2023-24 Season Preview
It was the day before the start of training camp.
Players had been put through their paces by the team’s media and broadcast partners with photos and videos and audio recordings starting early in the morning. But as 11 a.m. approached the players could be seen looking at their watches and asking how long a particular session would last.
Team meeting. And no one. No one wanted to be late.
And so it was that a moment or two after 11 a.m. all of the players attending the Wild media day along with trainers, management, coaches from both the NHL club and the team’s American Hockey League affiliate in Iowa, and assorted hangers on, crowded into the area, some spilling out into the hallway.
It was a command performance you might say.
GM Bill Guerin, dressed formally, greeted the team.
He started with announcements, catching the group up on the news of the summer like the arrival of a new baby in Filip Gustavsson’s home three months earlier.
Mike Murray, Director of Hockey Operations and Iowa GM, also has a new daughter, four months old.
“And Hartsy, happy birthday,” Guerin said drawing applause for center Ryan Hartman who also got married this summer and penned a three year contract extension.
“Thirty-seven. It goes fast. Really fast,” Guerin joked.
Hartman is 29.
Brandon Duhaime signed a contract. More applause.
“Big contract,” Guerin said with a smile. “Thank you for not going to arbitration. You’d have ruined my vacation.”
Vinni Lettieri, a Minnesotan, signed with the team.
Marcus Johansson, acquired at the 2023 deadline for a second run with the Wild, signed an extension.
“JoJo,” Guerin said. “Second time’s a charm.”
Calen Addison signed at the last minute as did Jujhar Khaira.
The Wild also traded for three-time Stanley Cup champion Pat Maroon.
“Patty and I were in training camp together in Philly. I don’t know how many years ago that was but that’s how old you are,” Guerin quipped.
Additionally, forwards and team leaders Marcus Foligno and Mats Zuccarello signed a four-year deal and two-year deal, respectively.
Throughout the preamble there was plenty of clapping and chuckling, a sense of a group of classmates returning after a long summer, sharing in stories and accomplishments.
But beyond the laughter was also the feeling of something more serious, that this moment marked a kind of line in the sand.
Guerin reminded the group to pay all due respect to the team’s trainers.
“These are the guys that make your world go around in professional hockey. Without these guys you’d be up (a kind of) creek without a paddle,” Guerin noted to more applause.
Then the meat of it all.
What now for this group? What next for all of those gathered shoulder to shoulder in this space?
This is a team that has made the playoffs in 10 of the last 11 NHL seasons. They have won two playoff series over that time and none since 2015.
But that’s not the narrative nor the message being delivered on this day.
There was, in fact, barely an acknowledgement of the past. Instead, the message was broader, deeper than that. It’s a message that puts this group on notice that the bar continues to rise within the organization.
“Expectations get higher,” Guerin said. “Each and every year we grow a little bit, we come together a little bit, we make steps and because of that expectations get higher. It’s no different this year.”
“Our expectation is to win the Stanley Cup,” the GM who has won four Stanley Cups as a player and executive added. “That’s it. That’s our expectation. I don’t care what outside noise says. I don’t care what social media says. I don’t care what anybody says. We have the ability to win the Stanley Cup.”
“This is a really good group,” Guerin said. “You guys have worked so hard to build something really special. We can get there. It starts today.”
Maybe in early June we’ll remember this moment, we’ll remember these words as something that helped galvanize the group the way that all champions are galvanized and drawn together.
Fans in Minnesota have been waiting their whole lives to see words like this turn to a Stanley Cup celebration.
Head Coach Dean Evason spoke briefly after Guerin.
He and his staff are charged with putting a plan into place that allows Guerin’s words to become something memorable, something tangible.
He talked about establishing players’ roles and then challenging the players to change those roles if they aspire to more.
“Change your role. Elevate your role. But you can take that. You can take what your role’s going to be and it starts from the first day of training camp and that’s tomorrow,” Evason said.
