Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in EnglishST. PAUL, Minn. — Kirill Kaprizov, once the front-runner for the Hart Trophy this season, and Joel Eriksson Ek, arguably the Minnesota Wild’s most irreplaceable player, could both return after long absences Wednesday night when the Wild host the San Jose Sharks.As long as everything goes well in Wednesday’s morning skate, both players are expected to play, multiple NHL sources tell The Athletic.Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek traveled to New York for the beginning of the Wild’s road trip last week and were cleared for contact. They each practiced with the Wild on Tuesday and, near the end of the session, took part in contact drills for the first time, at least in that environment.They had previously been bumping and checking each other in small-session skates with skating and skills coach Andy Ness and a handful of Wild extras.With four games left in the regular season, the Wild are fighting to secure their 11th playoff berth in the past 13 years. They are two points behind the St. Louis Blues for the top wild-card spot with a game in hand. They are four points ahead of the Calgary Flames with one more game played. The Blues are at the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night, and the Flames are at the Anaheim Ducks two nights before a huge home showdown with the Wild.Kaprizov, who turns 28 later this month, was one of the NHL’s best players for one of the NHL’s best teams through mid-December when he got hurt. In the first game after the league’s holiday hiatus, Kaprizov wasn’t on the team plane to Dallas. He missed the next month, then returned for three games and finally was forced to undergo surgery in late January. He has missed the past 28 games and 41 this season.Kaprizov has scored 23 goals and 52 points in 37 games this season, with 128 shots on goal and a plus-19 rating.Eriksson Ek, 28, has had an injury-plagued season — out of the lineup on five separate occasions. He missed the final game before the 4 Nations Face-Off, then was one of Sweden’s best players in the tournament. He returned from the tournament, practiced with the Wild and played one of his best games of the season at the Detroit Red Wings. But after his next practice with the team, he could barely walk, and he has missed the ensuing 21 games with a lower-body injury.Eriksson Ek has scored nine goals and 24 points this season in 42 games and is plus-5 with a 46.9 faceoff percentage. The center is the Wild’s best net-front option on the power play and usually first over the bench on the penalty kill.If Kaprizov is to be activated off long-term injured reserve Wednesday, the Wild will have to make a couple of roster moves. That would likely be reassigning Devin Shore and Brendan Gaunce to Iowa. Both forwards recently cleared waivers as the Wild prepared for this eventuality.If Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek return, the Wild’s lone missing player will be defenseman Jake Middleton, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.(Photo of Joel Eriksson Ek and Kirill Kaprizov: Timothy T. Ludwig / USA Today)
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