TRF Guy
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- Joined
- Sep 1, 2019
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Grade: B
Minnesota Wild
Preseason over/under: 94.5
Current points pace: 99.8
What has gone right? Being able to consistently field the same roster. Injuries took the Wild from having one of the best starts of any team last season to one that had to fight just to grab a wild-card spot.
To be clear, this season has had its challenges. But it comes with the context that they've had eight players appear in every game, and 13 of their skaters have played in 20 or more of their first 23 games. The impact of that has been reflected in the Wild's defensive core: Three of the top four defensemen in terms of average ice time have played in every game, and Jonas Brodin has sat out only one.
What has gone wrong? They need to score more goals. Anyone who follows the Wild knows how this all works; they struggle to consistently score goals but can often rely or in some cases rely too much on their defensive structure and goaltending to win games.
This season has seen its share of disconnects with that approach. Minnesota's underlying numbers suggest it should be scoring more goals. The Wild are in the top half of the NHL in scoring chances per 60 and shots per 60. They are also 18th in high-danger chances, only to be in the bottom 10 of goals per game. To to get in a more secure playoff position -- they've been jockeying between third place in the Central or a wild-card spot -- they'll need to ramp up the scoring.
www.espn.com
Minnesota Wild
Preseason over/under: 94.5
Current points pace: 99.8
What has gone right? Being able to consistently field the same roster. Injuries took the Wild from having one of the best starts of any team last season to one that had to fight just to grab a wild-card spot.
To be clear, this season has had its challenges. But it comes with the context that they've had eight players appear in every game, and 13 of their skaters have played in 20 or more of their first 23 games. The impact of that has been reflected in the Wild's defensive core: Three of the top four defensemen in terms of average ice time have played in every game, and Jonas Brodin has sat out only one.
What has gone wrong? They need to score more goals. Anyone who follows the Wild knows how this all works; they struggle to consistently score goals but can often rely or in some cases rely too much on their defensive structure and goaltending to win games.
This season has seen its share of disconnects with that approach. Minnesota's underlying numbers suggest it should be scoring more goals. The Wild are in the top half of the NHL in scoring chances per 60 and shots per 60. They are also 18th in high-danger chances, only to be in the bottom 10 of goals per game. To to get in a more secure playoff position -- they've been jockeying between third place in the Central or a wild-card spot -- they'll need to ramp up the scoring.
Who's making the grade, and who's failing at the NHL quarter mark? Grades for all 32 teams
From multiple A's down to two F's, here's what has gone right (and wrong) for every club.
