2024-25 Wild Season

It's not just Boldy. Marco Rossi has been nearly as invisible as well. Neither has a goal in 9 games. I know Kirill Kaprizov is our best player, but he's missed more games than he's played and he's STILL this team's leading goal scorer. That isn't because his goal total is just crazy, it's because #12 especially and to a lesser extent #23 have just disappeared goal-scoring-wise.
 

From Russo:

But just imagine if you’re Faber right now on a blue line that has been missing top-four defensemen on and off all season, especially the oft-injured Jonas Brodin, who is sidelined once again.

Faber has scored one goal and one assist and is minus-9 in 10 games since the 4 Nations Face-Off. His game also waned the final few months as a rookie last season, after getting monster minutes all season and playing through broken ribs because he didn’t want to remove himself from a lineup that was already without Jared Spurgeon.

At 22 years old, Faber is asked to do everything. He plays the point on the No. 1 power play. He is first over the boards on the penalty kill. And he’s the guy that goes up against opposing top forwards over and over and over again during a time of the season when there’s no break in the schedule.

Faber logged 29:42 against the Rangers — five minutes more than any of his teammates — in his 10th game in 20 nights since the 4 Nations Face-Off break. And of course, he didn’t get a break during the 4 Nations, combining with Jaccob Slavin on the United States’ shutdown duo and going against the other three countries’ very best.

After thriving on national stage, Faber-Slavin give U.S. a no-brainer Olympic shutdown pair

Since the 4 Nations, Faber’s average ice time is 27:19 — second-highest in the NHL and two seconds from being the most.

This is likely why he looks like he’s playing tired late in games.
 

Twins: *Epic six-week collapse*
Wild: *Hold my beer*

They've gallantly overperformed despite injury after injury, but they've finally run out of gas. It was embarrassing last night watching them get manhandled 5-1 by a desperate Blues team
 

Twins: *Epic six-week collapse*
Wild: *Hold my beer*

They've gallantly overperformed despite injury after injury, but they've finally run out of gas. It was embarrassing last night watching them get manhandled 5-1 by a desperate Blues team
yep. think this gets real hairy. 15 games left with 10 either inside the field or trying to catch us. We're not catching CO. Canucks only 6 back with a game in hand (we also play them once), Flames 8 back with 2 games in hand (we also play them once) and Blues 8 back overall.

In the month of March we've played 7 games and scored 12 goals but somehow gone 3-3-1. That's not sustainable

On Boldy and Rossi. Yep exactly. Neither is a #1 scorer and there was no way to expect they'd continue as such and it isn't going to get magically better with KK and Ek coming back either. It's why I felt they either needed to put them on LTIR (one or both) and go get someone or this was destined to happen and be yet another early round exit (or missed playoff altogether, which may be better) for the Wild
 

It’s not better to miss the playoffs. And it will get better when Kaprizov and Ek return. But it won’t be due to magic. It will be because they are our two most important players. I think Hines should put Boldy on a line with Johansson and see if they can’t click like when Johansson first joined the Wild. He’s had an extra gear lately and is really showing his speed again (finally!). Lets see if that could get Boldy on track.
 


Hell of an effort tonight. Totally different team from Sunday

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Great defensive effort. Great game-winner by Zucci. Boldy made a great play to corral a bad pass from Hartman, then threading the needle to feed Zucc.
 

Boldy now 12 games without a goal and Rossi at 11. That's just nuts. Gotta give Merrill credit last night. His stick saving goal could have very well saved the game. Had the Kings scored there it could of easily been a loss
 

What the heck is going on at the X. 3 Wild goals on seven shots in 4:29 to open the first period.
 



And those 3 goals in the first is all they needed for Gus

Marco Rossi taking a shot to the inside of the knee that had him hobbling back to the bench and ultimately miss the rest of the game. Another top 6 forward gone; the pressing question is whether it's long-term or not

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"They're hoping that he starts skating at the end of this month. He hasn't been skating. I knew someone that ran into him during the 4 Nations break and he said he was going to be out a while. That sort of raised my eyebrows, but I've been asking the question: 'Hey, what's happening? Where's Kirill Kaprizov?' The Wild don't have a timeline," Seravalli said Tuesday onDaily Faceoff.

 

Oh and now Rossi is hurt. Haven't heard how bad it is yet
 

"They're hoping that he starts skating at the end of this month. He hasn't been skating. I knew someone that ran into him during the 4 Nations break and he said he was going to be out a while. That sort of raised my eyebrows, but I've been asking the question: 'Hey, what's happening? Where's Kirill Kaprizov?' The Wild don't have a timeline," Seravalli said Tuesday onDaily Faceoff.


