Wild’s Jonas Brodin day-to-day with lower-body injury

The Minnesota Wild are playing it safe with veteran defenseman Jonas Brodin.

After returning to the lineup Saturday versus the Buffalo Sabres following a nine-game absence related to a lower-body injury, the 31-year-old Swedish-born blue-liner is once again sidelined, this time on a day-to-day basis due to a lower-body ailment.

However, on Monday, Wild head coach John Hynes indicated that Brodin did not aggravate his previous injury. Rather, the team is being cautious with three games in the next four days, beginning Tuesday against the Central Division rival Dallas Stars, reports Joe Smith of The Athletic.

Following Saturday’s 4-1 victory over the Sabres, Brodin told reporters, “I know it has been pretty unlucky here lately, but I hope now I can stay healthy for the rest of the season and the playoffs, when the fun starts.”

Beyond his latest injury, Brodin also missed a 12-game stretch through early February related to a lower-body ailment as well as an eight-game absence through mid-December after he suffered an upper-body injury. Brodin also missed a pair of November contests due to an upper-body ailment.

On the season, Brodin has made 39 appearances with the Wild in which he has tallied four goals and 15 assists for 19 points coupled with 14 penalty minutes and a plus-11 rating. Originally chosen 10th overall by Minnesota in the 2011 NHL Draft, Brodin has since spent 13 seasons with the Wild in which he has totaled 58 goals and 201 assists for 259 points. Brodin has also added two goals and 14 assists for 16 points through 67 appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

For the Wild, on the season the club sits 40-25-5 to hold down the first wildcard seed in the Western Conference with 85 points. The Wild have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in four of the past five seasons.