Wild defenseman Brock Faber will make his season debut tonight at TD Garden against the Bruins, after being activated off injured reserve this afternoon.
It will be his first game since a puck hit him in the head during a preseason game on Sept. 25 and left him with a fractured skull. Minnesota coach John Hynes confirmed the decision.
Gino Hard reported that the 24-year-old was officially activated and will play against Boston.
Faber hasn't played a regular-season game this year, so the Bruins will see a defenseman who has had weeks away from the ice. Over his NHL career he has 127 points in 242 games, which makes him a top-pairing piece Minnesota has been missing.
Michael Russo was among the reporters who confirmed the news, and Jess Myers relayed it as well.
The timing is awkward for Boston. The Wild arrive at 14-3-4, second in the NHL and first in the Central Division, with an 8-0-2 mark over their last 10 games.
Minnesota already beat the Bruins 4-1 on Oct. 3 in the last meeting between the teams. Now they get a key defenseman back on top of that.
Can the Bruins punish a rusty Faber?
They should try. A player coming back from a skull fracture is going to take a shift or two to find his timing, and the Bruins have to test him early with pressure on the forecheck and quick pucks into his side.
But Boston isn't in great shape to take advantage. The Bruins, 13-5-1 and third in the Atlantic, are coming off a 5-2 loss to Montreal on Thursday, and their lines have been under scrutiny all week.
In goal, Jesper Wallstedt starts for the Wild with a 5-0-0 record over his last five. Jeremy Swayman goes for Boston, 2-3-0 over his last five with a .900 save percentage, after he was pulled against the Canadiens on Thursday.
That's the more worrying side of the matchup for Marco Sturm. The Wild have the hotter goalie, a healthier blue line and a fresh reason to play loose.
Faber's minutes will be the thing to watch once the puck drops, and whether Hynes eases him in or trusts him right away.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
How will Brock Faber look in his first game back in Boston?
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