Souhan: Kirill Kaprizov’s return gives hope to the Wild future

Sports can’t be solely about championships.

Sports must be about hope.

Hope for the next game, the next season, even the next moment.

So what happened on Wednesday night at the Xcel Energy Center felt momentous. Not just because the Wild needed to win and two key players returned from injury to contribute to a victory, but because what Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek did that night justified what just a week ago could have been considered misplaced hope.

The Wild were collapsing, creating the possibility that they would fall from the top of the standings in December to out of the playoffs in April.

Their victory against a quality Dallas team on Sunday gave them life. Then Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek returned and shamed Willis Reed.

For decades, Reed was the reference point for any athlete returning dramatically from an injury. In the 1970 NBA Finals, Reed suffered a torn thigh muscle and was not expected to play in Game 7 against the Lakers at Madison Square Garden.

He insisted on playing and scored the Knicks’ first two baskets, and the Knicks won the title.

In a way, what Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek did was much more dramatic, or at least more productive.

In that Game 7, Reed scored four points.

Wednesday, Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek combined for six goals.

Kaprizov’s first goal provided an instant reminder of the difference between NHL grinders and NHL stars. He received a pass to the right of the San Jose goalie, reached far to his right to control it, pulled it back toward his skates, and flicked it over a defender sliding to block his shot and over the right shoulder of the goalie.

The operative phrase to describe that play was “goal-scorer’s goal.” But that’s not specific enough. There are probably only a handful of players who could have made that play.

Eriksson Ek scored a career-high four goals in his return, going to the front of the net, withstanding checks and cheap shots, and muscling the puck into the net.

Goals aside, their return allows the Wild’s young and less-celebrated players to return to their former roles.

In February and March, Matt Boldy went 11 games without a goal. He’s better than that, but he did not look prepared to carry the mantle of lead scorer for a faltering team.

Kaprizov elevates his line and the power play, and allows other wingers to play their expected role.

Eriksson Ek takes over the role of top center.

Now the Wild’s expected top two lines are:

You can see those lines leading a playoff run, considering the Wild’s depth and quality on defense.

In one game, Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek gave the Wild justifiable hope that they can qualify for and compete in the playoffs, even against the NHL’s best teams.

In a sports market often consumed with regret and paranoia, Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek also justify hope as a policy.

When the Twins decided to sign Byron Buxton to a lucrative contract extension despite his many injuries, they were embracing risk — and hope. They signed Buxton not because he was a sure thing but because they knew it would be difficult for them to find another player like him, given their self-imposed payroll restrictions.

The Wild find themselves facing a similar decision with Kaprizov.

They haven’t won a playoff series with him on the roster. They have other needs. They could conceivably justify letting him leave as a free agent and investing in multiple free agents.

What Kaprizov did on Wednesday was remind everyone why he’s unique and, for this franchise, irreplaceable.

If the Wild let Kaprizov leave, they may never find another player like him.

Kaprizov’s presence generates hope — for this stretch run, for these playoffs, and for the remainder of his career.

He’s due to become an unrestricted free agent after next season. The Wild have no rational choice other than signing him, whatever the cost.

The Wild were reminded Wednesday that they have a franchise player; that Kaprizov is the embodiment of hope.