The Minnesota Wild have basically finished all of their offseason moves with over a month to go until training camp gets underway. With those moves done, we can start thinking about what’s to come and what questions may be on the minds of Wild fans heading into this season. With Kirill Kaprizov back healthy, Marco Rossi hoping to land a permanent spot on the roster, Pat Maroon making his entrance in the State of Hockey, and Filip Gustavsson signing for three years, there’s a lot to talk about.
We can’t forget about behind-the-scenes either, head coach Dean Evason wasn’t viewed in the best of light after last season’s early exit, and general manager Bill Guerin has been making great moves with limited cap space but can he continue to do so? It’s time to dig into those burning questions and provide some insight into the Wild’s upcoming season.
1: Can Filip Gustavsson Stay Strong?
When Gustavsson was traded to the Wild during the 2022 offseason from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Cam Talbot, many were quite concerned. After all, the team had pretty much secured their goaltending future in two veteran goaltenders with Talbot and Marc-André Fleury. Their plans were to have those two team up until Fleury’s contract ended in 2023-24 in hopes that Jesper Wallstedt would be ready to take the reins in 2024-25. However, things changed and they received a young goaltender who only had 27 games of experience at the time.
He did struggle a bit at the beginning, but he quickly showed everyone that he’s capable of being a number one goaltender. He put up some great numbers with a save percentage of .931 and a goals-against average of 2.10 in 39 games played. But the question is, can he do better than those numbers?
I think he can. He showed that he’s a strong goaltender under pressure, and with the added trust that a new contract brings, he’ll be motivated to prove that he was worth that money. He knows the Wild were strapped for cash and that they were willing to put his contract as a priority shows the level of confidence they have in him. He will have to share games with Fleury, but that shouldn’t be a problem as they did so last season without issue. It’ll be interesting to see Gustavsson transition into the starting role, but if last year was any indication, he’ll do great.
2: Can Pat Maroon be the Voice of Matt Dumba & Ryan Reaves?
From what I’ve heard so far about Maroon, I believe he can. He has a big personality but he’s also extremely experienced having won two Stanley Cups in the past five years. Plus the Wild are paying him $800,000 with the Tampa Bay Lightning retaining the other $200,000, which is quite doable for a strong player.
Honestly, trying to fill the place of both Matt Dumba and Ryan Reaves is a lot of personality and voice, but out of all the players in the NHL, I think Maroon can do it. He’s the type of player who knows when to speak up and be serious but also relax a bit and have fun, which is exactly what the Wild need. Guerin said it best in an interview with The Athletic’s Joe Smith.
“He’s a no-bulls—-guy,” Guerin said, “I don’t think he’s going to tell me what I want to hear. He’s going to speak the truth, and he really thinks we’re a good team and he’s excited (from ‘Ten Thoughts on the Wild offseason, from Gustavsson to Dumba to Maroon’, The Athletic, 07/24/2023). Guerin’s put together a strong team with great chemistry and this is another addition that will likely do well.
3: Can Rossi Secure a Roster Spot Permanently?
Personally, I, like many others, thought Rossi was sent down to the American Hockey League’s Iowa Wild too quickly last season. While I understand that he needed to improve some areas of his game, I feel he wasn’t given an adequate amount of time to adjust. However, he took his send-down to heart and appeared to be working on his game both during the season and this offseason.
I do believe this will be the season that he’s able to finally find his NHL-level game and keep his spot in the lineup. While he has to earn it like everyone else, most are projecting that he’ll end up on the third line to start and work his way up from there. He has a lot to live up to but with how badly he wants a spot, he’ll likely get it.
Rossi was quoted in an article from the NHL.com’s Aaron Vickers about what he has to do to be ready, “I know the situation they’re in right now, but I just want to be a full-time NHL player and I want to do everything that it takes to be one, to play in the NHL,” Rossi said, “I just want to be ready next season from the first game on. First off, it’s a huge summer coming up now. I know what I have to do to improve myself to be a full-time NHL player. I’m looking forward to that, and then I’m ready to go” (from ‘Rossi hoping to be full-time player with Wild next season,’ NHL.com, 05/19/2023).
