Minnesota Wild leading scorer Kirill Kaprizov requires surgery, out at least a month

Jan. 28 (UPI) -- Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov, who scored a team-high 23 goals through 37 games this season, will undergo surgery on a lower-body injury and miss at least a month, general manager Bill Guerin announced Tuesday.

Kaprizov sustained the injury earlier this season, but returned to the Wild lineup Thursday. He registered two assists over his last three appearances since his return.

"Kirill is going to be out for, I guess what I can describe as a lower-body injury," Guerin told reporters. "It'll be week-to-week. I'm not going to get into any specifics or anything.

"It is not a season-ending injury, but it will put him on the shelf for the next little while."

The 27-year-old Russian totaled 29 assists, in addition to his 23 goals this season. The three-time All-Star netted at least 40 goals in each of his last three full seasons.

The Wild (29-17-4) sit in third place in the Western Conference's Central Division.

"We've been down this road before," Guerin said. "It's unfortunate. Kirill was having a Hart-Trophy-type season. It's disappointing for him and disappointing for us too, but we've put ourselves in a good position in the standings and the way we are playing.

"We just need to deal with the situation. It's not the end of the world. We are going to keep playing and continue to get better."

The Wild will take on the Toronto Maple Leafs (30-18-2) at 7 p.m. EST Wednesday in Toronto.