Marcus Foligno was a scratch Saturday for the Minnesota Wild, unable to play in an afternoon puck drop against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Foligno, slowed and/or sidelined by a groin injury for the better part of two months, has now missed 14 of the Wild’s past 22 games, a big absence for a team chasing an elusive playoff spot.

“It’s lingering with him,” coach John Hynes said after Thursday’s 3-1 victory over San Jose at Xcel Energy Center.

During fall camp, Foligno, 32, signed a four-year, $16 million contract extension that kicks in next season. He has played in 55 of the Wild’s 73 games so far this season with 10 goals, 12 assists and a plus/minus ratio of +10. Last season, a hip injury limited him to 65 games.

Hynes said Thursday had not decided to shut Foligno down for the rest of the regular season, 10 games before Saturday’s game, when the Wild still technically had a chance to make the playoffs, and with so few games left, there’s no compelling reason to put him on injured reserve.

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