So, from words to deeds, what has to happen for this team to be back in the playoffs which would mean at least 95 points? Or top 100 points for the third straight season and be in the hunt for a top three spot in the very competitive Central Division?
Let’s start with the goaltending, a natural place to start. The Wild finished 6th in goals allowed per game last season and were tied for second in goals against at five-on-five.
Filip Gustavsson was a revelation last year producing stats – a .931 save percentage and 2.10 GAA - that were among the tops in the NHL.
Even if there is some regression from Gustavsson, who signed a three-year deal with an average annual cap hit of $3.75 million, as long as veteran Marc-Andre Fleury plays to his abilities in what may or may not be the final year of his Hall of Fame career, the Wild should boast one of the top tandems in the league.
Evason said he doesn’t expect the new contract to have any bearing on Gustavsson’s confidence or level of play.
“I haven’t seen anything different out of him. He’s still working his butt off getting ready to play,” Evason said.
The coach has no plan for parsing out playing time for his two able netminders. Play well, keep playing. It is no different from the other members of his roster.
“I lost the crystal ball,” Evason joked. “We don’t know. We’re going to let them play it out. They’re both great goaltenders that are going to play dictated by the success. The team has success then obviously we’ll keep playing the goaltenders that are playing well. We truly do not have a situation planned out a schedule planned out of who’s playing what games.”
Defensively the departure of Matt Dumba means a role for rookie Brock Faber who looks to line up with veteran Jonas Brodin who was enthused at what his new partner brings to the table.
“He’s a really good player, he’s going to be here for a long time,” Brodin said.
The expectations are high for the 21-year-old Faber who grew up in Minnesota and was the captain of the University of Minnesota team that lost in the national championship game last spring. He is bigger, stronger and faster and has worked on the offensive side of his game to balance what is already an impressive defensive posture.
Assuming Faber is who the team believes he is this should remain a team whose identity is rooted in gritty, defensive hockey and they should be a top-10 defensive team this season. With Faber making the roster for opening night, the belief there is indicated.
Will there be enough goals to keep pace with high-octane offenses in the Western Conference like Edmonton, Colorado and Dallas boast?
The Wild would like to be more dynamic offensively after finishing 23rd in goals scored per game. They were 29th in 5-on-5 scoring. That means the Wild relied on squeaking out more wins than they did the season before when they were 5th in goals scored per game and 3rd in five-on-five scoring.
“Two years ago, we were really aggressive and scored a bunch of goals. But it was a little dramatic. With the come from behinds and the pulling the goalie and all that stuff,” Guerin said. “Last year was not a step back in the aggressiveness, but I think we can get back to playing a higher tempo, a lot more speed.”
“You know what though?” Guerin added. “Dean and I talk about these things and then he delivers. I trust him. And he puts the work in, him and the whole staff, they all put the work in. We agree on that. Him and I. If we agree on it I know it’s going to be taken care of.”
To get back into the top 10 in scoring overall, and to be more dangerous at even-strength, emerging young star Matt Boldy will need to continue to do what he did last year when he had 31 goals, second behind star Kirill Kaprizov who is also looking to elevate his game after an admittedly disappointing playoff series against Dallas.
The team looks to rely on Kaprizov in the locker room as well with the team announcing yesterday that the young forward will be an alternate captain alongside veteran Foligno.
Perhaps the most intriguing figure among the forwards is Marco Rossi who looks to start the season playing on the team’s third line with Foligno and Fredrick Gaudreau.
This is a huge season for the 9th overall pick in the 2020 draft. He played in 19 games last season and had one assist. He stayed in Minnesota over the summer and worked with Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Matt Harder and Skills Coach Andy Ness. He put on 15 pounds and worked on a new skating stride.
With the team still dealing with the salary cap implications of buying out Zach Parise and Ryan Suter a couple of summers ago, having Rossi reach his potential and be a catalyst to what could be a third potent scoring line would be a boon to the organization.
Even before Rossi played in his first pre-season game Evason said you could tell he is a different player than he was a year ago.
