The lower-body injury Wild defenseman Ryan Suter suffered Saturday in a 4-1 loss to the Stars in Dallas will sideline Suter indefinitely, a source said.
Suter was injured late in the second period after his right foot slammed awkwardly into the boards following a hit from Stars winger Remi Elie. He had to be helped off the ice, as he appeared to be putting no weight on his right leg.
Already, the Wild are without Suter's regular partner on the top pairing, Jared Spurgeon, who's on the mend after he partially tore his right hamstring March 13. Spurgeon was expected to be out at least a month.
Before getting hurt, Suter had appeared in every game this season for the Wild _ and all 82 in the previous two campaigns. He averaged 26 minutes, 46 seconds in ice time, the second-highest clip in the NHL, and had six goals and a career-high 45 assists. His 51 points tied the best output of his career.
It's likely the Wild will recall a defenseman Sunday since Suter's absence leaves the team with only five options. Gustav Olofsson is doubtful to play Monday against the Oilers, as he's in concussion protocol after getting hit Thursday in the 5-2 win over the Stars.
"It'd be interesting to see how many games we've actually played with the lineup that you pencil in at the beginning of the year," winger Zach Parise said after Saturday's game. "We haven't had that too often. Unfortunately, that's what we've dealt with. If Ryan's going to be out for a while, we're going to have elevate our game even more."
