Minnesota’s massive spending spree last summer was enough to get the Wild back into the postseason, barely. GM Chuck Fletcher’s aggressive moves should start to pay real dividends this season and beyond.
Zach Parise and Ryan Suter were instant hits in Minnesota, regardless of the immense cost. Parise led the squad in both goals (18) and points (38), and Suter was a finalist for the Norris Trophy. Though regrettable big-money deals were the cause of last season’s lockout, the two 13-year $98-million dollar pacts belonging to these franchise players just might work out.
An April trade with the Buffalo Sabres added veteran star Jason Pominville to the already much improved mix. Pominville fit right in with his new club, posting nine points in 10 regular season games. The former Sabres captain will be a leader on and off the ice this season.
The Wild will hope to further enhance their assault on the top of the standings by augmenting their new-look core with a host of top young players.
Mikael Granlund was the talk of the league entering his rookie season in January. Unfortunately, the Finn failed to live up to the hype. However, the Wild remain confident in the 2010 first rounder. According to The Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, Granlund is expected to battle for Matt Cullen‘s vacated number two center role in camp.
Granlund’s competition will be provided by fellow 21-year-old Charlie Coyle. The former Boston University star was selected 19 picks after Granlund in 2010, and he might use his underdog status to motivate him in camp. The big center was clearly the better player in 2013, posting 14 points in 37 games. Both players have all-star upside, and their training camp battle will be one of the highlights of September.
Another 2010 first round pick, Nino Neiderreiter could also make a splash in camp. The former New York Islander was acquired in exchange for Cal Clutterbuck on draft day. A super-skilled Swiss winger, Neiderreiter struggled mightily in 55 NHL games back in 2011-12 leading to a demotion this past season. However, a strong campaign for the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers could have put him back on track. Neiderreiter won’t be ready for stardom anytime soon, but he could provide some depth scoring this year.
Meanwhile, second-year player Jonas Brodin is on the fast track to become an elite defenseman. The conservative Swede logged more than 23 minutes of ice time per game as a rookie, and he averaged more than 26 minutes in Minnesota’s first round playoff series loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Brodin was very reliable for a rookie, and he should help improve the Wild’s fifteenth ranked defense this winter.
Veteran blueliner Keith Ballard should be a nice addition to the defensive core, though his point contribution has dwindled in recent years. The defensive questions rest primarily in goal.
Nicklas Backstrom required surgery to resolve a sports hernia suffered in pre-game warm ups for the Wild’s playoff opener. The injury suggests that the overworked puck-stopper will surrender a greater percentage of starts to backup Josh Harding in 2013-14.
Backstrom tied for the league lead in wins (24) last season, while trailing only Antti Niemi and Henrik Lundqvist in starts. Remarkably Backstrom pulled off all of those wins despite posting the league’s 25th ranked save-percentage (.909).
Harding made just three starts in the regular season, posting one shutout victory and two bad losses. He was decent in the playoffs against Chicago, but he’ll have to prove himself with an added workload.
23-year-old Darcy Kuemper could also be in line to see some action. Kuemper shined for the AHL’s Houston Aero’s last season, mustering a .934 save-percentage in 21 regular season games. He might be the future in net, but don’t expect him to steal Backstrom’s job just yet.
The Minnesota Wild are good, or perhaps more appropriately good enough. They have some really spectacular pieces in Parise, Suter and Pominville, but they are bound to rely heavily on unproven youngsters and Nicklas Backstrom’s unspectacular netminding.
Luckily for Minnesota puckheads, the Wild have been slotted into a very comfortable spot in the new Central Division. Chicago and St. Louis should easily lock up the top two spots in the standings, but after that there is a clear gulf in class. Minnesota will just have to beat out Winnipeg, Dallas, Colorado and Nashville for the third playoff spot.
Not to say the Jets, Preds, Avs and Stars have no shot to upset the Wild in the all important race for the Central’s third guaranteed postseason bid, but Minnesota should have a distinct edge. They are far more complete than all four of those teams, and they are a breakout season from Coyle or Granlund away from having a lethal offense.
If Dany Heatley returns to all-star form, which isn’t likely, the Wild could really do some damage. For now expect Mike Yeo’s club to take advantage of their relatively easy competition to snag a playoff spot. With so many young players emerging, the Wild could be a real contender in a year or two.
