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Wild captain Mikko Koivu leaves with upper body injury

Chicago Blackhawks v Minnesota Wild

ST PAUL, MN - DECEMBER 14: Mikko Koivu #9 of the Minnesota Wild checks Jonathan Toews #19 of the Chicago Blackhawks into the boards during the first period on December 14, 2011 at Xcel Energy Center in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

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Mikko Koivu was forced to leave the game earlier after he was rocked by a Vladimir Sobotka check less than eight minutes into the game against the St. Louis Blues. The Minnesota Wild announced in the first period that his return was questionable and that he’d suffered an “upper body injury.” It didn’t take long for the status update to be amended to “will not return” for tonight’s game.

For a little more detail on the injury, Wild beat writer Michael Russo described the aftermath of the hit. He said Koivu “immediately cradled his arm close to his body and skated to the bench like it was his shoulder.”

We’ll eagerly await an update that offers more than upper-body injury.

For the Wild, this is just the latest in injury in a season that has seen way too much action in the trainer’s room. Minnesota has already seen forwards Devin Setoguchi, Guillaume Latendresse, and Pierre-Marc Bouchard sidelined for extended periods this season—the latter two players still out indefinitely with concussions. The last thing they need is their best center and leader to miss any time as they frantically look to right the ship after a recent 2-7-1 stretch.

Good thing the Wild were able to get the season started on the right foot. Despite the recent struggles, the Wild are still right in the middle of the pack for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. If the beginning of the season proved anything, it was that this team has the potential to be dangerous when they have all of their guns healthy.