Final dress rehearsal

The Minnesota Wild get their final chance of the pre-season to lace up the skates and get things worked out without points on the line. Of course, this has been anything but a smooth pre-season for the team, as they've had to deal with bad ice and injury after injury. All this while trying to learn a new offensive system that should pay dividends down the road, but might lead to some very scary hockey games in the first month or so.


Of course, another thing that has been weighing in the Wild so far has been the naming of a team captain. The obvious choice for many is Mikko Koivu. Not only did he truly step into that leadership role last season, but he's ready to firmly take hold of the team as his own. Whether he was being deceptive or not, part of why it's best that Mikko's brother Saku didn't come to Minnesota is that his presence may have actually weakened Mikko's position as far as the coaches and officials were concerned. By staying away, the elder Koivu has allowed the younger to mold the team to his style. Given the new style that coach Todd Richards is trying to put in place, the league should notice what Mikko does on the ice even more.

Finally, though there are some players on injured reserve, tonight will be a chance for the Wild to skate with fairly close to the line-up that they expect to start the season with. When Saturday rolls around, the line-up will be close to what they've shown in the pre-season, with some exceptions. The Wild's lines will most likely look very similar to this come Saturday evening in Columbus.

Brunette - Koivu - Havlat
There is a chance that Brunette will fall to the second line, but he had great chemistry with Koivu last season. Putting these two with Havlat provides the Wild their best chance at a definitive scoring line.

Sykora - Sheppard - Bouchard
If anyone is going to take Brunette's spot on the top line, it will be Petr Sykora. However, putting Sykora with Sheppard and Bouchard gives the Wild a second line of scoring punch, and allows Bouchard to feed a goal scorer. He hasn't proven himself back at center yet, but skating with Sykora should allow him to regain the positives he had while playing with Brian Rolston.

Nolan - Brodziak - Clutterbuck
Cal Clutterbuck may be primed for a breakout season, and, to get that, he needs a veteran hand guiding him, which is right where Owen Nolan comes into play. Kyle Brodziak was originally slated to be the Wild's fourth center, but has had an amazing training camp, and earned the third line duties, at least for the opener.

Miettinen - Belanger - Scott
John Scott isn't naturally a winger, but he's no more of an offensive liability than Derek Boogaard, who starts the season on IR. Eric Belanger could find his position getting squeezed out, especially when Benoit Pouliot returns from IR himself. Luckily for Scott, he's able to filter back to the blue line.

Burns - Schultz
It may not be the top defensive pairing when the puck drops, but it should be. Burns and Schultz compliment each other incredibly well.

Zanon - Johnsson
Another pairing that just might work, but it will need Kim Johnsson to start playing like the contract he's getting.

Sifers/Hnidy - Zidlicky
Sifers came into camp expecting to go to Houston. He's played so well during the pre-season that, even when Scott gets bumped back to defense, Sifers will tend to get the nod over him. Ultimately, Sifers playing time will probably get determined by Shane Hnidy's health, and, if the "Sheriff" is skating, again Scott might find himself on the pine.

The most notable names not included above? Craig Weller and Colton Gillies. Weller's position was squeezed out by the appearance of Petr Sykora, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him tossed onto the trade block before too long. As for Gillies, the kid still needs to develop. Yes, he played a pile of games with the Wild last year, but he needs to get big minutes, and he's not going to get those in Minnesota. By sending him to Houston, he'll be able to step up and develop the skills he'll need to help anchor the Wild offense in a couple of years. Expect him to contribute big time for the Wild when Tyler Cuma and Nick Leddy are manning the blue line.

Welcome to Minnesota

The pre-season is continuing to click past, and the Wild are closer to announcing their starting line-up. Of course, two of the major acquisitions from last year are already bringing some excitement to the ice, and a couple of workhorses from previous seasons have continued to power the team through their own style of play.

Naturally, the workhorses mentioned are Brent Burns and Cal Clutterbuck. Both players have been solid thus far in the pre-season, with Clutterbuck almost completing a hat trick on Friday night against Columbus, and Burns simply taking over the defense the way that everyone anticipated he could. It's great to see Burns back on the ice with confidence, because last season looked rough for him. Clutterbuck and Burns are also two players who definitely play the game because they love it.

