Justin Kirkland Assigned to AHL Following Wild Roster Changes

The Minnesota Wild have assigned forward Justin Kirkland to the AHL's Iowa Wild amidst a series of roster transactions. Kirkland, a 30-year-old center with 50 games of NHL experience, previously recorded two assists in four AHL games this season. He was initially recalled after Nico Sturm suffered a head injury and landed on the injured reserve. With mounting defensive injuries, the team opted to recall an extra defenseman instead of keeping Kirkland on the active NHL roster.