Prior to Saturday's game against the Oilers, the Wild activated defensemen Jonas Brodin and Jacob Middleton as well as forwards Mats Zuccarello and Vinnie Hinostroza. Bringing back those four players clearly gave the Wild more depth and strength, and they had no problems against Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Oilers.

Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy chase franchise history with matching goal streaks as the Wild clash with the high-powered Oilers.

Now 22-9-5, the Wild will be back in action on Sunday evening at 5 p.m. CT, against the league-leading Avalanche, which has a 25-2-7 record this season. It will be Minnesota first meeting with Colorado since winning a shootout on Nov. 28 at Grand Casino Arena.

With injured players returning, Ben Jones heads to the AHL as Minnesota clears roster space. His waiver status resets his clock, facilitating the move.

The Minnesota Wild hosted the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 20, to start another quick homestand. They had a boost to their lineup as the majority of their injured players returned in Vinnie Hinostroza,

COLUMBUS -- Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov each had a goal and two assists, and the Minnesota Wild extended their winning streak to six games with a 5-2 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Thursday.

Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy each had a goal and two assists, and the Minnesota Wild beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2 for their sixth straight win.

A “Welcome to Minnesota” message played on the video board during a first period break, and Minnesota Wild fans loudly welcomed Quinn Hughes to the self-proclaimed “State of Hockey.”

Things exploded in the third period when Tarasenko added another goal, followed by Yurov and then Matt Boldy (shorthanded) to make the final score 5-0. Filip Gustavsson saved 25 shots for his third shutout of the season, and the Wild's seventh as a team.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes has already etched his name into the team record books in just his second game.

Carson Lambos returns to Iowa after a promising NHL debut. Key injured players' returns signal lineup shifts, hinting at defensive reinforcements.