Story by
MN Wild Place Veteran Forward on IR, Call Up Rookie for NHL Debut
- Story by
- MN Wild Place Veteran Forward on IR, Call Up Rookie for NHL Debut
Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
The Minnesota Wild haven't had much luck on the injury front to start the 2026-27 season, despite their 2-1-1 record following Thursday's 3-2 loss at Tampa Bay . And unfortunately their health issues aren't getting any better.
Minnesota has been without Brock Faber (skull) and Filip Gustavsson (hip), who both began the season on injured reserve . Olli Maatta (lower body) was a late scratch in Tampa , though GM Bill Guerin said during intermission on Wild+ last night that he thinks it's minor.
Advertisement
Then there's Nick Foligno. The veteran forward and elder of the two Foligno brothers on the Wild got hurt early in Tuesday's overtime loss against Buffalo. On Thursday, coach John Hynes called him day-to-day and said it's possible he returns to the lineup as soon as Monday.
Minnesota Wild place Nick Foligno on injured reserve, call up Rieger Lorenz
On Friday morning, though, we found out that isn't happening. Instead, the MN Wild placed Nick Foligno on injured reserve with an upper-body injury and recalled forward Rieger Lorenz from Iowa.
As The Athletic's Michael Russo suggested in his game story last night, it's Tyler Pitlick going back down. The Wild didn't give a timeline for Foligno's return in their announcement.
We have recalled forward Rieger Lorenz from the Iowa Wild. In addition, forward Nick Foligno has been placed on Injured Reserve (upper body) and forward Tyler Pitlick has been reassigned to Iowa.More information » https://t.co/GNI96AtpOn pic.x.com/fb8ynlmdSl
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) October 9, 2026
Related: Red Wings GM Scouts MN Wild as Larkin Interest Lingers
Advertisement
Rieger Lorenz has two goals (3 points) in two games with Iowa this season, which leads the team. The Calgary native helped the University of Denver win the 2026 NCAA championship and was a second-round pick (56th overall) by Minnesota in 2022.
Lorenz — who will make his NHL debut should he step on the ice Saturday in Florida — will wear No. 61. Last season at Denver, he was an alternate captain with 35 points.
The 22-year-old left-handed forward scored the tying goal in the Pioneers' 2-1 win over Wisconsin in the 2026 NCAA title game. He also made the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team.
Rieger Lorenz on the breakaway https://t.co/WhrxGsr2TN
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) September 20, 2026
What injured reserve does (and doesn't) do for the cap
This is regular injured reserve, not long-term injured reserve (LTIR), and the difference matters. Under the NHL's hockey operations guidelines , a player can go on standard IR if he's unable to play for at least seven days after the date of the injury.
Advertisement
The team can then replace him on the NHL roster, and players on standard IR don't count against the 23-man roster limit. What regular IR doesn't do is free up cap space. So Foligno's $900,000 cap hit, per PuckPedia , still counts against Minnesota's cap.
LTIR is a different tool. It requires a player to miss at least 10 games and 24 days, and it lets a team exceed the cap ceiling while that player is out, rather than wiping the injured player's cap hit off the books.
That's why Pitlick had to go down for Lorenz to come up. "The Wild only have $354,000 in cap space left, so it's not enough money to call up a player without a reassignment," Russo wrote after Thursday's game.
While going into LTIR seems inevitable, the Wild want to avoid it at all costs so they can continue accruing cap space for in-season moves.
PuckPedia listed the Wild with $355,897 in current cap space before Friday's moves. Lorenz carries a $1,013,750 cap hit , compared to $850,000 for Pitlick. That $163,750 difference leaves the Wild roughly $192,000 of cushion.
Advertisement
Next up, the Wild finish a three-game road trip Saturday at Florida (5 PM CT) . The earliest Foligno can return from injured reserve, if his placement is backdated, would be Tuesday (October 13) at Winnipeg.
Other MN Wild injury issues Friday morning
To make matters worse, Quinn Hughes and Nick's brother, Marcus, didn't practice Friday, according to Russo, which could play into why Lorenz was called up.
Quinn Hughes, who logged 31:39, isn't practicing, so possibly told not to practice today.Marcus Foligno isn't practicing and he was visibly limping after the game, so that could be why the Rieger Lorenz recall.Olli Maatta is practicing.
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) October 9, 2026