“We’ve seen some great stuff already from him and how he’s conducted himself,” Evason said. “Probably more than the physical end of it is his maturity level. He’s been more vocal. He’s been more involved. He’s been kind of more of a presence on and off the ice. So, yeah we’re just hoping that continues to progress.”
Also, among the unknowns heading into this season is the issue of generating offense from the blue line, especially with Matt Dumba gone. Early on coaches have encouraged Faber to think more offensively and he worked specifically on offensive skills with Ness over the summer although he doesn’t look to figure into the power play structure early on.
Perhaps this is Calen Addison’s time to shine. The 23-year-old had an opportunity at the start of last season to lead the top power play unit from the back end but by the end of the season he was a healthy scratch.
“His grit has to translate from all aspects of his game,” Evason said. “We all know what Calen Addison does on the power play. He’s gritty. He’s competitive. His willingness to have success for the team on the power play is great. We need that in 5-on-5 and if he’s killing penalties, we need that, too. We need that as a well-rounded hockey player. He understands that. He was given that message before the last meeting of the season. Obviously, he sat out a bunch at the end because of it and he has come back motivated to prove that that’s going to be the best hockey player he can be. We know he can do that. He just has to apply himself, which he’s done right here from Day 1.”
Addison signed a one-year deal just before camp and his earnestness about rebuilding his role with the team has been palpable.
To talk offense is to necessarily talk the Wild power play and Assistant Coach Jason King arrives after a long stint in the Vancouver Canucks organization tasked with tinkering with a unit that was last year ranked 15th in the league.
As noted Maroon arrives after a stunning run of playoff success – he played 97 playoff games between 2019 and 2022 – his pedigree is important as he joins other players who have enjoyed success at high levels.
Guerin noted defenseman Jake Middleton winning a gold with Canada at the World Championships as another part of that winning foundation.
“You’ve got to realize how good it feels to win,” Guerin said.
Middleton certainly got that message.
“It was fun as hell. It was. I don’t even know how to explain it really,” Middleton said. “I’ve never won anything. I’ve never been a part of a winning team. I shouldn’t say that; I won in minor bantam but I was suspended for the last two games. So, I felt if I got an opportunity to be a part of winning something and fortunately we did so honestly it was a hell of an experience, something I couldn’t ask much more of.”
Middleton has become an important figure on this team not just as a top our defender playing with captain Jared Spurgeon but his personality and honesty. He believes that this team is ready for the next steps that management and the coaching staff have been preaching.
Back to the lounge and dining area.
“I’m just going to leave you with this,” Guerin said as he ended his address.
“A lot of guys can play in the National Hockey League. Anybody that’s in training camp right now, we can take you and put you in the NHL and you’ll do fine. You can play. You can probably play for a long time,” Guerin said.
“What we’re looking for are guys that can help us win. It’s different. Just playing isn’t enough. We want guys that are going to help the Minnesota Wild win a Stanley Cup.”
“So, when you get out there, make a difference. Make an impression. Make something happen. Play a role that you’re not used to playing. Do something that brings you out of your comfort zone. And show us that you are the player that will help us win. Because that’s what we need, that’s what we want, and that’s what we’re going for.”
Minnesota opens the 2023-24 NHL season starting on Thursday, Oct. 12 against the Florida Panthers at 7 p.m. on Bally Sports North and KFAN 100.3 FM. Minnesota returns home after a two-game road trip on Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. against the Los Angeles Kings and Saturday, Oct. 21 against the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7 p.m.
Coach previews the upcoming season after practice
Minnesota Wild single-game tickets are on sale now at wild.com/tickets, ticketmaster.com and at the Xcel Energy Center Box Office. Flex, 11-Game, half and full season ticket are also for purchase throughout the season. Please visit tickets.wild.com or contact a Wild Ticket Sales Representative by calling or texting (651) 222-WILD (9453) for more information. Group reservations of eight or more tickets can contact [email protected] for more information.