The strangest part of it, it almost seems like the team has no idea either. As if he just kind of wandered off and they're not sure. But the fact he hasn't even skated doesn't make me optimistic he'll even be back for the playoffs. Same with Eriksson Ek.
 



The strangest part of it, it almost seems like the team has no idea either. As if he just kind of wandered off and they're not sure. But the fact he hasn't even skated doesn't make me optimistic he'll even be back for the playoffs. Same with Eriksson Ek.
Agreed...it almost seems like a passive approach to shutting both guys down for the season without creating a dark cloud for the team the rest of the year.
 

Agreed...it almost seems like a passive approach to shutting both guys down for the season without creating a dark cloud for the team the rest of the year.
At this point one almost has to question their medical staff
 

At this point one almost has to question their medical staff

I mean, NHL teams are ridiculously secret with the medical conditions of players. Frustrating as hell, but it's the way I've always seen it.

Upper Body Injury or Lower Body Injury
Day to Day, or Week to Week.

That's pretty much what you get. No sense in thinking about someone playing until you see they have started practicing in the Red no-contact jersey, and then you're probably a week away. That's about as much as I've figured out and it seems to hold true
 


Dallas 3 Wild 0

Wild didn't play bad at all but once again can't score. Boldy once again didn't go into the dirty areas to try and score. He needs to get tougher especially if they do make the playoffs when it gets even more physical. Dude has all the talent in the world but I question his heart at times
 

Granger pretty much spot on. With the Wild playing last night and Vegas off for the normal 2 days, I took the Under on Adin Hill saves for VGK at 23.5; I just didn't see the Wild getting a lot of shots off against Vegas tonight. 4 SOG in the first for the Wild.

 

Granger pretty much spot on. With the Wild playing last night and Vegas off for the normal 2 days, I took the Under on Adin Hill saves for VGK at 23.5; I just didn't see the Wild getting a lot of shots off against Vegas tonight. 4 SOG in the first for the Wild.

23 saves for Hill. Those oddsmakers are pretty damn good!
 

23 saves for Hill. Those oddsmakers are pretty damn good!

Interesting stat they said after the game last night. All 3 games between the Wild and VGK this season were on the back end of a back-to-back for the Wild, while the first two also were for VGK but not this one. Odd coincidence.

It's shaping up to look like this will be the first round playoff matchup for both teams. Who will be healthier? Wild playing without KK97 and EEK, VGK rolled last night without leading scorer Tomas Hertl and top D-man Alex Pietrangelo, but got Shea Theodore back on the blue line for his first game since breaking his arm in the 4 Nations.
 

Interesting stat they said after the game last night. All 3 games between the Wild and VGK this season were on the back end of a back-to-back for the Wild, while the first two also were for VGK but not this one. Odd coincidence.

It's shaping up to look like this will be the first round playoff matchup for both teams. Who will be healthier? Wild playing without KK97 and EEK, VGK rolled last night without leading scorer Tomas Hertl and top D-man Alex Pietrangelo, but got Shea Theodore back on the blue line for his first game since breaking his arm in the 4 Nations.
Wild very well could not make the playoffs. If they do Vegas will embarrass them like last night
 

Wild very well could not make the playoffs. If they do Vegas will embarrass them like last night
Yeah I try to be an optimist but it's hard to see this team even making Vegas break a sweat in the first round. If we somehow get matched up with Dallas then hide the women and children.
 

Is this team actually a piece or two in FA from being a contender or are there more significant moves needed?

If more significant moves are needed, who would make off limits in trades? Kirill, Brock, ??? Ek?

In some instances there seems to be a disconnect between the “identity” guys and the stars. Can a team that wants to be physical, be successful when their skill guys aren’t physical?
 

If there's any consolation, there are years to be contenders and some years, not so much.

This year? Ouch. Winnipeg, Dallas, Colorado, Vegas, and even the LA Kings are coming on strong in the West; and that's not even mentioning if Edmonton gets healthy and gets their shit together.

This is a brutal year to be a semi-contender in the Western Conf.
 

If there's any consolation, there are years to be contenders and some years, not so much.

This year? Ouch. Winnipeg, Dallas, Colorado, Vegas, and even the LA Kings are coming on strong in the West; and that's not even mentioning if Edmonton gets healthy and gets their shit together.

