A new month has begun and that means the season is one month closer to starting, actually, it’s just over a month and a half away, at least for NHL training camps. As that date draws near, roster predictions are starting to pop up and that means battles for those spots will ensue. The Minnesota Wild have their roster pretty much set but there are a handful of players that could throw those plans for a loop if they have a strong training camp.
Obviously, the top three lines are basically a guarantee unless someone gets injured or they come in completely out of shape and unprepared. However, the fourth line isn’t always set, as we saw the Wild change out the forwards on that line many times last season. Regardless, Connor Dewar and Brandon Duhaime should have their spots with the final spot likely going to the newly acquired Pat Maroon.
Of course, things change but it looks like the forwards are all locked up with Marco Rossi likely taking the final spot. That leaves the defense where things will get interesting and have since last year when they rolled with eight NHL-caliber defensemen. This season they’ll have that same problem with one less defenseman thanks to Matt Dumba leaving in free agency. Moving on to the goaltenders, it sounds like that will be a battle throughout the season as well. We’ll discuss the defense first and move on from there.
Wild’s Defensive Musical Chairs
Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin, and Jake Middleton are really the only defensemen that don’t have to worry about their positions on the team. As far as Alex Goligoski, Jon Merrill, Calen Addison, and Brock Faber, their performances will ultimately decide their fates. If Faber can continue on the path he started at the end of last season, he’ll have no problem keeping his spot. The other three were all shuffled through the lineup last season and that’ll likely continue in 2023-24.
Goligoski, Addison, and Merrill will be battling for those final spots and Goligoski was the odd man out the majority of the time last season with Addison not far behind. Merrill would be considered the most reliable of the three but after his disappointing playoffs, the coaching staff may not have a lot of faith in him at the moment. Addison will likely start out the season on the roster as he did such a great job on the power play last season but his five-on-five game has to be better or he’ll be out once again.
As far as Goligoski is concerned, he’s a dark horse, usually a strong defenseman but he’s older and played about half the season last year. So it’ll probably come down to Goligoski and Merrill battling it out for the final spot, but they could both be bumped if someone else outshines them at training camp. If the Wild invite a player like Dakota Mermis to training camp, those spots could be in for a battle.
Wild’s Goalie Dual
In reality, everyone knows Filip Gustavsson will be the number one goalie, especially after signing his new three-year, $3.75 million average annual value deal, but Marc-André Fleury isn’t going to just disappear. Fleury may be ready to be a backup but it doesn’t sound like general manager Bill Guerin is convinced according to a Tweet sent out by The Athletic’s Joe Smith.
What was interesting is that #mnwild GM Bill Guerin didn’t outright call Gustavsson their No. 1 going into season. Said Gustavsson should play more games than last year, but he’ll compete with Fleury from the start.
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) July 31, 2023
They may not have planned for it to be a battle but having goaltenders competing for a spot usually ensures they’ll be playing the best they possibly can. The motivation to stay at the top will elevate their game and that’s what the team needs. Every team typically has a goaltender battle for the number one spot and while this may not be a hard-fought fight, they’ll both have to earn their spots nonetheless.
Wild’s Forwards Pretty Set
As mentioned off the top, the Wild have a pretty strong forward core and their 12 spots are basically set. The one question mark may lie around Rossi, at least that’s where everyone’s eyes will be. He’s expected to come into this season’s training camp ready to battle for his spot and prove he’s earned it. However, if he’s not ready, Guerin has shown he isn’t afraid to pull the plug and send him to Iowa.
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If Rossi doesn’t show up ready, players like Sammy Walker, Adam Beckman, or even Nic Petan could start the season in that spot if they’re invited to training camp. The other spots are again pretty much a lock unless the player’s game has completely disappeared which doesn’t happen often. It’ll be interesting to see how strong Rossi is at training camp this year.
Wild’s Future Almost Clinched
While most of the lineup appears set, there’s always a surprise that could happen, and a player could step up and swipe a spot away. It happens every season on more than one team and the Wild are no different. It’s going to be a fun season with the roster changes that have already happened and it’s likely there will be a few more along the way.