MIDDLING IN MINNY
WHERE DOES GM
Bill Guerin take the Wild from here? It’s been evident for some time Minnesota is in need of a refresh, and Guerin appeared ready to provide just that, but the Wild architect also made it clear he wants his team to compete. Trying to have it both ways is what got Minnesota into this mess in the first place, but the draft will be Guerin’s opportunity to indicate which direction he intends to take a rudderless franchise. IMMEDIATE NEEDS: The potential departure of Mikko Koivu, trade chatter surrounding Zach Parise and the trade of Jason Zucker suggests the Wild will be in the market to add up front. The emergence of Kevin Fiala as a legitimate top-six scorer is a promising development, but the Wild must improve their attack if they have designs on anything more than a basement finish. LONG-TERM NEEDS: Devan Dubnyk had been among the league’s most reliable netminders over the past five years, including two seasons in which he finished top-five in Vezina voting. But 2019-20 was disastrous and Dubnyk lost his job to backup Alex Stalock. The Wild have a few netminders in the hopper and Kaapo Kahkonen had an audition, but they need to discover a successor for Dubnyk in a hurry. CAP SITUATION: Koivu isn’t out the door yet, and the Wild have ample cap space to bring the 37-year-old back if they desire, especially as that’s their only major free-agent concern. Alex Galchenyuk’s disastrous year likely sees him left to seek a deal on the open market.
IN THE SYSTEM 2020-21: Finally, Kirill Kaprizov appears ready to make his NHL debut. The stud sniper is considered one of the best prospects in the game and fresh off a KHL-leading and career-best 33-goal season. He has potential to be the game-breaker the Wild have sought since the departure of Marian Gaborik. DID YOU KNOW: Matthew Boldy is turning heads. His nine-goal, 26-point performance with Boston College earned him all-rookie team honors in Hockey East.