The Minnesota Wild are hoping for a deeper run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the majority of their roster returning following a record-setting season.
Minnesota (53-22-7) finished second in the Central Division, behind the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche, and set a team record with 113 points and 53 wins. Forward Kirill Kaprizov followed up a rookie season in which he won the Calder Trophy by becoming the first player in Wild history to have more than 100 points, finishing with 108 (47 goals, 61 assists) in 81 games.
But the Wild lost in six games to the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference First Round and have not reached the second round of the playoffs since 2015.
"This team had something special about it," general manager Bill Guerin said May 17. "And we made tremendous steps in the direction that we want to be going in.
"I've been here three seasons now. This is my first season that management, coaches, and players alike were able to do things exactly the way we wanted to do them. And we took such a big step in the right direction in my mind, that that gives me a lot of hope and a lot of encouragement for what's to come."
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Minnesota will have to replace the offensive production from Kevin Fiala, who had 85 points (33 goals, 52 assists) in 82 regular-season games last season, and was second on the team with 67 even-strength points. The forward was traded to the Los Angeles Kings on June 29 for defenseman
Brock Faber
and the No. 19 pick (
Liam Ohgren
) in the 2022 NHL Draft.
"The kid had a great year," Guerin said June 30 regarding Fiala. "We don't have (NHL salary) cap space. Honestly, to keep him we'd have to trade three guys or two guys and deplete our team more. Then the following year, we're going to need even more. It just didn't fit.
"We need younger guys. We need guys that don't make millions and millions of dollars. We just have to do it that way. And I think for long-term success, as well, we have to keep adding to our prospect pool."
In addition to signing Ohgren to a three-year, entry-level contract July 16, Minnesota has pegged
Marco Rossi
as someone who can fill the offensive void left by Fiala. The No. 9 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft led Iowa of the American Hockey League in assists (35), tied for first in points (53), and was fourth in goals (18) in 63 regular-season games last season.
"I feel ready," Rossi said July 13. "Last season, that was really good for me. I could play a lot of minutes in Iowa. I played in every situation, and I played a lot, so I think that was for me the best thing to get better as a player. So, I feel ready now."
The Wild also hope to get a full season from goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks on March 21 and signed a two-year contract on July 7. Minnesota traded Cam Talbot five days later to the Ottawa Senators for Filip Gustavsson, who will serve as Fleury's backup.
"Yeah, that'll be nice to get there from camp and start with everybody else," Fleury said July 8. "The team hasn't changed too much, so it'll be good to know everybody instead of starting from scratch. I'll know the guys already and it will be easier to get started."
