The Minnesota Wild are weeks away from starting their season, and with that comes predictions. Some players will rise and exceed predictions, while some will fall short, and the Wild have some of both. Kirill Kaprizov will be at the top of the prediction list, but what other players could be right behind him?
In this article, we’ll look at three bold predictions for the Wild this coming season. They could be about scoring goals, stopping them, etc. We’ll start with the star of the lineup, Kaprizov’s scoring talents, and move on from there.
Kaprizov Hits 60 goals & 120 Points
Kaprizov will have to stay healthy for all 82 games this coming season if he hopes to get close to these numbers, and he’ll need his teammate’s help as well. However, he could easily top these numbers if he’s healthy and gets on a scoring roll early. He’s already proven he can hit over 100 points; his career high of 108 was back in the 2021-22 season when he went on a scoring rampage, as did many of his teammates.
Kaprizov has yet to hit 50 goals in a season, but he’s come very close with 47, which was another career high reached in the 2021-22 season. He also hit 46 goals last season, even after battling an injury at the beginning of the season and another later. Despite missing seven games throughout the season, he climbed back in and recorded 96 points, proving he can score in different situations.
After the disappointing end to last season, Kaprizov and his teammates will want to bounce back. He’ll want to prove himself and help carry his team back to the postseason; hopefully, he will not try too hard. He plays better when he lets himself play rather than trying to force plays to happen. If he can, he’ll hit these marks and possibly get past them.
Gustavsson Gets 30 Wins
This may be the boldest prediction, especially after Filip Gustavsson’s up-and-down season. He couldn’t settle last season, which affected his game. Many were disappointed after seeing his success in the 2022-23 season come crashing down. He may have only had two fewer wins than the 2022-23 season, but he let in 38 more goals this past season.
After looking over those stats, it may be hard to believe Gustavsson could even come close to 30 wins, but if he can harness the goaltender he was before this last season, he can do it. He’s a strong goaltender who can be even better if he stabilizes his mental game and has self-confidence. Like his teammate, Kaprizov, he has proven himself and can do well in the net with the right mindset.
However, it’s not all on Gustavsson; he’ll need some help in front of him to get things headed in the right direction. It’ll take a combination of strong defense and Gustavsson at his best to hit 30 wins, but he can do it.
Öhgren Makes Lineup & Cracks 30 Points
This may be a steep one because if Liam Öhgren makes the lineup, it’ll be his first full season in the NHL. However, he played a handful of games last season and showed real promise and great composure. Of course, it’s hard to gauge a player based on four games played at the end of the season, but he worked well with all of his teammates.
He showed minimal nerves, which are expected of a rookie, but he blended in quite well and didn’t make many mistakes. He recorded two points in his four games and showed he’s a capable scorer. Most rookies don’t record points in their first few games, and he has already surpassed that mark.
This number may seem high, but if he can crack the lineup and pick up where he left off last season, he’ll have a great start at hitting 30 points. Hopefully, he can snag a roster spot and show everyone the scoring talents they’ve eagerly awaited since Öhgren was drafted in 2022, thanks to the Kevin Fiala/Brock Faber trade that included a first-round pick that eventually became Öhgren.
Wild Have Expectations
After the ups and downs of last season, the Wild will face some big expectations this coming season. The first of these will be to get back into the postseason, and if these few bold predictions come true, that should be achievable. They’ll need everyone to step up, but if Kaprizov can be the hero he’s meant to be and Gustavsson can get his game back and then some, they’ll have a solid ground to build off of.
Related: Wild Report Cards 2023-24: Kirill Kaprizov
Öhgren making the lineup and cracking 30 points would be a welcome bonus to a team that’s hit some rough patches the last few seasons. Hopefully, they can fulfill some of these predictions and return to the postseason.
