Top 3 Centers For The Minnesota Wild to Replace Eriksson Ek

After an exciting start to the season, injuries have really taken their toll on the Minnesota Wild. Sure, they're still in a solid playoff spot, at 3rd in the Central Division, but they've had to endure two long spells without leading scorer Kirill Kaprizov, whose return is still unknown. And now, they've lost center Joel Eriksson Ek, who is out week to week with a lower-body injury.

Kaprizov's cap hit is $9 million, Eriksson Ek's is $5.25 million. If they get some indication by next week's deadline that either or both are likely out for the balance of the regular season, they can place them on LTIR and have oodles of cap space to make a major splash by next Friday.

It's pretty much impossible to truly replace Kaprizov, but if they're looking for a center to replace Eriksson Ek, insiders Michael Russo and Joe Smith have suggested in The Athletic a list of pivots the Wild should pursue. Here are the top 3:

Brock Nelson

Certainly, this one makes the most sense in so many ways. He's a Warroad, Minnesota native, he can replace some of the lost scoring, and he's a player they were planning to pursue in free agency this summer anyway. "Now that the Wild need a center immediately and could have the room to make it work, pursuing him via trade makes even more sense," write Russo and Smith.

Dylan Cozens

Minnesota scouts have frequented Buffalo Sabres games for some time now, so Cozens is obviously on their radar. And with center being an area of need now, that interest may be ramped up. Although the 6'3" former 7th overall pick has had two down seasons in a row now since his breakout 31-goal year, the size and the prospect pedigree is certainly there. And on top of that for the Wild, he comes with "cost certainty" as Russo and Smith point out. Five more years at a $7.1M cap hit. He won't come cheaply though, regardless of his off year.

Scott Laughton

Another center who is in demand, and another one with term left and a high price tag on him. The Philadelphia Flyers love his leadership and aren't really that keen on trading him. And they don't have to: He still has another year left on his $3M AAV. With the Flyers wanting a first-rounder for him, that's a problem for Minnesota, who don't own one of those this year. But if they can find a way, he'd replace a lot of the grit and two-way play that Eriksson Ek brings.