To successfully play defense in the NHL for more than a decade, as Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon has, you need to listen to your body.

In the second period of the Wild’s loss in Calgary last week, Spurgeon took an elbow to the neck and at first felt fine. A short time later, his body started sending messages that something was seriously wrong.

“I stood up and everything started to spin. My balance was sort of going, and stuff was starting to blur,” Spurgeon recalled Tuesday. “Obviously, I started to panic for a little bit there, not really sure what’s going on. So, I’m just happy the way it’s recovered.”

Spurgeon missed much of what was left of the game in Calgary and was scratched last Saturday for Minnesota’s come-from-behind overtime win in Vancouver. But he was set to return to the lineup for tonight’s regular-season finale versus Anaheim at Xcel Energy Center.

After missing the bulk of last season because of injuries, Sprugeon has been in the lineup for 65 of the team’s first 81 games in 2024-25. He missed a six-game stretch in October and a nine-game stretch in January. He has seven goals and 25 assists this season.

Jake Middleton, who had been missing from the blue line for more than a week, also was scheduled to play Tuesday. After dealing with notable injuries all season, the Wild’s sudden surplus of defenseman meant that the NHL debut of newcomer Zeev Buium was pushed back for a few days, minimum.

“We don’t take lineup decisions easily. We spend hours talking about these things,” Wild coach John Hynes said after the team’s morning skate at TRIA Rink. He noted Buium is a big part of the future, but with Minnesota facing its final opportunity to control its playoff destiny, throwing a rookie into the mix less than 48 hours after signing wasn’t the right move.

“Zeev is a great player. He has played in high-stakes environments at different levels. But it’s also taken into consideration of the team in the situation, also what’s best for the player,” Hynes said. “He’s come off the (Frozen) Four, he’s come off the Hobey Baker banquet, hasn’t been able to have a team practice yet.”

Hynes said that they had been in conversation not only with Buium but his agent and team management about where and when might be the right time for the 19-year-old’s NHL debut.

“We want to set him up for success and the opportunity to come in and play,” Hynes said. “We believe he can help us, and hopefully we’ve got more hockey to play this year. And if we do, then there’s different situations for him.”

The Wild have dealt with injuries all season, and played their last game without Spurgeon and Middleton. But with all hands on deck for the Anaheim game, they appear to finally be getting healthy in time for what they hope will be a playoff run.

“We’ve tried not to make excuses all year and just be a group that shows up and plays and does the job when we’re called upon,” veteran defenseman Jon Merrill said. “So, we’re happy to have guys back and in the lineup and we’re going to try and do our job tonight and get a team win.”

Declan Chisholm, who has played 66 games at defense for the Wild this season, also was a healthy scratch versus Anaheim.