Wild make a huge move today, aim to take down top spot in Western Conference

The Minnesota Wild have made two significant roster moves today announcing that defenseman Jared Spurgeon and forward Kirill Kaprizov have been moved off of the injured reserve (IR) and will play tonight's game against the Utah Hockey Club.

Kaprizov has been out of the lineup since December 27th, while Spurgeon has been out of the lineup since December 31st. Both players are obviously integral to the Wild's success, but the team has done an admirable job in their absence. The Wild are 2nd in the NHL's Central Division and are gunning for top spot in the Western Conference. The Winnipeg Jets, thanks largely to the play of superstar goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, are 1st in the Conference with a 7 point advantage on the Wild, but there's no reason to think the Wild won't hit a near gear with both Spurgeon and Kaprizov back in the lineup.

The team takes on Utah tonight following an impressive 3-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Monday evening.