Growing up, Wild forward Luke Kunin envisioned himself playing center in the NHL.
And right wing.
And left.
"To play all three positions, that only helps me be able to play more situations," Kunin said. "It can help the team, as well. That's how I look at it."
The Wild is tapping into that versatility right now at a critical time in its season. Kunin resumed his post up the middle Thursday against the Stars at Xcel Energy Center just as center Joel Eriksson Ek left the lineup with a lower-body injury that's expected to keep him out at least a week.
"I enjoy it," Kunin said of lining up at center. "It's fun out there. I keep getting more and more comfortable."
Kunin missed the previous two games with an upper-body injury after he was hurt on March 7. He was crushed with an open-ice hit from Tampa Bay's Cedric Paquette, the first of two recent injuries for the Wild since Eriksson Ek was roughed up Monday in a 3-0 loss to the Sharks.
When the team dealt forward Mikael Granlund to the Predators before the trade deadline Feb. 25, Kunin switched to center from right wing — a role he's familiar with since he played it throughout his career until he arrived at the University of Wisconsin four years ago.