This is a brutal year to be a semi-contender in the Western Conf.
this has been the wild pretty much every year of their existence. good enough to make playoffs but never a "true" contender. makes it hard to accumulate players to make that run

this reeks of 1st round exit or missing the playoffs in the last week.
 

Is this team actually a piece or two in FA from being a contender or are there more significant moves needed?

If more significant moves are needed, who would make off limits in trades? Kirill, Brock, ??? Ek?

In some instances there seems to be a disconnect between the “identity” guys and the stars. Can a team that wants to be physical, be successful when their skill guys aren’t physical?
imo, no.

This offseason they have to make a choice on Rossi. Otherwise other guys like Merrill, Johannson, Nyquist, Chisholm all probably depend on the number. They still are missing a number 2 scorer unless Boldy can become more consistent as well as a 1st line center (to me; others think better of Ek but to me he's best suited as a 2 and shut down defensive guy rather than one who can make the offense go). Defensively they'll add Buium I'd sure assume and you're likely viewing him and Faber as the future, but it's going to take some time for Zeev to mature into that.

They'll have plenty of cap room, but the aging contracts of Foligno, Hartman, Gaudreau and to a lesser extent Trenin and Zuccarrello are things they need to figure out. You obviously need some balance between your scorers and physical guys, but your physical guys are now all aging/slowing down and offer next to nothing offensively so they're getting closer to Pat Maroon status with each passing year.

They're kind of at a hinge point as they have a ton of money next year with the dead cap coming off the books, but with a roster that either you have to spend big for some high end guys or kind of blow it up. I don't know if I see enough where if you spend (and if the FA class has what we need) you're going to be rewarded like you'd hope.
 


imo, no.

This offseason they have to make a choice on Rossi. Otherwise other guys like Merrill, Johannson, Nyquist, Chisholm all probably depend on the number. They still are missing a number 2 scorer unless Boldy can become more consistent as well as a 1st line center (to me; others think better of Ek but to me he's best suited as a 2 and shut down defensive guy rather than one who can make the offense go). Defensively they'll add Buium I'd sure assume and you're likely viewing him and Faber as the future, but it's going to take some time for Zeev to mature into that.

They'll have plenty of cap room, but the aging contracts of Foligno, Hartman, Gaudreau and to a lesser extent Trenin and Zuccarrello are things they need to figure out. You obviously need some balance between your scorers and physical guys, but your physical guys are now all aging/slowing down and offer next to nothing offensively so they're getting closer to Pat Maroon status with each passing year.

They're kind of at a hinge point as they have a ton of money next year with the dead cap coming off the books, but with a roster that either you have to spend big for some high end guys or kind of blow it up. I don't know if I see enough where if you spend (and if the FA class has what we need) you're going to be rewarded like you'd hope.
Very good post and agree totally. Billy G will be busy this off season but it will be nice that he won't have his hands tied with Suter and Parises contracts. Supposedly the Wilds farm system is top 5 in the league but we all know many times those prospects end up being duds. Anyhoo I'll be at the Caps game tonight and looking forward to finally seeing Ovie live. Not expecting a Wild win so maybe they surprise me. Maybe
 

imo, no.

This offseason they have to make a choice on Rossi. Otherwise other guys like Merrill, Johannson, Nyquist, Chisholm all probably depend on the number. They still are missing a number 2 scorer unless Boldy can become more consistent as well as a 1st line center (to me; others think better of Ek but to me he's best suited as a 2 and shut down defensive guy rather than one who can make the offense go). Defensively they'll add Buium I'd sure assume and you're likely viewing him and Faber as the future, but it's going to take some time for Zeev to mature into that.

They'll have plenty of cap room, but the aging contracts of Foligno, Hartman, Gaudreau and to a lesser extent Trenin and Zuccarrello are things they need to figure out. You obviously need some balance between your scorers and physical guys, but your physical guys are now all aging/slowing down and offer next to nothing offensively so they're getting closer to Pat Maroon status with each passing year.

They're kind of at a hinge point as they have a ton of money next year with the dead cap coming off the books, but with a roster that either you have to spend big for some high end guys or kind of blow it up. I don't know if I see enough where if you spend (and if the FA class has what we need) you're going to be rewarded like you'd hope.
As of today, the Wild are projected to have $22M in cap space for 2025-26 which puts them right in the middle of the league. Is that just enough to remain a treadmill team in the NHL? Or can Guerin pull a rabbit out of a hat?

Everything he's done as a GM has led to this moment in the off-season and we will find out soon if Guerin's long-term vision can get paid off.
 




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