Acquired for defense, Wild's Jake Middleton contributes on offensive end

The Wild acquired Jake Middleton before the NHL trade deadline last month to strengthen its blue line, but the rugged defenseman isn't just delivering in his own end.

Middleton is also creating offense, a well-timed spark as the Wild continues to be shorthanded because of injuries.

"He's been so good," said captain Jared Spurgeon, who has worked alongside Middleton since Middleton arrived March 21 in a deal that sent goalie Kaapo Kahkonen and a fifth-round draft pick to the Sharks. "Just big, strong, breaking stuff up, and last couple of games offensively, he's showing off his skating and that instinct as well."

After scoring his first goal with the Wild last Friday at St. Louis, a slick shot that clipped the post en route to the back of the net, the 6-3, 219-pound Middleton switched to the setup role on Sunday and chipped in two assists to help the team rally from a 3-0 deficit to topple the Kings 6-3 at Xcel Energy Center.

Those three points are a third of what he tallied earlier in the season through 45 games with San Jose, but Middleton said it wasn't easy for him to embrace looking for offensive opportunities.

"We noticed that in the first eight games where I went pointless," explained Middleton, who is in his first full season in the NHL after previously splitting time in the minors. "I was a little lost. I wanted to read off my players. These guys, the forward group and the 'D' corps, you can trust them so easily. You know they're always going to be in a good spot.

"If you jump as long as you're with your guy, you can make those plays and kind of read and react to things. It took me a handful of games, but I'm feeling a lot more comfortable doing it, especially in the offensive zone here."

Playing on a high-profile pairing isn't new to Middleton, who partnered with the likes of Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson as a member of the Sharks.

But what is different with the Wild are the stakes, with the 26-year-old going from a team near the bottom of the Western Conference to one near the top.

"It's been quite a whirlwind, honestly," he said. "I couldn't have asked for anything better. Trade deadline morning, when you wake up and get a phone call at 8:30, you're not sure the grass is always greener, how things are going to work out.

"I've called my parents every 48 hours here saying, 'This is some of the most fun I've ever had playing hockey.' So, I couldn't be happier."

Winger Nic Deslauriers missed a second consecutive game because of a lower-body injury, and defenseman Jon Merrill also remained out. Merrill hasn't played since March 31 because of an upper-body injury.

Both players are considered day-to-day, and they're expected to accompany the Wild on its upcoming road trip.

It's unclear, though, if Matt Dumba will travel.

The defenseman is skating but is still sidelined because of an upper-body injury suffered last Tuesday at Nashville.

Next up for the Wild is a return to the road where it'll make two stops to face Central Division rivals Dallas and St. Louis.

The Wild is 10-9-2 inside the division this season but 4-9-2 against everyone except the last two teams (Chicago and Arizona). While the Stars are battling for a wild card invite, the Blues and Wild continue to compete for the second spot behind the No. 1 Avalanche.

As for scoreboard watching, "The only time I've looked is after we lose a game," center Ryan Hartman said. "I've never really looked after we win a game. If we do our job, we don't have to worry about anything else."