Wild: Appendectomy means Schultz will miss Avs series

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: April 8, 2008 - 10:15 AM

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With the Western Conference quarterfinals set to begin Wednesday, the Wild has sustained an unexpected and potentially devastating hole to its blue line.

With the Colorado Avalanche's horde of star forwards about to invade Xcel Energy Center, Nick Schultz -- arguably the Wild's most consistent and reliable defenseman -- likely will miss the first round of the playoffs and probably longer after undergoing an appendectomy Monday night.

"It's a good-sized blow, but we'll just have to deal with it," Wild General Manager Doug Risebrough said. "He's a solid, solid player and a solid, consistent player. He did it the same every night, and there were very few low spots.

"So that is the thing that will be most challenging to replace -- that consistency."

Risebrough declined to comment on how long Schultz will be out.

"I don't know that. I'd be guessing," Risebrough said.

Wild center Mikko Koivu had an appendectomy while playing for Houston is 2004-05 and missed 12 games. Earlier this season, Colorado's Paul Stastny missed 15 games following an appendectomy.

Schultz, 25, who ranks second in team history with 448 games, traveled with the Wild to Denver to play in Sunday's regular-season finale, but he missed the game because of what was thought to be a stomach flu. It was only the second game Schultz ever missed because of injury or illness.

He arrived at Xcel Energy Center on Monday morning for a team photo, but still not feeling well, he left immediately and didn't practice.

It was later discovered that Schultz had appendicitis. Risebrough said Schultz had some leaking of the appendix, "but there was not a massive rupture."

Schultz, who signed the longest, richest contract in franchise history in February (six years, $21 million extension), was a plus-9 this season and is a career plus-34. He led the Wild in blocked shots (147) for the third year in a row and was second with 101 hits.

Petteri Nummelin, who has played five games since Jan. 5 and 27 games all season, will replace Schultz in the lineup. Until Houston, the Wild's AHL affiliate, is eliminated, the Wild is only permitted four callups. Since it already has used two, the Wild won't call up a defenseman unless it's needed.

But this is a giant blow for a team that already has lost Kurtis Foster for the playoffs because of a broken femur.

Remember, at age 20, Schultz went head-to-head with the Joe Sakic-Peter Forsberg line in the Wild's 2003 quarterfinals upset of Colorado and coach Jacques Lemaire planned to use him in that role again.

"[Nummelin's] been out of the lineup only because of the performance of other people, so I'm quite comfortable with him coming back into the lineup," Risebrough said. "It gives him an opportunity now. It's a tough thing when you're in and out of the lineup. You never know when you're in and when you're out.

"That's not the case now for Nummy."

This is still going to be an emotional blow for the Wild, but Risebrough says players have no other choice but to move forward.

"There aren't a lot of tomorrows. It's do or die now," Risebrough said. "These are the circumstances now."

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