Marco Rossi, Zach Bogosian out for Wild
The Minnesota Wild will be without forward Marco Rossi and defenseman Zach Bogosian in Monday night’s game against the New York Rangers, head coach John Hynes told Peter Baugh of The Athletic. Both players suffered lower-body injuries as the result of blocked shots – Bogosian sustaining his on Friday, and Rossi getting hurt on Saturday.
This news will bring an end to Rossi’s team-leading iron-man streak. He has played in a consecutive 173 games, dating back to April 2023. That tally is the 30th-longest streak in the NHL, and the fourth-longest among players 24 or younger. With Rossi’s streak ending, Minnesota’s new team-leader will be Matt Boldy, who has played in 161 consecutive games – 33rd-most in the league and sixth among U24 players.
More than ending a team-leading streak, Minnesota will be losing one of their top forwards with Rossi’s absence. He has served as the team’s top-line center between star wingers Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov. That trio is one of only two Wild lines to score multiple even-strength goals this season – though they’ve still been outscored by opponents two-to-three, despite winning the expected-goals race with 2.1-to-1.7. Rossi himself has scored five points in six games, putting him on pace to exceed the career-high 60 points he potted in 82 games last year.
Joel Eriksson Ek will move to the top-line in Rossi’s place, while Ben Jones steps into a fourth-line center role. This swap will also promote rookie Danila Yurov into the top-nine, providing a stronger platform for him to find his first career point after going scoreless in his first four NHL games.
Minnesota will also lose the reliable Bogosian, who has served as a stout veteran presence on the team’s bottom-pair for the last three seasons. His ice time has dwindled every year in Minnesota, falling to just 14 minutes on average through five games this season. He’s posted a plus-three in the muted role, but otherwise has yet to manage any notable stat changes this season. David Jiříček will stick in the lineup in Bogosian’s absence. Jiříček recorded one shot on goal in a relief role on Saturday. It was his second NHL game of the season.
Rangers’ Noah Laba Returns After Taking Nasty Puck To Face
Fans inside Madison Square Garden grew concerned when New York Rangers center Noah Laba reached to block a shot and left the ice with a trail of blood during Monday's contest.
While on the penalty kill, the 22-year-old rookie forward reached out his stick to impede Minnesota Wild right wing Vinnie Hinostroza’s shot. The puck deflected into Laba’s face.
Thankfully, the scary-looking incident wasn’t as serious as initially feared. Laba would later return to game action.
"Yeah, that's scary," Sullivan told reporters following the game. "Any time a player gets hit in the face like that, it's really scary. Fortunately, it wasn't too serious. He got stitched up. The fact that he came back, I think, just speaks to his competitiveness, his toughness. But that was a scary moment, for sure."
Scary scenes as Noah Laba takes a puck to the face on the penalty kill #NYR pic.twitter.com/ynyjAc6EbI
— Dan Godlewski (@Danthfc_) October 21, 2025
Laba went to one knee while being looked at by training staff before he was helped off the ice with a towel covering his face. The incident occurred near the seven-minute mark of the second period.
Sullivan confirmed after the game that Laba received stitches.
After being attended to in the dressing room, he returned to the Rangers’ bench toward the end of the second period wearing a full face shield. His mouth appeared swollen even after he received treatment inside the home dressing room.
Young Center Has Impressed Early Into Rookie Season
Laba has recorded two assists through his first seven career NHL games and averaged 11:28 time on ice per game. He has won 59.5 percent of face-offs.
The Rangers selected Laba in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL entry draft. He spent three years at Colorado College of the NCHC. Laba made his NHL debut on Oct. 7, 2025 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The 214-pound forward is currently centering the Rangers’ third line alongside Juuso Parssinen and Taylor Raddysh. He has seen limited opportunities on the power play and penalty kill.
Laba has averaged 16.9 shifts per game during his rookie campaign. The 6-foot-3 center has quickly become a fan favorite due to his industrious style of play.
He skated for 7:19 time on ice in Monday's contest, registering two shots and three blocked shots.
The Rangers ultimately lost 3-1 to the Wild. Danila Yurov scored the game-winning goal for Minnesota. It was the rookie right wing's first career goal.
After eight games, the Rangers have begun the 2025-26 season with a 3-4-1 record in Sullivan's first season behind the Blueshirts' bench.
