The Minnesota Wild appeared to have turned a corner when they strung together two wins over the New York Islanders and the Calgary Flames last week. It even looked like they were going to extend it to three games against the San Jose Sharks, but they fell in overtime. If they want to get back on the winning track, the entire team needs to take a step forward.
However, there are a few players, specifically, the team could benefit from improving their game. All three are forwards who’ve proven they can do better, and the Wild need them to do better. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at each forward, starting with one of their top six.
Eriksson Ek Can Be Better
Joel Eriksson Ek is a tricky one to put on this list because he does so much behind the scenes that often goes unnoticed. The NHL has started to take note of his talents, but he is still highly underrated across the league. However, his game hasn’t been up to its normal standards, and the Wild need him to find that next step they know he’s capable of, especially in the offensive areas.
Defensively, he’s doing decently with 35 hits in 18 games, plus seven giveaways and five takeaways. He has 12 blocked shots, and while that’s an okay number, it could be better, and hopefully will improve as the season continues. While his defensive numbers aren’t super impressive yet, his offensive numbers are the ones that need help.
He only has two goals and nine assists for 11 points in 18 games, while the Wild’s point leader, Kirill Kaprizov, has 22 points, and the league leader, Nathan McKinnon, has 33 points in the same number of games. If he can stay healthy, the Wild need him to start producing more offense and help them get back to winning games. In the past he’s been key at getting pushed around in the slot only to tip a shot past the goaltender who he was screening, and his team could use more of that from him going forward.
Hartman Needs More Spice
Ryan Hartman is a strong player who often hides his finesse side with more physicality. However, he’s shown he can score goals and help produce offensively, except this season, he’s started out struggling just like the rest of his teammates. This season, his defense has kind of flipped; he has 15 hits but 19 blocked shots, and although his stats need improvement, his defense is going strong.
His offense, like Eriksson Ek, needs a bit of help and, honestly, some more spice and angst. He plays better when he has a bit of an edge to his game. He does have to make sure he doesn’t cross a line, but he’s been behaving quite well since his previous suspension. He’s even managed to take only four minutes’ worth of penalties.
In 18 games played, he has only four goals and two assists for six points, while last season wasn’t spectacular for points. The season before, he had 45 points, which is exactly the amount of production the Wild could use. Hopefully, this is a temporary setback and he’ll be able to help produce soon.
Foligno Needs a Spark
Marcus Foligno is in a similar boat to his teammate, Hartman, where he seems to be lacking from his game a bit. He’s typically the player throwing bodies around and is typically to blame for the glass-shaking hits you can even hear over the television broadcast. This season, he hasn’t been throwing his body around as much, and it’s been noticed. He has gone through a lot of injury issues over the seasons, so hopefully, he can stay healthy at this point in the season because the Wild needs him.
He’s even given up his number one spot on the roster for most hits; he has 59, while Yakov Trenin has 77. As Foligno gets older, it’s hard to blame him for backing off on the hits everyone has gotten used to seeing from him; he has to protect his body, and those hits take their toll.
Related: 3 Takeaways From the Wild’s Overtime Loss to the Sharks
He does have 14 blocked shots, which is an okay level, but again could be better. No one wants players to get injured by blocking shots, but if a goaltender is screened, getting that block and keeping the puck from reaching the net can make a difference. What the Wild really needs from Foligno is a few more hits that raise the energy level in the game, and if possible, some more point production. Those are the two things they need to see from him, and if they do, hopefully it’ll help the Wild get this team back to where it needs to be.
As the season moves along, the team overall has gotten better, but there are still areas where they are lacking, and they need more from certain players. Eriksson Ek, Hartman, and Foligno are key components on this team, and although they do need everyone, it would help if they got more from these three. Hopefully, what’s left of the current homestand can give them the jump they need, and they can end with some wins.
