ROSTER RUNDOWN
Making the cut
Of the 12 forwards who will likely be in the opening night lineup, 11 played with Minnesota last season (other than Maroon, who was acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 2), and nine of those 11 played at least 50 games (Marcus Johansson played in 20 after being acquired in a trade with the Washington Capitals on Feb. 28; Marco Rossi played in 19). However, Jujhar Khaira, who signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Wild on Sept. 17, could be a depth forward after he had 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 51 games with the Chicago Blackhawks last season. On defense, Alex Goligoski appears the odd man out barring injury. The 38-year-old played in 46 games with Minnesota last season after playing in 72 in 2021-22.
Most intriguing addition
The Wild only added one player of note in free agency, and that was Maroon. Acquired for a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Maroon (6-foot-3, 234 pounds) is a three-time Stanley Cup champion and led the NHL with 150 penalty minutes last season. He could play on a line with Marcus Foligno, Minnesota's other big, physical forward (6-3, 226), or he could play on the fourth line and provide protection for a young player like Rossi.
Biggest potential surprise
Frederick Gaudreau had 38 points, including an NHL career-high 19 goals, in 82 games last season, but he could be in line for an even bigger season in 2023-24. The 30-year-old’s NHL career high in points is 44, which he set in 2021-22, but Gaudreau plays in all situations (he had three power-play goals and four short-handed goals last season) and could be used in a top-six role this season, giving him the opportunity to surpass 50 points.
Ready to contribute
It's hard to believe that Rossi is still looking for his first NHL goal. Selected by Minnesota with the No. 9 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, the 22-year-old has dealt with health issues, which delayed his NHL debut until January 2022. Last season, Rossi had one assist in 19 games, but the offensive potential is there. He had 120 points (39 goals, 81 assists) in 56 games with Ottawa of the Ontario Hockey League in 2019-20, and 104 points (34 goals, 70 assists) in 116 games with Iowa of the American Hockey League over the past two seasons.
Fantasy sleeper
Rossi, C (undrafted on average in fantasy) – He averaged nearly a point per game in the AHL last season (51 points; 16 goals, 35 assists in 53 games) and will be a rookie to monitor, especially if he works his way into the top six and sees time on the power play, where he could gain exposure from forwards Kirill Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello and/or Matt Boldy. -- Anna Dua
