Axios Twin Cities
October 01, 2026
1 big thing: The anything-but-boring Wild
Don't anyone call Minnesota's NHL team "the Mild" after the offseason they've endured.
Why it matters: As they open a new season tonight, the Wild are no longer the steady, solid, but middling — aka boring — franchise that earned that mocking moniker.
- For better or for worse, several of the NHL's biggest storylines currently run through Minnesota, thanks to general manager Bill Guerin's bold roster moves.
Far from boring, the Wild might actually be on the brink of something special.
- But there's also a very plausible scenario in which Guerin's plan is in pieces by spring.
Driving the drama: Start with Quinn Hughes, who still hasn't signed a contract extension with Minnesota.
- This has fueled speculation that Hughes and his brothers (Luke and fellow Olympian Jack Hughes) are trying to unite on another NHL roster.
- Hughes has dismissed this talk, saying he wouldn't "sacrifice" a good thing in Minnesota just for his brothers.
The reality, though, is that if Hughes doesn't re-sign by March, the Wild would likely have to trade away their best player this year to avoid the risk he'd walk away for nothing at season's end.
Then there's Dylan Larkin, a top center who wants out of Detroit. Guerin couldn't close a deal with the reluctant Red Wings this offseason.
- Now, Larkin has expanded his list of acceptable trade destinations beyond Minnesota, per a Sportsnet report.
- Losing the Larkin sweepstakes would waste yet another chance to upgrade at center — and send a bad sign to Hughes as he weighs his options.
Best case scenario: Star power alone — that's Hughes, Kaprizov, Matt Boldy and a solid goaltending tandem — gives the Wild a 76% chance to make the postseason again, The Athletic projects.
- If the Wild stay in the playoff picture, they'll buy Guerin more time to find another center on the trade market during the season. Land one, and this team could become unstoppable.
Worst case scenario: A collapse could speed Hughes' departure and waste a year of the highly-paid Kaprizov's competitive prime.
- Of immediate concern: Defenseman Brock Faber — a workhorse who led the league in playing time last season — is out indefinitely after sustaining a skull fracture in the preseason.
The bottom line: To quote The Athletic's Michael Russo's anxious catchphrase: "Buckle up."
2. DOJ's misconduct complaint against judges
The Justice Department filed a complaint against a group of federal judges from Minnesota for speaking to the New York Times about the impact of the immigration enforcement surge on their court.
The big picture: The complaint opens a new front in the Trump administration's standoff with federal judges, bolstered by a loyal Justice Department.
Driving the news: The complaint alleged that the judges' behavior was "improper and unethical" and called for the judges to be recused from any DHS-related matters.
- It cites two judges who were interviewed on the record, and two who spoke to the Times anonymously.
What they're saying: But Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement that the "conduct has undermined public confidence in an impartial judiciary in Minnesota."
- Two senior district judges, Patrick J. Schiltz and John R. Tunheim, were named in the complaint.
The response: "As legal-ethics experts have confirmed, our judges were acting well within the ethical rules that apply to federal judges in speaking to the New York Times," Rebeccah Parks, the court's public information officer, said in a statement to Axios.
- She pointed to an advisory opinion from the Committee on Codes of Conduct that emphasized that federal judges may speak and write on "core judiciary matters such as advocacy for the rule of law and judicial independence."
- She added: "Our judges acted within this capacity."
3. The Spoon: What standardized tests show
🏫 Fewer than half of Minnesota students meet grade-level proficiency standards for math and reading, the latest MCA standardized test results show. (MPR News)
💼 General Mills announced that COO Dana McNabb will be its next CEO. (Wall Street Journal)
- McNabb, who will be the Golden Valley-based food giant's first female chief executive, told the WSJ she plans to focus on reviving sales and modernizing the supply chain to cut costs.
📲 Sahan Journal's founder is launching a new "social first" media company focused on the Somali American community. (MinnPost)
- WCCO-TV's Ubah Ali will serve as its lead reporter.
⚖️ The St. Paul Council voted to hire an outside law firm to defend Mayor Kaohly Her in the sexual harassment lawsuit filed by police chief Axel Henry. (KSTP)
- Taxpayers will foot the bill for the firm, which could charge up to $500 an hour under the agreement.
4.⚕️1 life-saving stat to go
Nearly 15,000: The number of Narcan doses Minneapolis has distributed via free vending machines since 2024.
Why it matters: The units provide 24/7 access to medicine that can reverse life-threatening opioid overdoses.
The latest: The city recently installed a fourth Narcan vending machine.
- It's located outside Fire Station 12 in South Minneapolis, near the intersections of 33rd Ave. S. and E. 54th St.
💅 Torey used her flight delay to get a manicure at the XpresSpa at Atlanta's airport. Not bad!
👧 Nick is glad to be back home with his girls.
🍪 Kyle found an uneaten cracker in his pants pocket on the way home from Atlanta — so that's how his day went.
🍁 Audrey hopes the North Shore isn't too packed during her leaf-peeping trip.
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