Wild’s Jake Middleton leaves game against Oilers with upper-body injury

Early in a game between the Minnesota Wild and the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night, Wild defenseman Jake Middleton left the contest due to an upper-body injury.

Middleton’s night didn’t last long. In his first shift, he was hit by a shot from Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard, with the puck striking Middleton in his hand. He didn’t return. The 28-year-old’s lone shift on the game lasted only 37 seconds.

Middleton has appeared in every game so far this season for the Wild and has been on a career-best scoring pace. Through 28 games, the Wainwright, Alberta native has scored five goals and eight assists for 13 points. He’s already close to tying his career-high in goals, which he set last year when he scored seven times. The 25 points Middleton registered during the 2023-24 season was the most in a single season in his career.

The former San Jose Shark has been fairly healthy over the last few seasons. Middleton appeared in 80 games last year, only missing three games during the 2022-23 campaign. In 2021-22, the year he was traded to the Wild from the Sharks, Middleton appeared in 76 games.

Middleton entered the new season after signing a big deal with the Wild. On July 1, he signed a four-year contract extension to stay in the Twin Cities. The terms of the deal feature an AAV of $4.35 million through the 2027-28 season, a bump from the $2.45 million cap hit on his last contract.

In 268 career NHL appearances, Middleton has scored 19 goals and 51 assists for 70 points, including three assists in 12 Stanley Cup Playoff games–all with the Wild.

Heading into Thursday, the Wild (19-5-4) were tied for first in the Central Division, and the Western Conference, with the Winnipeg Jets.