The Wild announced today that they’ve recalled defenseman Matt Kiersted from AHL Iowa. With two open roster spots, there’s no need for a corresponding move.
Minnesota is back to having an extra defenseman on its roster ahead of tonight’s clash with the Blackhawks. They’d had David Spacek in the role for the last several days but sent him down to Iowa over the weekend with the hope that Zach Bogosian would be ready to come off injured reserve. While he was previously listed as day-to-day with a foot injury, The Athletic’s Michael Russo reported yesterday that it never got back to 100% and that he’s now “seeking a different form of treatment.”
That opens the door for Kiersted to rejoin the team, especially since Spacek was ineligible to be recalled today because he hasn’t played for Iowa since being reassigned on Sunday. Kiersted was previously up with the Wild in a similar role for nearly a month across December and January, but was sent down over two weeks ago after clearing waivers.
A competent depth defenseman with some NHL utility, Kiersted is a Minnesota native who returned home last summer in free agency. He’d spent his professional career up to then with the Panthers, who plucked him out of North Dakota as an undrafted free agent in 2021. He has a strong outlet pass in his arsenal with some offensive utility at the AHL, but has panned out as a defensive threat in the pros first and foremost.
In 261 career AHL games across five seasons with Charlotte and Iowa, he’s put up a 16-73–89 scoring line with a +44 rating. In 43 NHL games, including four with the Wild this year, he’s posted eight points with a -8 rating while averaging 12:11 of ice time per game.