![]() Most importantly, it’s time for the Wild to insert their young players and prospects into the lineup permanently. Plus, if the Wild are building for the 2025-26 season, they will still have the final two years of Kaprizov’s contract to sell him on the direction the franchise is heading. Maybe drafting higher and adding to their top prospect pool over the next two years wouldn't be such a bad thing. But there shouldn’t be such an emphasis on trying to win in the playoffs. I'm not arguing that the Wild should rebuild or tank. Heck, even the always reliable Brodin didn’t play like his usual self. Furthermore, Spurgeon didn't show up in the playoffs, which has become a trend recently. However, for the record, Minnesota's superstar finished as one of their best forwards despite failing to find the back of the net. But the Wild aren’t going to make a run in the next two years.Īt first it's hard to understand why the Wild would waste at least two more years of Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy’s prime years, plus two more seasons of top defenseman Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin’s dwindling peak years.īut Kaprizov and Boldy didn’t show up when it mattered. They needed to see what they could do with these twin albatrosses. Let’s be clear: Taking a shot this year was worth it. It’s time for the organization to be realistic take a step back for the next two years before they can spend fully to the cap. Therefore, the show needs to be canceled. Minnesota's experiment to see if they could truly compete in the playoffs over the next few years with Zach Parise and Ryan Suter's dead cap hits flopped. Once again, the Wild lacked the talent and roster to make a real push. And, no, the Joel Eriksson Ek injury wasn’t completely to blame for the early exit. ![]() The acquisitions weren’t enough to help them get over the hump and to the second round for just the fourth time in franchise history. Nyquist showed signs of his prime self at times.īut ultimately, it didn’t work. Klingberg had a tough finish to the regular season, but he played much better in the playoffs. Johansson scored 18 points in 20 games during the regular season and scored twice more in the postseason. Guerin did what he could, and it paid off. The organization brought in lightning-fast Marcus Johansson, sneaky Gustav Nyquist, and former 67-point offensive defenseman John Klingberg.īill Guerin deserves an “A” on his trade deadline report card, considering he worked without the ability to add future money at the deadline. Image courtesy of Matt Blewett-USA Today SportsĪt the trade deadline, the Minnesota Wild went as “all in” as they could under their current cap restraints.
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