What to watch for as the Minnesota Wild open a new season
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Kirill Kaprizov (right), Mats Zuccarello (center) and Marco Rossi — during a preseason game last week. Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The Minnesota Wild open a new season Thursday night with a largely unchanged roster — and hopes for different results.
Why it matters: After their first playoff miss in five years, the Wild have a lot riding on this season.
- A return to the postseason could persuade franchise cornerstone Kirill Kaprizov to re-sign long term.
- But another setback could fuel uncertainty about the team's ability to bring a Stanley Cup to Minnesota under current leadership.
The big picture: GM Bill Guerin — who has said winning a playoff round is "doable" this year — had little choice but to run back a similar roster.
- For one more year, a $14.7 million salary cap penalty left the Wild with no payroll space to bid on this offseason's biggest free agents.
Reality check: To fulfill Guerin's prediction, the Wild will have to break out of a tough division.
- Dallas is a Cup contender. Colorado and Winnipeg had the Wild's number last year. Nashville reloaded in free agency. Some analysts even see Utah as a playoff threat.
Yes, but: This is the first full season for new coach John Hynes, who had a winning record after taking over last November.
- The team has also healed from last season's injuries.
Stunning stats: In one nightmare six-game stretch last January, the equivalent of half the team's payroll was hurt, per NHL Injury Viz.
- More crucially, the Wild played only 12 games last season with both linchpin defensemen Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin in the lineup.
- Rookie sensation Brock Faber stepped up admirably, but the absences still exposed the D-corps.
Zoom in: Guerin has ramped up public pressure on the Wild's younger players, saying their performance will be key.
- The team needs more offensive playmakers not named Kaprizov — hint, hint, Marco Rossi.
- Rossi proved he's no NHL bust with 21 goals last season, but the Wild hope he hasn't found his ceiling.
Zoom out: The team needs bounce-back years from veterans, too.
- Mats Zuccarello and Ryan Hartman recently inked contract extensions, but had middling offensive numbers last year. Marcus Foligno also re-signed, but played hurt most of last year.
What we're watching this season:
1. Whether Hynes has addressed the team's most glaring weakness: the league's third-worst penalty kills last year.
2. The team's physical play. "Last year, we lost our identity a little bit," Guerin said at an August event. The need to get back to being "big and physical and tough to play against" led to offseason additions of Yakov Trenin and Jakub Lauko.
3. The team's goalie of the future, rookie Jesper Wallstedt, appears poised to split time between the NHL and minor leagues. That will create an interesting juggling act with Marc-André Fleury and Filip Gustavsson — who was rumored to be trade bait in the offseason.
The bottom line: The Wild's Stanley Cup window likely isn't open yet. Most fans know that, and owner Craig Leipold confirmed it to The Athletic: The team is in "year two of a five-year plan."
- But if the team can remain in the playoff hunt this season, that window could crack open a little wider next year.
What's next: The puck drops against Columbus at Xcel Energy Center at 7pm Thursday.