Merrill (upper body) is not playing Tuesday against Montreal, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Merrill has now missed 10 consecutive games with his upper-body issue. The 30-year-old's next chance to dress will be Thursday against Vancouver.

Merrill (upper body) will remain out of the lineup Sunday versus the Sharks, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Merrill will miss his ninth straight game with the injury, but it sounds like he is nearing a return. The defenseman's next chance to play is Tuesday versus the Canadiens.

Merrill (upper body) will not be an option against the Blues on Saturday, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Merrill will be on the shelf for his eighth consecutive contest due to his lingering upper-body issue. Considering he has just two points in his last 15 outings, the veteran blueliner's continued absence is unlikely to impact the majority of fantasy players. In the meantime, Jordie Benn and Alex Goligoski figure to continue holding down the third pairing for Minnesota.

Merrill (upper body) won't play Tuesday versus the Oilers, Jessi Pierce of NHL.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Merrill remains day-to-day with his upper-body issue. Jordie Benn will likely remain in the lineup until Merrill is cleared to return.

Merrill (upper body) is unlikely to return Sunday versus the Kings, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Merrill will likely extend his absence to five games. As long as he and Matt Dumba (upper body) are both out of action, Jordie Benn will likely continue to see third-pairing minutes.

Merrill (upper body) won't travel with the Wild as they begin a four-game road trip Saturday versus the Hurricanes, Jessi Pierce of NHL.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Merrill's absence from the road trip suggests he suffered a more serious injury blocking a shot in Thursday's game versus the Penguins. If he doesn't rejoin the team on the road, Merrill will be out at least until April 10 versus the Kings. Alex Goligoski is set to enter the lineup in place of Merrill, who could end up on injured reserve given the expected length of his absence.

Merrill picked up two assists in Saturday's 3-1 win over Chicago.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran blueliner has gone nine straight games without a point, but Merrill was able to stitch together his first multi-point performance since Nov. 10 in the victory. He does have a career-high 95 blocked shots on the season and a solid plus-13 rating, but otherwise his fantasy contributions have been minimal with four goals and 18 points through 58 games.

Merrill produced an assist and blocked four shots in Saturday's 7-3 loss to the Flames.

EDGE Analysis

Merrill's shot was redirected in by Frederick Gaudreau at 1:36 of the first period. The assist was Merrill's third point in 10 games in February. The defenseman has set a new career high with 16 points in just 48 games this season. He's added 84 blocked shots, 45 shots on net and a plus-11 rating in a bottom-four role.

Merrill notched an assist and three blocked shots in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Hurricanes.

EDGE Analysis

Merrill had the secondary helper on a Kevin Fiala goal in the second period. The 30-year-old Merrill has three assists in his last six outings, though the defensive defenseman is hardly a steady source of offense. For the season, he's at 14 points -- one off his career high from 2018-19 -- with 39 shots on net, 72 blocked shots and a plus-15 rating in 41 appearances.

Merrill cleared the NHL's COVID-19 protocols Tuesday, per Michael Russo of The Athletic.

EDGE Analysis

Merrill has missed the last two games while in the virus protocols. The 29-year-old has averaged 18:25 of ice time and recorded three points over his last 10 appearances. The next game on Minnesota's schedule is Wednesday against Chicago.