4 Wild Players Who Need to Step Up in 2026-27

The Minnesota Wild will have a lot of eyes on them this coming season after their disappointing end to last postseason. There will be high expectations on their shoulders, and it’s going to be interesting to see how the team’s chemistry is affected after free agency saw several key players leave and new players join. 

With those expectations, everyone on the team will be expected to step up in different ways, but certain players have to step up. With his new contract starting, Kirill Kaprizov will be expected to find a way to do more, and the majority of fans’ eyes will also be on Quinn Hughes. In this article, we’ll take a look at a few players who have to step up this season, starting with the newcomers. 

Coleman & Määttä Must Impress

Blake Coleman and Olli Määttä were traded to the Wild in exchange for Jake Middleton along with three draft picks: a 2029 second-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick, and a 2028 fourth-round pick on the second day of free agency. Anytime a trade happens, the players involved are watched pretty closely on their new teams, and that will be the case with Coleman and Määttä. 

Not only will a lot of eyes be on their efforts, but they will also be expected to step up. A player and a number of picks were given up to get them here, and strong play will be anticipated. When the Wild acquired Coleman, his penalty kill skills were mentioned, as was his winning background. The penalty kill was middle of the pack last season and was consistently up and down. They could never find a stable formula to kill penalties; when they did find success, it was followed by struggle. 

The big hope is that Coleman can come in and solidify their penalty kill and make it what it needs to be, as well as bringing in some winning experience. Määttä will also be slated to bring in some defense and fill in the void that Middleton left behind. He’s had his share of ups and downs over his career, but he can provide solid defense and blocked shots, something the Wild need. 

Both of these players have to find a way to step up and make an impact; they’re new to the team, and they’ll need to prove they earned their spots. If the Wild want to make a run and go further than this past season, they’ll need everyone, including these two newcomers. 

Yurov Needs to Prove Himself 

Now that Danila Yurov has a full NHL season under his belt, he knows what it takes to play at this level and what he needs to do to be successful. He’ll have higher expectations on his shoulders now, and he’s shown that he can be impactful; now he needs to do so full-time. He scored 12 goals and assisted on 15 others for 27 points last season, which is pretty decent for a rookie. 

He’s proven he can score, and he’s not afraid to play defense either, which means he also blocks shots. He’s a two-way player, and he’ll have to step up his game to show he’s worth his spot in the lineup, with a lot of younger players looking to crack the lineup. He can play on almost any line and does bring a physical side to his game as well, which makes him even more valuable as an all-around player and someone the Wild will be relying on to do his part. 

There was a lot of hype surrounding Yurov when he joined the NHL, and while he was met with mixed reviews, he has the potential to be a strong player. This season will be the time he can step up and show what he’s truly capable of and fill a permanent role for the Wild. 

Brink Has Role to Fill

Bobby Brink was brought in at this past season’s trade deadline in exchange for David Jiříček, and so far it’s been a win for the Wild. He didn’t put up a lot of points, but like Yurov, he showed he has a lot of potential, and now that he has a new contract, more will be expected of him. Although he struggled on the top line, he was thrown into that position rather quickly, and that was a lot to expect from a young kid, new to the team. 

Now that he’s had time to adjust to the team and will have a full training camp with them, he will be able to show his true ability. He adjusted pretty well at first, but it’s always difficult when joining a new team and understanding how they operate. With the openings in the lineup, Brink will need to have confidence in his game to take that next step. 

He’s another player with a lot of upside and quite a bit of speed, plus he also likes to play with a physical side. All aspects of his game are appealing to the Wild, but he has to be willing to use them and push himself to that next level. 

As stated above, everyone on the Wild has to find a way to step up their game, but some players need to do more than others. These four players in particular will have more eyes on them because they’re either new or young, and they’ll have to show what they’re made of in a very important season for the Wild. After losing out in the second round of the postseason, they’ll be looking to make a longer run with the help of these players.