The Minnesota Wild are off to a blazing start, so much so their 10-2-3 record is the best start in franchise history. Aside from Kirill Kaprizov’s mind-blowing start, there are other reasons why the Wild are playing so well and sit second in the Central Division.
Frederick Gaudreau
Frederick Gaudreau’s road to the National Hockey League wasn’t an easy one, he battled through the American Hockey League and then got cups of coffee with the Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins before finding a home in Minnesota.
But even Gaudreau would admit he is beyond fortunate that he’s still with the Wild; he’s lucky to still be in the NHL. That’s how bad he was in the second half of last season. After Dec. 31, 2023, he played 42 games, scoring twice while adding four assists. He went eight games without registering a point to begin this season.
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Now to the bright side. Gaudreau suddenly found his confidence and started playing like he had two seasons ago. In the past seven games, he’s scored twice while adding six assists and most impressively has gone plus-8 during this time. He’s back to centering the third line with Marcus Foligno and Ryan Hartman after being buried on the fourth line for the first month.
The team is better for it, to say the least. Despite going 6-1-2 in the first nine games, the team had zero contributions from the third or fourth line. Arguably, the Hartman, Gaudreau, Foligno trio has been the second-best line during their most recent streak.
Jacob Middleton
When talking about unsung heroes, don’t look any further than Jacob Middleton. What doesn’t he do? He throws his body in harm’s way night after night and is one of the rare Wild players who doesn’t hesitate to stand up for his teammates. He’s a team-first kind of guy; the kind of guy you’d want to go to war with.
Ever since entering the NHL, Middleton has been counted on by all of his coaches. In his rookie season of 2021-22, he was entrusted to be paired with then-San Jose Sharks top defenseman Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson. It’s been the same thing since the Wild obtained him as he’s been playing the majority of his time with Brock Faber.
Middleton’s all-around game has gotten stronger as well. He’s tied for second in the NHL with a plus-13 rating and has gone officially one month (13 games) without being a minus player. He’s leading all Wild defenseman with three goals and is currently fifth on the team with nine points.
Zach Bogosian
Zach Bogosian knows his best days are long behind his and he accepts his role. It’s been nine seasons since Bogosian has scored more than three goals, but in only 15 games this season, he has two goals already. The third-overall 2008 pick appears to have finally found a home again after being bounced around from team after team for a while.
He’s changed his game over the years. He used to be a flashy two-way defenseman; he’s now an older version of Middleton, a penalty killer and shot blocker who will fight battles for the team. Bogosian is plus-5 and has only been a minus in a game twice this season. He’s the kind of guy you need when the Stanley Cup Playoffs start in April.
For teams to be successful nowadays, they need to have players at the bottom of their roster who can contribute but also don’t have big salaries. Gaudreau, Middleton, and Bogosian are three perfect examples of that.