Meanwhile, the two big Minnesota acquisitions paid dividends by putting the goals in against Chicago. Martin Havlat showed exactly why he might like to play against the Blackhawks more frequently, scoring two goals, including one that turned the Chicago defense inside out, and Petr Sykora demonstrated why he's been a 20-goal scorer for his last ten seasons. Take into account the players that Havlat and Sykora are replacing on the Wild roster (Marian Gaborik and Stephane Veilleux respectively), and the Wild are definitely a stronger offensive team. They still need to figure out the center position, and the defensive picture is looking interesting with some good competition for the 7th roster spot, but, all told, the Wild should definitely be able to get more offensive production, taking some of the pressure off of their goaltenders.

Offense acquired

New Minnesota Wild coach Todd Richards talked about wanting a higher level of offensive play coming from the Team of 18,000 this season. It certainly looks like GM Chuck Fletcher is going to do what he can to make that happen.

Take, for example, the free agency splash Fletcher made by bringing Martin Havlat to the team. Havlat fills a hole created by a departing Marian Gaborik, who wasn't going to resign with Minnesota no matter how many different armored trucks they tempted him with. While there are no guarantees on Havlat's health, he's no more injury-prone than Gaborik is, and the biggest difference is that he is excited to play hockey regularly in front of the Minnesota fans. Too bad for him that the Wild don't play the Chicago Blackhawks a little more often, to remind Chicago of what they gave up.

Now, Fletcher has added another weapon, by signing one of the most consistent scorers in the league. As of earlier today, the Wild have signed Petr Sykora to a one-year contract, bringing his 300 goals to their line. Sykora himself knows that he needs to be paired up with a playmaking type of skater, so it seems likely that the first offensive line of Brunette/Koivu/Havlat will remain intact, with Sykora skating on a second line with Pierre-Marc Bouchard. The question remains as to who will center that line, with James Sheppard currently having an advantage in that area.

But wait, there's more. Rumors are flying that the Boston Bruins are looking to shop Phil Kessel, and the rumors also point to the Wild have a shot to bring the former Golden Gopher to their team, which would shore up the center position. To be clear, the Wild aren't the only team in the Kessel hunt, and no details are being given as to who might be getting dangled out to Boston, but it could certainly make for an interesting remainder of camp.

Bringing Sykora to the team makes it that much more likely that Colton Gillies will spend the majority of the season in Houston, honing his game. If the Wild are able to land Phil Kessel, it could mean that either James Sheppard has been sent to Boston, or that Benoit Pouliot is on the outside, having exhausted his chances to play in the Xcel Energy Center.

Comings and goings

Yesterday, the Minnesota Wild were keeping the airports busy. While a group of players was getting ready to head down to St. Louis for the first pre-season game of the year, another player was heading into the Twin Cities, looking to make their presence known by the Team of 18,000.

Some quick notes about the game in St. Louis. The Blues defeated the Wild 3-1, but they did it with a mostly NHL-caliber line-up. The Wild, on the other hand, sent a group of players who will most likely be in Houston to train for the Aeros by the end of the week, with a few exceptions. The Wild also had to spend a good deal of time in the first period short-handed, either due to penalties, or due to James Sheppard's broken skate. Still, it was good for the boys to get their legs under them again, and some of the players got their first-ever taste of exhibition hockey, which can only serve to whet their desire for more in the future.

But what about that player landing? The Wild may have found that extra offensive forward that they were looking for. Petr Sykora, most recently of the Stanley Cup winning Pittsburgh Penguins, landed in the Twin Cities yesterday, with an expected physical today, and possibly practice time already. Sykora is on a "try-out" for the Wild, but, unless something strange has happened, he should make the team easily. A two-year contract would be great, but a one-year contract is more likely. Bringing Sykora into the fold gives the Wild a perennial 20-goal scorer, and also gives them some options with their top 6 forwards. The question at that point would be whether Sykora would play on a line with Martin Havlat and Mikko Koivu, or if he would anchor the offensive portion of a second legitimate scoring threat.

As another benefit, a player like Sykora gives guys like Cal Clutterbuck another veteran to look towards. Given that Clutterbuck has the resources to turn into a 20-goal man himself, pairing the two on the same line could be incredibly beneficial in the long run.

Ready for camp

The Minnesota Wild are almost prepared to start their true pre-season warm-ups. The third jersey has been introduced, players are arriving, and the Prospects Tournament is almost over. In fact, with few exceptions, everyone who has hopes of wearing that scripted "Minnesota" across their chest is already in the Twin Cities, enjoying time on the ice with teammates new and old.

Of course, the start of training camp also means the (official) start of speculation as to which players will be on the 23-man roster when the puck drops in October. There are holes that need to be filled in a number of places, either due to departures or gaps left behind by the former front office. Also, with the expected change in playing style, former Wild stalwarts could find themselves on the bench, looking to make themselves useful in a system that's completely foreign to them.

