Wild dealing with major injury-driven lineup shakeup before Game 6

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Vincent Carbonneau
April 30, 2026  (5:43 PM)

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Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Jonas Brodin is out for John Hynes in Game 6, and that is a real blow for a Minnesota Wild team trying to finish this series.

This is the biggest development going into tonight. Minnesota has a chance to move on, but it now has to do it without one of its most important defensemen.

Hynes said Brodin is out day to day after getting hurt blocking a shot in Game 5. That wording matters because it leaves the door open later, but not for this game.

And Game 6 is not the kind of night where you can casually replace a player like Brodin. He settles breakouts, closes gaps, and helps keep the pace under control when things get chaotic.

That is why this change hits harder than a normal lineup shuffle. Minnesota is not swapping out a depth extra.

It is losing a top defender in a game that could send the club to the second round for the first time in more than a decade.

Jeff Petry is the player coming in, and he did not duck the moment. He called it an opportunity to step in and make an impact, while also admitting the circumstances are bittersweet because of Brodin's injury.

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Petry will skate on the third pair with Zach Bogosian, which tells you the Wild are trying to keep his role clear and manageable right away.

The bigger ripple comes above him. Jake Middleton moves up to the second pair with Jared Spurgeon, which changes the whole shape of the defense corps for a game this important.

Minnesota still has Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber taking the top minutes, so the foundation is not gone. But losing Brodin changes the balance.

That puts more pressure on everyone else to play cleaner. Dallas does not need a second invitation to attack a new pairing or force mistakes off the rush.

This is where Hynes earns his money. He has to protect Petry's minutes, keep the pairings from getting exposed, and make sure the Wild do not start chasing the game because of one blue-line loss.

The Wild are still in a strong spot because they can close this out tonight. But the margin got tighter the second Brodin was ruled out.

Minnesota does not need Petry to be Brodin. It needs him to be calm, steady, and hard to play through.

If he can give them that, the Wild still have a real shot to finish the job. If not, Brodin's absence may end up being the opening Dallas needed.

Previously

Canucks GM search takes unexpected turn as new names surface

Concerning update from Elliotte Friedman on key Ottawa Senators player

Corey Perry calls out a star teammate and sends a blunt message to the locker room

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2 HOURS AGO   |   34 ANSWERS Wild dealing with major injury-driven lineup shakeup before Game 6 Will Jonas Brodin's absence be the biggest factor in Game 6 ?

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