Minnesota Wild place Brock Faber, Filip Gustavsson on IR
The Minnesota Wild are starting the 2026-27 season shorthanded. The team announced on Monday, with rosters being finalized, that they'll be starting the new season with star defenceman Brock Faber, and goaltender Filip Gustavsson on the injured reserve.
Faber, 24, was supposed to start year on the Wild's top d-pairing alongside Quinn Hughes. He entered concussion protocol last week after taking a puck to the side of the head during a preseason game. Faber was listed on the IR retroactive to last Friday, which results in him being eligible to dress in the Wild's season opener on Thursday. We'll just have to wait and see if he gets cleared.
As for Gustavsson, he is still recovering from offseason hip surgery and isn't expected to be in NHL game shape until towards the end of November. Jesper Wallstedt is in line to receive the majority of starts until his return.
The #mnwild has placed defenseman Brock Faber and goaltender Filip Gustavsson on Injured Reserve. The active roster now sits at 23 players: pic.twitter.com/ou4M5z9Agx
— Minnesota Wild PR (@mnwildPR) September 28, 2026
Faber would be a huge loss if he's not able to dress in the opener, but getting him back to 100% should, of course, be the goal. He racked up 15 goals and 51 points in 80 games, and some feel a full season alongside Hughes could propel his numbers even higher.
Gustavsson is starting his new five-year contract extension, paying him $6.8 million AAV. The Swedish netminder posted a 28-15-6 record last season, including a .904 save percentage. Wallstedt took over as the full-time starter once the Stanley Cup Playoffs began.