Puck drop 7:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Benchmark International Arena, Tampa, Florida
TV/Streaming: ESPN+, MINNHL, Wild+, The Spot
This is a non-conference matchup featuring two strong early-season teams. Minnesota visits on a road trip after an OT loss; Tampa Bay looks to extend a home winning streak during its first homestand.
Injury Reports
Minnesota Wild
Brock Faber (D): Out (skull fracture/procedure), IR; expected return mid-to-late October at earliest.
Filip Gustavsson (G): Out (hip surgery recovery), IR; projected return around early November.
Nick Foligno (LW): Day-to-day (upper body); injured in the Oct. 6 game vs. Buffalo.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Emil Lilleberg (D): Out (undisclosed); expected to miss about a week (return ~Oct. 13).
Yanni Gourde (C): Out (hip), IR-NR; longer-term (into December).
Dominic James (C): Out/hand (IR-NR); close to returning or eligible soon.
Projected Goalies
Minnesota: Jesper Wallstedt (projected starter, strong early form with .957 SV% and 1.01 GAA in limited action; Calvin Pickard as backup).
Tampa Bay: Andrei Vasilevskiy (projected, high start probability).
Current Rosters / Key Players
Minnesota Wild:
Forwards – Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Foligno, Blake Coleman, Ryan Hartman, Bobby Brink, Yakov Trenin, Danila Yurov, Nico Sturm, Michael McCarron, Maxim Shabanov, Charlie Stramel, Nick Foligno (DTD).
Defense – Quinn Hughes, Jared Spurgeon (C), Jonas Brodin, Olli Maatta, Zach Bogosian, Daemon Hunt, David Spacek (Faber on IR).
Goalies – Jesper Wallstedt, Calvin Pickard (Gustavsson on IR).
Tampa Bay Lightning:
Forwards – Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel, Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli, Gage Goncalves, Conor Geekie, Pontus Holmberg, Ilya Mikheyev, Zemgus Girgensons, Jeffrey Viel, Scott Sabourin (Gourde and James sidelined).
Defense – Victor Hedman (C), John Carlson, Erik Cernak, Ryan McDonagh, J.J. Moser, Max Crozier, Charle-Edouard D’Astous (Lilleberg out).
Goalies – Andrei Vasilevskiy, Dennis Hildeby.
Minnesota features elite talent in Kaprizov, Boldy, and Hughes. Tampa Bay relies on its proven core of Kucherov, Point, Guentzel, Hagel, and Hedman.
Recent Team Forms
Minnesota (2-0-1): Strong start with wins at Nashville (3-1) and vs. Boston (4-1), followed by a 2-3 OT loss at Buffalo (Oct. 6). Excellent special teams early (high PP%, perfect PK in sample). Wallstedt has been outstanding in net. One day of rest after travel.
Tampa Bay (2-1-0): Opened with a loss at the Rangers (1-5), then home wins vs. Washington (3-1) and Philadelphia (4-1). Undefeated at home so far. Power play has been quiet early (0% in small sample), but structure and goaltending have held up. Two days of rest.
Series History / Head-to-Head
Minnesota holds a solid all-time edge (roughly 22-13-1 or better in various tallies). Recent meetings have been competitive and higher-scoring at times:
March 24, 2026: Tampa Bay 6, Minnesota 3 (at TB).
March 3, 2026: Minnesota 5, Tampa Bay 1 (at MIN).
Earlier games in 2024-25 also saw Minnesota take both meetings. Home ice has favored the hosts in many recent contests.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Nikita Kucherov / Brayden Point / Jake Guentzel (Tampa top skill) vs. Quinn Hughes / Jared Spurgeon and Minnesota top forwards (Kaprizov-Boldy-Eriksson Ek): Elite offense against Minnesota’s top defense pair and two-way centers.
Victor Hedman / John Carlson vs. Kirill Kaprizov / Matt Boldy: Tampa’s veteran blueline against Minnesota’s primary scoring threats.
Brandon Hagel / Anthony Cirelli depth vs. Blake Coleman / Marcus Foligno physicality: Middle-six battles and forechecking intensity.
Goaltending: Wallstedt’s hot start vs. Vasilevskiy’s experience.
Special teams: Minnesota’s early PP efficiency vs. Tampa’s struggling man-advantage; both PKs have been solid. Tampa has last change at home.
Betting Trends
Minnesota has been stingy defensively and efficient on special teams early; Tampa Bay is strong at home but power-play challenged. H2H has seen both higher- and lower-scoring outcomes recently.
Game Odds
Minnesota Wild 6
Tampa Bay Lightning – 150
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, October 7, 2026
