UNCERTAINTY IN FUTURE
Wild’s top players getting long in the tooth, and capable replacements slow in arriving
ANY TIME NOW, Minnesota prospects. The Wild are waiting. They need you. They’re in a tough spot, having dealt away many picks and youngsters the past half-decade while also doling out big contracts to veterans for playoff pushes. The Wild seemingly have some A-list players developing in their system, but they aren’t delivering yet. Joel Eriksson Ek disappointed as a rookie, Luke Kunin blew out his ACL, Kirill Kaprizov will remain in the KHL through 2019-20. Minnesota needs reinforcements as its older core starts to show its age. IMMEDIATE NEEDS: Ryan Suter’s late-season broken fibula spotlighted what was always a problem: relying too much on him to play almost half of every game anchoring the blueline. It helps that Matt Dumba took a step forward, but the Wild badly need a high-upside defenseman who can play in the top-four. LONG-TERM NEEDS: Given how tight cap space will be for Minnesota, it’ll have to go the draft route rather than relying on free agency to get the D-man it needs. Eric Staal’s renaissance has been remarkable, but he’s 33 and only signed through 2018-19. Mikko Koivu is 35. The Wild need a big-time center prospect to ascend behind them. Kunin’s major injury clouds his career trajectory, and Eriksson Ek hasn’t yet shown he can be a legit scoring-line forward. CAP SITUATION: The Wild haven’t been able to breathe since committing more than $15 million in annual cap space to Suter and Zach Parise in 2012. The team will have roughly $10 million to spend, but RFAs Dumba and Jason Zucker have earned not just raises but long-term deals. Dumba was one of the league’s top goal-scoring D-men, while Zucker went off for 33 goals. IN THE SYSTEM 2018-19: Hulking power forward Jordan Greenway left Boston University to turn pro in the spring and got into a few games for the Wild. His unique blend of size, snarl and scoring touch will help him win a job. DID YOU KNOW: Parise and Matt Cullen have done their hometown team proud. Both rank top-five in points among Minnesota-born NHLers.