4: Will Faber Stay in the Top 4?
Brock Faber was so much fun to watch at the end of last season and even in the postseason when everyone else was faltering, he wasn’t despite being a new rookie. He played just two games at the end last season to get him some ice time but he stuck around for the playoffs as well. He carried himself with such composure and confidence that combined with his strong skating and ability to see the play unfold was quite the sight.
With his talent level, it would be hard to see him below a top-four spot, but it’s also important to remember that he hasn’t even played 10 games in the NHL yet. Plus, he didn’t have much downtime before joining the Wild. His college team, the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, had just lost in the NCAA Championship Game and then he caught a plane to join his new team and new teammates just a few days after the devastating loss. It’s important to keep in mind that he didn’t even have time to adjust to his new teammates before being thrown on the ice with them.
It’s that kind of play that makes me believe he’ll stay in the top four as well as his ability to adapt and stay composed no matter what the situation is. Now, before we get ahead of ourselves, everyone must remember he’s still only 20 almost 21 years old and hasn’t had time to make any mistakes with the number of games he’s played. There will likely be setbacks but they shouldn’t be enough to drop him out of that top spot.
5: Can Mats Zuccarello Stick with Kirill Kaprizov?
This question has been on my mind for quite some time, especially recently with all the contract and buyout talk since Mats Zuccarello’s contract is up at the end of this coming season. To be fair, he has been in the top three for scoring on the Wild which also correlates with the time Kaprizov came around. When he came to the Wild, it seemed like his career was on its downward spiral, and he was still able to tally 37 points in 65 games, but that was almost half of his previous production. That was until his Russian wing partner made his appearance and they’ve been inseparable ever since.
So, everyone knows how the partnership of Kaprizov and Zuccarello has benefitted the Wild and while it’s expected that Kaprizov will continue his upward trend as he’s just beginning his career, Zuccarello is on the opposite half of his own career. Can he continue to keep up with Kaprizov as he ages, this past season, he did but also struggled at times. There were moments when he was out of place and both players just couldn’t find the chemistry they had before. I hate to admit it, but it’s worrisome the older Zuccarello gets that although his game won’t just drop off, there will be more and more mistakes.
No doubt, Zuccarello is a great player but how long will that last? The Wild do need to start finding someone to fill his void if his game does take a dramatic turn, but thankfully, they have a number of young players coming up who could take that spot. Plus, who knows, Rossi has played wing before, so it’s possible he slides in there as well. As for this season, I think Zuccarello will keep up with speed, but his numbers may drop a bit. He did score 67 points last season in 78 games, so hopefully, he’ll prove me wrong and do that again or close at least.
6: Can Calen Addison Improve His 5-On-5 Game?
Again, a tough question. Calen Addison is a very interesting study. Last season, his power play was outstanding. He took over the spot as the point on the top power-play unit when Dumba started to struggle. He did well with 18 points on the power play and it looked like he was primed to permanently take over the main unit. However, his five-on-five game hit a wall as did his defense and both his coach and upper management were not pleased with his mistakes.
If he really wants his spot, he has no choice but to improve his game. He was told what needs to be done and if he shows up at training camp unprepared, it’s likely someone else will be on the roster come opening night. Guerin discussed what not only Addison has to do but also Rossi according to an article from The Athletic’s Michael Russo.
“They’re in that stage of their life what they do now is really going to affect them not just the upcoming season but as it continues on,” Guerin said. “I think the guys are really determined to get better. They are important. They are extremely important, and we need that. We can’t go out and spend big dollars on free agents. For Marco and Calen to be ready and come in ready to have an impact is really important for us” (from ‘Wild wrap-up: Futures of Marco Rossi and Calen Addison, trades for cap space, injuries’, The Athletic, 05/03/2023).
