The Minnesota Wild were one of the best defensive teams in the NHL last season. They allowed the sixth-fewest goals, fourth-fewest shots against, finished with the league’s best penalty kill and they upset the first place Blues in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Midway through the 2014-15 campaign, the Wild were a floundering group hovering around the .500 mark. Mike Yeo was on the hot seat having meltdowns at practice and their goalies, Niklas Backstrom and Darcy Kuemper, weren’t getting it done. That all changed when the team sent a third-round pick to the Coyotes for Devan Dubnyk, who went 27-9-2 with a 1.78 goals-against average, .936 save percentage with five shutouts in a Wild uniform. They were ultimately outclassed by the eventual Cup champion Blackhawks and swept in the second round, but overall it was a strong finish to the season considering how it all started.
A lot will have to go right in order for the Wild to have similar success in 2015-16, though, because with Dallas and Colorado bound to improve, the Central Division is as strong as ever.
Head coach: Mike Yeo
GM: Chuck Fletcher
Team payroll: $69.5-million cap hit on $71.4 million salary cap
Last season record: 45-28-8, 100 points, 6th in the West
Goals for: 231 (12th in NHL)
Goals against: 198 (6th in NHL)
PP: 15.8 per cent (27th in NHL)
PK: 86.3 per cent (1st in NHL)
Corsi for per 60: 54.9 per cent (tied for 15th in NHL)
Key acquisitions: Mike Reilly, Zac Dalpe, Tyson Strachan
Key departures: Kyle Brodziak, Chris Stewart, Sean Bergenheim, Matt Cooke, Jordan Leopold, Keith Ballard
Rookies to Watch: Mike Reilly, Gustav Olofsson, Jack Walker, Kurtis Gabriel, Pavel Jenys, Dylan Labbe
The biggest addition the Wild made this summer was signing coveted college free agent defenceman Mike Reilly after the University of Minnesota star failed to reach an agreement with the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team that drafted him 98th overall in 2011.
Highlight of 2014-15
Upsetting the big, bad Blues in the opening round of the playoffs in large part due to the play of Dubnyk.
Pre-season letter grades
Forwards
Led by veterans Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu, Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek, the organization has also done a great job of acquiring and developing young talent like Mikael Granlund, Nino Niederreiter, Charlie Coyle and the vastly under-appreciated Jason Zucker. This isn’t a group that will overwhelm opposing teams with waves upon waves of goals, but if they get a lead they become extremely difficult to play against. GRADE: B—
Defence
Much of the credit for last season’s success went to Dubnyk, but the strength of this team is really its blue-line. With Ryan Suter and Jonas Brodin making up one of the best pairs in the NHL, Jared Spurgeon and Marco Scandella steadily improving, plus Mathew Dumba and Mike Reilly having high ceilings, there is plenty to be optimistic about when it comes to the Wild’s back end. GRADE: B+
Goaltending
Dubnyk’s performance last season was a revelation and it earned the 29-year-old the Bill Masterton Trophy, a Vezina Trophy nomination and a fat six-year, $26-million contract. There’s a lot of pressure on Dubnyk. Niklas Backstrom is 37 and trying to come back from a significant elbow injury, while Darcy Kuemper was inconsistent at best following a three-game win streak in mid-November. Depth in net could become a concern. GRADE: B—
The Wild will have a successful season if… they can improve their power play. This is one area the team must focus on. There’s too much talent up front to have the 27th-ranked power play. Recently, Parise and Suter spent time working with Adam Oates on one-timers, plays around the net and other power-play skills. When your two best players go the extra mile like this it’s a great sign.
The Wild will have a disappointing season if… Dubnyk fails to live up to his big contract. Even though the Wild’s defensive system can be a goalie’s best friend, Dubnyk will be hard pressed to replicate the career year he just had.