ST. PAUL, Minn – The Minnesota Wild (18-9-5) is set to host the Boston Bruins (19-13-0) for a second of a back-to-back.
Tonight marks Quinn Hughes Wild debut but also a former Wild center’s first game back in Minnesota.
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Marat Khusnutdinov will return to Minnesota tonight with the Bruins to face the Wild for the first time since the trade.
Khusnutdinov, 23, was drafted by the Wild in the 2020 NHL Draft with the 37th overall pick. He played in two seasons with the Wild before he was traded for a forward who is now a near point-per game player for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
At the 2025 trade deadline, the Wild traded Khusnutdinov to Boston along with forward Jakub Lauko and a 6th-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft for Justin Brazeau.
“He is still feeling things out here. How to play in this league and how to play in a consistent way, I would say,” head coach Marco Sturm said of Khusnutdinov. “I thought [Thursday] night was one of his better games. For me, it’s nice he competes, he has a lot of speed, and I can throw him on any line or any position – that’s what I like about him.”
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In 18 games to finish the year, Khusnutdinov had three goals and five points. This year he has four goals and eight points in 27 games. Since being moved to the top-six, the youngster has four goals and three assists in 20 games.
The Bruins practiced in St. Paul on Saturday at The TRIA Rink and Khusnutdinov led the team stretch after the practice.
He is still finding his way but the young center has been given a lot more ice time and has even been given power play time and overtime minutes. He has scored in overtime with the Bruins this year.
“I think it’s a good trade [for] me. More ice time on [the] Bruins. Playing power play,” Khusnutdinov said. “I played fourth line, second line, first line. It is good for me…It doesn’t matter which line; good for me.”
After the Wild’s game against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, Kirill Kaprizov talked about his reaction to the Hughes trade.
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He said that he was actually with Khusnutdinov on Friday when it happened.
“I just was in my car I think,” Kaprizov said. “I saw Marat yesterday, and we just sitting and then Moose called me, ‘Oh you saw this?’ I said, ‘Oh, what.’ Yeah.”
Kaprizov took on a mentor role for Khusnutdinov when he broke into the NHL with the Wild. He didn’t know any English and Kaprizov helped him by driving him to practices and games. He sat next to him in the locker room and pushed him to learn English.
The Wild moved on from Khusnutdinov pretty quickly for a power forward that played 25 games for them and had one goal. But tonight will be Khusnutdinov’s first game back in Minnesota.
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