As the Minnesota Wild settle into what is now a best-of-three series with the Stars, it appears a major piece of the puzzle is about to return to the lineup. Mats Zuccarello has missed the last three games after taking a dirty hit from Tyler Myers back in Game 1 and his absence has been felt all over Minnesota's special teams.
Without Zuccarello on the ice the Wild have lost a step on the power play, something that likely cost them a win in this series back in Game 3. However, as painful as it's been to watch the team without Zuccarello, the wait to see him return might finally be over.
Michael Russo over at The Athletic passed along a much-needed update that Zuccarello had finally returned to practice. There's still a layer of approval that needs to be passed before he's back, but all signs seem to be pointing toward Zuccarello returning for Game 5 in Dallas on Tuesday night.
Zuccarello running a No. 1 power-play meeting for several minutes pic.twitter.com/fSEXI1DGnB
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 27, 2026
Mats Zuccarello is set to return to the Wild lineup at the exact right time
This is absolutely massive for the Wild. Ever since Zuccarello left Game 1, the Minnesota power play has been abysmal. That's probably being a little too kind, as the Wild are 1-for-16 on the power play over the last three games and that lone goal is starting to feel more like an accident than anything else.
Zuccarello's absence has been a big part of why Minnesota has been so poor with a man advantage, but everything about special teams is a mess right now. The Wild have allowed Dallas to score on almost 50 percent of its power play opportunities since Game 1, something that has evened out a series that started with Minnesota dominating the Stars.
That 6-1 victory feels like a lifetime ago, but so does the idea of having Zuccarello on the ice. One guy who desperately needs him back is Kirill Kaprizov, who has gone ice cold since scoring in Game 1. While he's said that he needs to be better for the Wild with or without his linemate, Zuccarello is the Kaprizov whisperer, and the sooner he gets back in the lineup, the better.
It's going to be a perfectly timed return as well. Minnesota barely lost in Game 3 in double overtime, but probably would have closed things out a lot sooner if Zuccarello had been on the ice for any of the three power plays the Wild had that night. Matt Boldy's heroics in Game 4 evened the series up but getting a weapon like Zuccarello back for the remainder of the series could be something that tips things in Minnesota's favor.