Don't sleep on the Wild

[Szechwan]

My favourite team has played in the same division as the Wild since their inception and I still forget they exist on occasion.

 

[redwings25]

I don't expect them to win the cup or anything but I could see em beating out Colorado for a playoff spot.

 

[AzHawk]

Don't sleep on the Wild if you have any intention of ever waking up?

 

[BlueOil]

from perennial first round exits to missing the playoffs

yup, looking up for ryan suter and his pylons

 

[tealhockey]

I'm kind of thinking they should blow it up and re-build because even if I don't sleep on them I just don't think they will be very good. I would also like to see during the re-build guys like Ryan Donato in a bigger role, see how that looks. They have some interesting assets to build around and play with. Aging core and with the GM situation they had... I take blowing it up with a purpose and flair over mediocrity that you "can't sleep on"

 

[SupremeNachos]

Wild are very good at putting me to sleep.

And the Oilers are good at making me laugh.

 

[Coffey]

And the Oilers are good at making me laugh.

We were 2-1 against you last season.
You lost to the Oilers, TWICE.

 

[BlueMed]

Gotta love the Wild. Their team for the past 8 years has been full of washed up veterans way past their prime. From Parise, Suter, Koivu, Staal, Zuccarrello, Stewart, Pominville, and Dubnyk. Every team has its own strategy and that has been Minnesota's.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

We were 2-1 against you last season.
You lost to the Oilers, TWICE.

We lost to 2 guys twice.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Gonna be a lot of comedians in here with the word "sleep" in the title.

Yep.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I’m sure the OP was trying to get some legit hockey discussion going. He really should’ve known better.

 

[Ceremony]

I don't expect them to win the cup or anything but I could see em beating out Colorado for a playoff spot.

I don't even have anything to add. What a bizarre prediction.

 

[absolute garbage]

The thing a lot of people don't necessarily realize is that the Dumba injury was the second most influential injury last season in the NHL (after Hall in NJ) so assuming that they can avoid something so dramatic happening this season should already be a base for improvement. Dumba has become an elite defenseman in this league, a true game breaker.

That said they are getting older. Koivu is coming off a major injury and that might slow him down even more, which would be the same thing that happened with Suter last season and he was noticeably worse. Which direction will Suter go from here? Bouncing back somewhat or getting worse still? Staal started visible decline last season and was just straight up awful compared to the previous 2 when he was the greatest bargain in the NHL. Just old and slow. Is he really going to have a 2nd resurrection of his career? Parise was good last season too but how long will that last? Zuccarello looked great last season but how will he look in a team that has most likely the worst centers in the NHL?

What comes to the young guys ready to make a bigger mark, I think they can all become solid useful players but none have that much needed game breaker ability. Fiala kinda has that but his decision making is a potato so his skills are moot.

They desperately need game breaking ability on center. They have surprisingly good talent on the wings, including their only relevant prospects coming up in Kaprizov and Boldy, but the center ice is just bleak.

They'll likely be a bubble team.

 

[Nsjohnson]

Lots of humor in this thread, which I appreciate and is valid.

I think if anyone was the 'sleep' on the Wild it's because they forget what Dumba and a 10-12% shooting Zucker can do for the team.

I think the team gets a WC spot if, and only if, they stay healthy. This team is one injury away from goal scoring hell. That's what happens when you have no real offensive star in the F group.

If Donato and Fiala 'show up', and Zucker hits the net again, they will put goals in the net. If their D stays healthy, they will continue to be elite there.

So, flip a coin.

 

[BlueMed]

Minnesota Wild Card

 

[SupremeNachos]

Gotta love the Wild. Their team for the past 8 years has been full of washed up veterans way past their prime. From Parise, Suter, Koivu, Staal, Zuccarrello, Stewart, Pominville, and Dubnyk. Every team has its own strategy and that has been Minnesota's.

Washed up vets that have beaten a #1 seed twice with inferior talent.

 

[Kotkaniemi15]

If the Wild come close to a playoff spot I would be shocked.

 

[Halla]

Granlund + Niederrieter for Zuccarello and Fiala is an even swap?

career seasons for each player

Granlund: 26g/69pts (two 60+pt seasons)
Zuccarello: 26g/61pts (the only time he has hit 20g or 60pts)

Niederrieter: 25g/57pts (four times hitting 20g, 2nd 50+pt season)
Fiala: 23g/48pts (only time he has been anywhere close to 20g. had 11g the season before and 13g the season after)

looks like a pretty poor trade off to me. factor in coyle out + rask in and suter,parise, staal dubnyk etc all a year older and kaprizov still not coming?

this will be a bottom 10 team

 

[tony d]

I expect them to not do so well this year. Last in the central is my prediction for them.

 

[rynryn]

I have no idea how sports betting works, but if i put down 200 on the Wild winning the cup right now I'd make a lot of money, right? (I mean if they win, of course)
80/1 odds mean that would get me $16k right?

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I have no idea how sports betting works, but if i put down 200 on the Wild winning the cup right now I'd make a lot of money, right? (I mean if they win, of course)
80/1 odds mean that would get me $16k right?

Yep.

 

[Oneiro]

Doesn't matter if they make the playoffs. They are a team that needs to blow it up and it seems that ownership and management don't accept that premise.

Wild fans are in for a rough few years.

 

[rt]

Fans of about 28 teams have really high hopes on the eve of camp. Hopes are never higher than they are today.

 

[Nharris31]

I mean they’re going to be the 32nd team at the end of the season.

 

[Sam Spade]

The Wild will not be good this season. I doubt they prove me wrong. Too bad really because Bruce Boudreau seems like a good guy.