice for the Panthers, the Wild has won the last three contests at Amerant Bank Center.

With the injuries piling up for Minnesota, forward Rieger Lorenz is expected to make his NHL debut. Recalled to the team yesterday, the former Denver Pioneer was a standout in college as he collected 35 points (17-18=35) in his senior season (2025-26), ranking second on the team in goals and T-2nd in points. He helped lead the Pioneers to an NCHC Championship before eventually claiming the NCAA Championship in St. Louis. Lorenz started the season with the Iowa Wild where he tallied three points (2-1=3) in two games, leading Iowa in goals and ranking T-2nd in points.

As far as injuries go, forward Nick Foligno was placed on Injured Reserve yesterday and the team also moved Filip Gustavsson to Long-term Injured Reserve as he continues to rehab from off-season hip surgery. Defenseman Olli Maatta, who did not play on Thursday night in Tampa Bay, is expected to slot back in tonight and play alongside defensive partner, Jonas Brodin.

Players to Watch:

Matt Boldy: It’s only a matter of time before Boldy breaks through. He has 19 shots on goal in four games which is T-5th in the NHL. He owns 10 points (3-7=10) in nine career games against the Panthers.

Quinn Hughes: He is looking to extend his four-game point streak (2-4=6). Hughes and defensive partner Jared Spurgen have tied Ryan Suter for the longest season-opening point streak by a defenseman. Hughes has found success against the Panthers in his career, collecting 11 points (2-9=11) in 13 contests.