When the injury bug bites, sometimes it really sinks its teeth in. It’s currently gnawing away at the Minnesota Wild.

On the heels of Bill Guerin’s recently disclosing star Kirill Kaprizov will be out longer than initially expected, the Wild are placing Joel Eriksson-Ek on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

According to head coach John Hynes, Ek finished Monday’s practice then didn’t feel good afterward.

“It wasn’t like one thing that happened,” Hynes said at Tuesday’s morning pregame skate.

Hynes didn’t offer specifics about Ek’s injury beyond confirming it was lower-body, but said the team expects Ek will be out “weeks, for sure”.

Click the video box on this page to watch interviews with Ryan Hartman, head Coach John Hynes and forward Matt Boldy from the pregame skate about the rematch with Detroit, Joel Eriksson Ek’s injury and Ryan Hartman’s ongoing suspension

Ek being shelved leaves the Wild without their best defensive forward while already missing Kaprizov, their best offensive forward.

Some relief comes with Jakub Lauko returning from an injury. Liam Ohgren has also been recalled.

Tuesday morning’s skate also brought Ryan Hartman’s first comments since he was suspended ten games after driving Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle’s head into the ice during a faceoff.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman reduced the suspension to eight games on Monday after the NHL Players’ Association appealed on Hartman’s behalf.

Bettman wrote that he believes the revised length of the ban would still serve as an “appropriate wake-up call” for the 30-year-old Hartman to “reevaluate his conduct on the ice and make positive changes to his game.”

The Wild host Detroit Tuesday night in a rematch of Saturday’s overtime thriller the Wild won in overtime.