That being said, here's some quick predictions about how the roster may very well shape up.

Forwards

Brunette/Koivu/Havlat

This line is probably a fairly good bet to be the top line, at least at the start of the season. Mikko Koivu and Andrew Brunette are pretty familiar with each other on the ice, and Martin Havlat fills in the spot vacated by Marian Gaborik. Clearly, Koivu is the heart and soul of the Minnesota Wild, and he's earned his place as the top center. The biggest question with this line will be whether or not it can stay healthy. After all, Havlat's been almost as injury-plagued as Gaborik over his career, and it's not like Brunette is getting any younger.

Miettinen/Sheppard/Bouchard

The Wild desperately needed to pick up a second-line center, and haven't been able to do so as of yet. Unless Pierre-Marc Bouchard returns to his "natural" center position, James Sheppard is the most likely candidate to take the draws after Koivu. Antti Miettinen will be one of a few Wild wingers that will need to switch sides. If Sheppard can prove that he fits better into an offensive system than the one the Wild had run previously, then concerns about the second line may dwindle. Bouchard needs to return to his play-making form of two seasons ago.

Nolan/Belanger/Clutterbuck

Just like Antti Miettinen on the second line, look to Owen Nolan to switch to the left for the third line, allowing Cal Clutterbuck to continue his development in the more natural right wing position for him. Eric Belanger has carved out a career for himself as a definitive third-line center, and, unless he wears a different jersey by the time the season starts, he should continue to take that position. Nolan's veteran leadership with Clutterbuck's spark could make a very scary line for opponents to deal with.

Boogaard/Brodziak/Weller

Fourth lines are often called on to shut down opposing teams, and to be a physical presence. The Wild don't get much more physical than Derek Boogaard and Craig Weller. With Kyle Brodziak centering the line, Minnesota may even pull a few surprise goals out of it's fourth line group.

Gillies/Kalus/Pouliot/Irmen

Colton Gillies and Benoit Pouliot should theoretically have the inside track to making the big club, but both need to show more than they did last year. Petr Kalus may be a surprise, especially if his dedication to the Wild organization is stronger. Danny Irmen may be looking at his last real chance to make it outside of the AHL level.

Defense

Burns/Schultz

If Brent Burns returns to the dominant defensive force he was two seasons ago, he's a lock to be placed on the top defensive pairing. Placing him with Nick Schultz allows the Wild to have a confident stay-at-home presence, along with offensive firepower.

Zanon/Zidlicky

Former Nashville teammates Marek Zidlicky and Greg Zanon could prove to be a dangerous pairing. Unfortunately for Minnesota, if Zidlicky doesn't shore up his blue-line game, the pairing could be dangerous for the Wild, and not for opponents. Still the team's power play leader should be more comfortable this season.

Johnsson/Hnidy

Kim Johnsson still hasn't convinced many Wild faithful that he's worth the contract he was given, but pairing him with "Sheriff" Shane Hnidy could allow him to be a little more free-wheeling, quarterbacking the play from behind the net. If Johnsson doesn't step forward, he could see his playing time cut seriously down.

Scott/Stoner

The biggest rookie splash for the Wild last season was a guy name Clutterbuck. If John Scott had played as many games in the Xcel, he could have made the leap. He needs to work on his skating, but having both Scott and Boogaard on the ice could scare a lot of players. As for Clayton Stoner, he may be looking at one of his last chances to suit up in the NHL, but faces an uphill struggle, as Wild defense has always been fairly solid.

Goal

Backstrom

No question, Niklas Backstrom is the Wild's starting goaltender. However, there's also no question that the previous Wild system helped out netminders tremendously. Can Backstrom continue to be a stud in net, or does he need a defensive system to make him sparkle?

Harding/Dubielewicz

Wade Dubielewicz was brought in as an experienced and valid back-up. Josh Harding could still start with any team in the league. Is Harding still wearing a Wild jersey to be used as trade bait later in the season, or is there possibly a chink in the Wild's goaltending that we haven't seen yet?

Ultimately, a lot of these questions won't really be hammered out until pre-season ends, and some of them may still be up in the air a couple of weeks into the season. Ultimately, though, once again the Wild look to be a team that should be solid in net, strong on the blue line, but missing some key pieces in the forward corps. With some of the free agents left available, will Chuck Fletcher make a splash, and will the Wild return to the Stanley Cup playoffs after missing this past season?