Later in the same article, Guerin said about Addison, “He has ability to be better five-on-five and he needs to be and that needs to be his focus. You can’t just be a specialty player in the National Hockey League. It’s just too good. There’s no room on a roster for just a specialty guy. So we know he has the ability. It’s just a matter of focusing in on it and getting to work on it. He’s still a young player and there’s more growing to do.”
7: Can Matt Boldy Move Out of Kirill Kaprizov’s Shadow?
Matt Boldy definitely has the talent to be a scorer with or without Kaprizov in the lineup. The question is while he proved he can do so without Kaprizov, can he find a way to use his talent with Kaprizov still playing? He’s struggled a bit to do that unless it was on the power play where he recorded 26 of his 63 points last season. He needs to have the same level of confidence all the time rather than just when Kaprizov is out.
Some players perform better in the limelight and others perform better when they aren’t in the spotlight. Boldy has proven he can do both but not consistently. Obviously, it’s not his scoring ability that’s the problem but he needs to figure it out this season because while he produced quite a bit, he has the potential to do even more. He didn’t truly show his full game last season again until Kaprizov was out. They’ll need him to find a way to step up if they want to win games, and they need more offensive production, which Boldy is a key part of. Hopefully, he can unlock the entirety of his game and become a top-notch scorer.
8: Do the Wild Stay Out of the Penalty Box More Than Last Season?
If they want to do better than last season, they have no choice but to stay out of the penalty box. Last season, they started out horribly with some bright spots in between but towards the end of the season, they were on a pretty solid streak with some small blemishes. They can’t allow themselves to take more than 10 minutes in penalties per game. That’s easier said than done in some situations but discipline is an important part of the game and that’s how teams win.
They need to use that discipline and turn it on other teams and find ways to force them to take penalties. They need to be the pests that other teams were to them last season and figure out how to push buttons without ending up in the penalty box. It’s a hard thing to do but again, necessary to win games. The Dallas Stars during last year’s postseason were a perfect example; they found a way to unravel the Wild and they utilized it every game. That’s something the Wild can learn from and use in the future.
9: Can the Wild Improve Their Special Teams with Who They Have?
Generally, the team is the same other than losing Dumba who had been struggling on the power play anyway. The other players they lost in free agency didn’t have much of a chance to show what they could do on the special teams. However, their coaching staff did have a slight change with the departure of Brett McLean who is now head coach of the Iowa Wild, and his spot was taken by Jason King. After last season it’s clear they need help with special teams and that is one of the things King is supposed to help fix.
King’s numbers weren’t the best of the best but they were better than what the Wild averaged last season. At this point after their collapse, almost anything is better than what they had. What’s really intriguing is what former Wild coach Bruce Boudreau told Michael Russo of The Athletic about King in an article a month back. “He’s a hard-working, smart guy and did a great job on the power play. In the gym, he’ll be working as hard as the players” (from ‘Wild hire Jason King as assistant coach: Can he help a middling power play?’, The Athletic, 07/01/2023).
Having a fresh viewpoint will be good for the team and hopefully, he’ll be able to make whatever changes necessary to get production from a power play that has no reason to be stagnant. It’ll be fun to see what he can come up with for this season.
10: If the Wild Make the Postseason, Will Evason Make the Changes Necessary to Win?
This is probably the question that haunts the Wild the most because this has to happen. When things aren’t going well in the regular season, it’s okay not to make immediate changes because there are a lot of games. However, in the postseason, you’re on limited time and while drastic isn’t always the way to go, making adjustments has to happen when you aren’t winning games.
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Unfortunately, Evason struggled with that last postseason and it cost them. If they want to make it deeper in the playoffs, they have to be willing to make changes and find the things that work. Sometimes that even means splitting up Kaprizov and Zuccarello when the chemistry isn’t working. It can be enough to create a spark to get things working again. Hopefully this season, he’ll be able to step up and make changes if needed and they’ll find success.
Wild’s Season
The Wild have a lot to look forward to this season and a lot to answer for as well. There will be a lot of expectations all around and hopefully, they can live up to them. After the way the season ended last year, they will want redemption, and that can only come with change.
