Ryan Suter injury update: Wild star feared lost

The Minnesota Wild are going to make the playoffs barring a total collapse, but an injury Ryan Suter might have dashed their long-term dreams.

Minnesota has been dealing with injuries all year long, and now it has to overcome another on the brink of a playoff berth. On Saturday night, defenseman Ryan Suter went into the backboards and had to be helped off the ice, favoring his right leg.

Now, reports are coming out about the severity of the injury, and the initial fear is that Suter has a broken fibula. If that’s the case, Suter will be out for the remainder of the season, leaving a significant hole in the Minnesota lineup.

The impact of losing Suter can’t be overstated. The 33-year-old has been a tower of strength on the blue line for the Wild all season, logging a team-high 26:47 minutes per game. Suter has also contributed 51 points to the cause, ranking fourth on the team behind only Eric Staal, Mikael Granlund and Jason Zucker.

If Suter does indeed have a broken leg, Minnesota will nee to rely even more on Matt Dumba, who has emerged as one of the better defensemen in the game. Dumba has helped run the power play, notching 11 of his 46 points on the man advantage.

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It’s likely that the Wild take on the Winnipeg Jets in the Central Division semifinals, a daunting task to be sure. Minnesota has to slow down 19-year-old wunderkind Patrick Laine, who has 43 goals and 68 points in his second season.