The 2026-27 season started without one of the Minnesota Wild’s top defensemen. Brock Faber fractured his skull when a puck hit him in the head in the Sept. 25 preseason finale against the Dallas Stars, and he needed surgery.

Minnesota has held its own without him. The Wild went 10-3-3 in the 16 games he missed, with Quinn Hughes playing 27:44 a night to carry the load on the back end.

Brock Faber Injury Update: Healthy, not in shape

Faber was cleared for the return-to-play protocol last week, and he started light skating over the weekend. On Tuesday, though, we got the most encouraging update yet, via Michael Russo (The Athletic).

The longtime Minnesota Wild insider and beat reporter spoke on the side today with head coach John Hynes, who told him that Faber has cleared return to play protocol. Now, he just needs to get into game shape before he gets back on the ice with teammates.

I chatted with John Hynes on Tuesday after his availability, and while he said he still doesn’t have a timeline for Brock Faber’s return, he also indicated it won’t be far, far off in the distance.

He said Faber has essentially been cleared to return to play and now it’s just upping his fitness on a daily basis because he went five weeks without working out or being on the ice.

Russo added that Faber is in the gym and skating every day. Now, it will be up to Faber and Minnesota’s strength coaches to decide when he is ready to start skating with the team.

Hynes has made clear the team won’t rush it. After practice on Saturday, he said “it’s got to be a steady progression” and “it can’t be an overload” because Faber sat inactive for so long while he healed.

What Faber Means to the MN Wild Blue Line

Faber is coming off the best season of his career. The 24-year-old set career highs with 15 goals and 51 points in 80 games in 2025-26, adding 36 assists, finishing plus-18 while averaging 24:41 a night. He was even better in the playoffs, with 10 points in 11 games while playing 29:44 a night.

Without him, Hughes and Jonas Brodin have played all 16 games. The rest of the minutes have rotated through Jared Spurgeon and Olli Maatta, who returned from injuries of their own in late October.

Anything leftover has gone to Zach Bogosian, David Spacek and Matt Kiersted. Daemon Hunt also played 11 of those games before the Wild waived him. He is now in Nashville.

The Wild visit the Philadelphia Flyers tonight at 6 p.m., which will be the 17th game Faber misses. Minnesota then comes home to host San Jose on Friday and Tampa Bay on Saturday.

We’ll see if Faber begins skating with his teammates this week, before that game against the Sharks on Friday.