Wild fall 4-3 to the Islanders as Schaefer scores his 2nd goal in OT

Schaefer beat goalie Jesper Wallstedt from the right circle on a break.

Schaefer also had an assist, Bo Horvat scored a power-play goal and Adam Pelech also connected for for New York. Ilya Sorokin made 22 saves.

Joel Eriksson Ek, Quinn Hughes and Matt Boldy scored for Central Division-leading Minnesota, with Boldy tying it at 3 with 3:53 left in regulation.

"I think that we've played really well with the guys that we've had out and that was our fifth home game out of however many we've played, 16 games," said Quinn Hughes after the loss. "So yeah, schedule is a little bit tough right now, but I think, you know, it is for everyone."

Wallstedt stopped 22 shots but the Islanders won their second straight to improve to 7-4-2. The Wild dropped to 9-4-2. They had won three in a row.

The Wild have had their share of injuries, but yet are atop the Western Division with 21 points through October.

"Yeah, I think the guys that come into the room and make such an impact. A lot of credit to them," said the Wild's Matt Boldy. "It's not an easy thing to do and just think, the way we've been playing has been detailed, pretty efficient. We do the little things right and then kind of let the game come to us. So it's a lot of credit to those guys stepping in and having a big impact, but yeah, it was a good month. We gotta keep it going."

Trade and contract rumors heat up

There are also plenty of trade rumors surrounding the Wild, and multiple reports they seem to be the leader to get Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin. He has requested a trade, and Thursday said he would no longer play for the Red Wings.

They responded by suspending Larkin without pay.

“We are disappointed by his decision, particularly given his obligations to the organization and his teammates,” interim general manager Shawn Horcoff said in a statement Thursday, shortly before Detroit hosted Chicago.

Larkin asked for a trade in the offseason after the franchise extended its postseason drought to a decade, but he started the season still on the team but stripped of the captaincy.

The Wild were one of three teams that Larkin originally expressed interest in playing for, although he has reportedly expanded that list.

The 30-year-old center has two goals and six assists in 10 games, giving him 278 goals and 649 points in 818 games since making his debut with his hometown Red Wings during the 2015-16 season. Larkin, who is from Waterford, Michigan, was drafted by Detroit No. 15 overall in 2014 after playing for the Wolverines in college.

He was a key player for the United States when it won Olympic gold last February at the Milan Cortina Games. He played on Team USA with the Wild's Quinn Hughes, Brock Faber and Boldy.

Meanwhile, the Wild are also waiting on Hughes, their superstar defenseman, to make a decision on his contract offer. Hughes is a pending free agent and the Wild have been trying to get a new long-term deal done with him before he can explore the market in the offseason.

Wild General Manager Bill Guerin told WCCO's Chad Hartman on Wednesday that Hughes and his agent have all the information they need to make a decision, but added the two sides haven't talked "in a long time."

The longer that goes on, the more pressure mounts on Guerin to make a decision on whether to move Hughes and get something in return, or risk losing him for nothing if they can't get him signed.

Up next

Wild: At Washington on Sunday.