The New York Islanders visit the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, Oct. 29, with both clubs coming off strong recent stretches. This Islanders vs Wild preview looks at an early-season matchup between a Wild team that has won three straight and an Islanders squad that just snapped a two-game skid with a shootout win in Nashville. The biggest question heading into puck drop at Grand Casino Arena is whether New York’s banged-up lineup can slow down a Minnesota offense that already leads the Central Division.
New York Islanders Vs Minnesota Wild Game Information
- Date: Thursday, Oct. 29
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Venue: Grand Casino Arena, Saint Paul, Minnesota
- TV/Streaming: ESPN+, MSGSN, MINNHL
- Season Series: First meeting of the season
How Have Both Teams Played Recently?
Minnesota enters at 9-3-2 and sits atop the Central Division with 20 points, after losing its first two games of the stretch in overtime at Edmonton and in regulation at Calgary before reeling off three straight wins against Seattle, Vancouver and Utah. The Wild beat the Utah Mammoth 3-1 on Wednesday, just a day before hosting the Islanders.
New York is 6-4-2 and sits fourth in the Metropolitan Division with 14 points. The Islanders have alternated results over their last five games, including a 6-3 loss at Dallas on Oct. 25 sandwiched between wins over Toronto and Anaheim and a 4-3 shootout victory at Nashville on Wednesday, detailed in Total Apex Sports’ Islanders-Predators preview. The back-to-back nature of that Nashville game and Thursday’s trip to Minnesota adds a travel wrinkle for New York.
Who Are The Projected Starting Goalies?
Ilya Sorokin is projected to start for the Islanders after the team’s shootout win in Nashville. Minnesota is projected to start Jesper Wallstedt, who has taken on additional starts with Filip Gustavsson on injured reserve following hip surgery, with a return date listed as Nov. 19. Both designations remain projections until the lineups are finalized at puck drop, according to the official NHL data.
What Is The Injury Situation For Each Team?
Minnesota’s injury list is extensive. Defenseman Brock Faber remains on injured reserve recovering from skull surgery, with a return date of Nov. 3. Forwards Marcus Foligno (lower body) and Nick Foligno (upper body) are both on injured reserve with a return date listed as Oct. 29, while defenseman Jared Spurgeon is day-to-day with an undisclosed issue and the same target return date. Gustavsson’s recovery timeline is the longest among the group.
New York is also dealing with multiple absences. Center Mathew Barzal is on injured reserve with a knee injury and a projected return date of Nov. 7. Forward Matias Maccelli (left lower body) is targeted for Nov. 17, center Calum Ritchie (lower body) for Dec. 1, and defenseman Alexander Romanov remains out long-term following right knee surgery, with a return date of April 8, 2027. The Islanders’ injury situation was significant enough to prompt a recent call-up, covered in Total Apex Sports’ report on the Islanders’ injury list.
What Is The Key Matchup To Watch?
Minnesota’s power play, which has converted 13 goals this season, will test an Islanders penalty kill that has been without key defensive pieces like Romanov for extended stretches. Kirill Kaprizov leads the Wild with 14 goals and a team-high 23 points, and he will see significant ice time against an Islanders blue line already thinned by injuries to Romanov and the absence of depth options.
On the other side, New York’s faceoff advantage stands out. The Islanders have won 55.1% of their draws as a team compared to Minnesota’s 49.5%, a split that could help New York control zone time and limit the Wild’s transition chances if it holds up Thursday.
What To Watch
Minnesota’s 20 points put it atop the Central Division, while New York’s 14 points have the Islanders fourth in the Metropolitan. A Wild win would extend their winning streak to four games. For the Islanders, a victory on the road against a divisional leader would snap a pattern of alternating wins and losses that has defined their past five outings. Bo Horvat leads New York with six goals and 13 points and will be looked to for secondary scoring given the absences up front.
New York continues its road trip after this game, while Minnesota looks to keep its winning streak alive at home. Neither club has faced the other yet this season, making Thursday’s meeting the first of the 2026-27 series.
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