Matt Boldy expected to return to Minnesota Wild lineup Thursday

He’s back.

While speaking with the media on Wednesday, Minnesota Wild coach Dean Evason announced that the plan is for forward Matt Boldy to return to the team’s lineup in their game against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.

Boldy has missed the last seven games after dealing with an upper-body injury. The 22-year-old winger had two points in his first two games, so losing him after a wild 31-goal, 63-point campaign was a tough pill to swallow.

The Wild have struggled this year, going 3-4-2 on the season. They’ve lost the last three games to Philadelphia, Washington (in overtime) and New Jersey, with their last win coming in a 7-4 drubbing over Edmonton on Oct. 27.

One of Minnesota’s best players, Boldy was drafted 12th overall by the club in 2019. He turned pro at the end of the 2020-21 season, recording 18 points in 14 games with the AHL’s Iowa Wild. He returned to the AHL the following year and put up 10 points in as many games before getting called up to the big squad. Boldy made an immediate impact, scoring 15 goals and 39 points in a top-six role with Minnesota.

Already a 30-goal scorer, it’s still possible he can do it again, even after missing time. The Wild need all the scoring help they can get, and Boldy should factor into the top six with power play responsibilities.

Boldy is in the first year of a seven-year deal worth $7 million season. According to CapFriendly, the final two years will have a 10-team no-trade clause.