Maybe the Minnesota Wild were too busy watching the Minnesota Twins during the first period to put together a sustained rush. Maybe they were too hyped up from watching their crosstown neighbors achieve the highly improbable for them to remember that they were playing their home opener until after they found themselves down 3-0.
Maybe all they needed was a good fight.
The Minnesota Wild entered their home opener with a record of 7-0-1, and they were hoping to extend it. They were also excited to show the hometown crowd what the new look Wild was going to be like. For two periods, it didn't look good. While part of the problem is still not having a good grasp on the system, the rest of the problem was more about not having a good grasp on hockey fundamentals. It wasn't until after the Ducks had beaten Niklas Backstrom three times that they stood up and paid attention. Not that Backstrom could have done much against any of those goals, as he was caught in a perfect storm of great shots and lousy defense.
Leave it to a player who almost didn't make the roster to change the tone, and then a player that was heralded as the new Wild savior to take control and put the pressure on. After John Scott and Martin Havlat turned the momentum, all the Wild needed to do was play the type of hockey Todd Richards has been hoping for from the first drop of the puck, and it resulted in an overtime winner for Minnesota.
Game pluses:
- John Scott. The big man stood up to another giant in the beginning of the third, getting into a fight with George Parros. Impressively, Scott knocked Parros to the ice, and the Wild took the energy from that confrontation to find their legs and change the game.
- Martin Havlat. Showcasing some of his puck handling skills, Havlat took control of the game, and notched the first assist on all three of the Wild's third period goals.
- Eric Belanger. Belanger finished the game between Martin Havlat and Petr Sykora, and brought a goal and two assists along with him. The veteran may be fighting to stay in Minnesota, and more periods like the third will only help.
Game minuses:
- Eric Belanger. The guy had a fantastic third period, but was very below average before that. Thankfully, he put it all together, but he has to start playing the right style earlier.
- Passing. Far too often, Wild passes went straight to Duck players, or worse, straight to open ice with nobody to take advantage of it. The first two periods also featured far too many passes for each shot.
- Defense. Watching the first and second period, it appeared that the Wild defense forgot who to cover, and just chased the puck instead. Again, they tightened up for the third, but the Wild aren't yet a team that can hope for too many come-from-behind victories.
Next up: The Wild leave the friendly ice of the Xcel Energy Center again, this time for two weeks as they head to their next game Thursday night against the Los Angeles Kings.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
2009-10 Game One: Wild 1, Blue Jackets 2
The wait finally ended Saturday night. While it may have only been a few months ago that the Pittsburgh Penguins lifted the Stanley Cup over their heads, the wait has been a long one for Wild fans. Gone was the brain trust that turned the Wild into a very successful expansion club, but then couldn't seem to get out of first gear to make them into a perennial Cup contender. Gone was the most electrifying player to wear a Wild jersey, provided that his fragile body could hold up to the rigors of a season. Gone was the only coach the Wild had ever known.
In their place, Wild fans were treated to a new front office, new coaching, and some new stars on the ice. A troubled pre-season kept the team from skating as a full unit until the tail end, but Saturday everything started anew. What would Wild fans see?
They would see that the team still has some growing pains to go through.
The Wild are a talented hockey club. They should be better this year than they were last year, and they should be much more competitive. But for that to happen, they need to learn and embrace the new system being put into place, and, when the brain starts shutting down, they need to just play hockey. Going up against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Wild showed flashes of just what type of hockey Minnesota fans can expect later in the season. Wild fans need to be patient, but the team itself needs to keep pushing. After all, tonight is the home opener, where the Wild have never lost.
Game pluses:
- Niklas Backstrom. The Wild's star goaltender once again did exactly what the team expected of him. While the two goals he gave up weren't terrific goals by a long shot, Backstrom would have had to have been beyond superhuman to make the stops.
- Martin Havlat. Havlat showed some of what he can do with the puck, turning Columbus players inside out. Unfortunately, he was also part of the miscue that led to the first Columbus goal.
- Andrew Brunette. Brunette played a solid game, and was able to put his 600th point of his career into the net. He worked well with Havlat and Mikko Koivu, but how long will it be before Petr Sykora and he switch lines?
Game minuses:
- Stick problems. The Wild couldn't seem to keep sticks. Cal Clutterbuck especially found himself without a stick more than once, either because he lost his own, or because he had to give his away to the defense.
- Defense. What had been the typical strong point for the Wild in years past looked confused and a shambles against Columbus. How much is due to still learning the new system remains to be seen.
- Learning curve. As mentioned above, the defense didn't look confident. The offense also wasn't completely with it. Once the new system is learned, the Wild should be a much more high-powered team. However, as long as the transition continues, fans may see more confusing plays than dazzling ones.
Next up: The Wild pit their 7-0-1 record in home openers against the Anaheim Ducks, who are coming off of a 4-1 loss. The game also marks the first time this season for Mikko Koivu to skate against his big brother, Saku, who turned down the Wild this summer.
In their place, Wild fans were treated to a new front office, new coaching, and some new stars on the ice. A troubled pre-season kept the team from skating as a full unit until the tail end, but Saturday everything started anew. What would Wild fans see?
They would see that the team still has some growing pains to go through.
The Wild are a talented hockey club. They should be better this year than they were last year, and they should be much more competitive. But for that to happen, they need to learn and embrace the new system being put into place, and, when the brain starts shutting down, they need to just play hockey. Going up against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Wild showed flashes of just what type of hockey Minnesota fans can expect later in the season. Wild fans need to be patient, but the team itself needs to keep pushing. After all, tonight is the home opener, where the Wild have never lost.
Game pluses:
- Niklas Backstrom. The Wild's star goaltender once again did exactly what the team expected of him. While the two goals he gave up weren't terrific goals by a long shot, Backstrom would have had to have been beyond superhuman to make the stops.
- Martin Havlat. Havlat showed some of what he can do with the puck, turning Columbus players inside out. Unfortunately, he was also part of the miscue that led to the first Columbus goal.
- Andrew Brunette. Brunette played a solid game, and was able to put his 600th point of his career into the net. He worked well with Havlat and Mikko Koivu, but how long will it be before Petr Sykora and he switch lines?
Game minuses:
- Stick problems. The Wild couldn't seem to keep sticks. Cal Clutterbuck especially found himself without a stick more than once, either because he lost his own, or because he had to give his away to the defense.
- Defense. What had been the typical strong point for the Wild in years past looked confused and a shambles against Columbus. How much is due to still learning the new system remains to be seen.
- Learning curve. As mentioned above, the defense didn't look confident. The offense also wasn't completely with it. Once the new system is learned, the Wild should be a much more high-powered team. However, as long as the transition continues, fans may see more confusing plays than dazzling ones.
Next up: The Wild pit their 7-0-1 record in home openers against the Anaheim Ducks, who are coming off of a 4-1 loss. The game also marks the first time this season for Mikko Koivu to skate against his big brother, Saku, who turned down the Wild this summer.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
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.
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.
Monday, September 21, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
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?
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