The Hockey News

UNCERTAINT­Y IN FUTURE

Wild’s top players getting long in the tooth, and capable replacemen­ts slow in arriving

- – ML

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.

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MATT DUMBA

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