If the Minnesota Wild make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they'll do so without their top defenseman.
Ryan Suter, a durable 33-year-old blueliner, is done for the season after fracturing his right ankle Saturday night in a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars. The team announced that Suter will require surgery to repair the ankle after an MRI on Monday.
Suter's right foot slammed against the dasher boards after a hit by the Stars' Remi Elie. He left the ice putting no weight on the ankle and did not return.
Suter has 51 points in 78 games, including 45 assists. He has averaged 26 minutes and 46 seconds per game, more than four minutes more than any other Wild player, and leads the team in both shorthanded and power-play ice time.
One of the NHL's most durable players, Suter will see the end of his streak of 242 consecutive regular-season games played.
The Wild entered Monday night's game with the Edmonton Oilers with 96 points, good for third place in the Central Division. While they haven't clinched a spot yet, odds are good that they will.