With Zach Bogosian injured, Wild call up Dakota Mermis from Iowa

With Zach Bogosian injured, the Wild recalled defenseman Dakota Mermis from Iowa as insurance before they head on a four-game Canada/West Coast trip.

Forward Vinni Lettieri was sent back to Iowa.

The 29-year-old Mermis has two goals and three assists in 13 games with Minnesota this season. He's the Iowa Wild captain this season and has played in 430 career American Hockey League games and 40 in the NHL.

Lettieri, a 28-year-old former Gophers player, has two goals and an assist in 13 games with the Wild this season and a goal in six games at Iowa.

Bogosian, the veteran defenseman acquired in a trade from Tampa Bay earlier this season, has an upper body injury. He did not play Sunday as the Wild beat the Blackhawks at Xcel Energy Center. Jon Merrill played in his absence; Bogosian will be on the road trip, however.

"I'm optimistic [that Bogosian will play during the trip],'' coach John Hynes said.

The Wild are at Calgary on Tuesday, at Vancouver on Thursday, at Edmonton on Friday and at Seattle on Sunday.

Wisconsin forward Charlie Stramel, the Wild's first-round pick (No. 21 overall) in the 2023 NHL draft, was not one of the 24 players named to the preliminary roster for the U.S. team in the World Junior Championship.

Stramel, a sophomore from Rosemount, has one goal and no assists in 11 games this season after collecting five goals and seven assists in 32 games as a freshman. The 19-year-old was on the U.S. junior national team the past two years.

Gophers Oliver Moore, Jimmy Snuggerud, Ryan Chesley and Sam Rinzel are on the roster, as are Bemidji State defenseman Eric Pohlkamp, Wisconsin forward William Whitelaw (Rosemount) and Notre Dame forward Danny Nelson (Maple Grove).

• Defenseman Jared Spurgeon, who suffered a leg injury but returned to Sunday's game against Chicago, was not limited in practice Monday. "Spurge is good,'' Hynes said. "He practiced today fully, so that was a good sign."

• Iowa Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt was named AHL player of the week after stopping 83 of 86 shots he faced in 5-1 and 3-2 road victories against the Colorado Eagles over the weekend. He went 2-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average and .965 save percentage in the series.