Entering the 2022-23 season, hopes were high for the Minnesota Wild. Through five games, those hopes are in question. The Wild currently sit second from the bottom in the hyper-competitive Central Division, with just three points in their first five games.
Given the expectations and the current placement in the standings, it begs the question of what needs to change for the Wild to swing the momentum. Let’s take a deeper dive into the Wild, what is working, and what isn’t.
What’s Working for the Wild?
For starters, the top line has been clicking. There was some concern that the offense would drop off with the off-season trade of young star Kevin Fiala. The good news is that they are definitely getting offense from their top line.
Matt Boldy slid into the top center spot this offseason and has lived up to the hype. He has a trio of goals and assists, totaling six points in his first five tilts. Even better, he has been consistent throughout, tallying points in four of his five games, including a pair of multi-point efforts.
Explosive winger Kirill Kaprizov has been even better. He has four goals and four assists through his first five games, displaying the same dynamic ability that made him one of the best wingers in the game after last season.
Perhaps the best surprise is veteran winger Mats Zuccarello. He has an uncanny chemistry with Kaprizov, putting out four goals and six assists so far. It is a banner year for Zuccarello, at least to start.
The other notable positive for the Wild has been a young defenseman, Calen Addison. Getting his first full-time action with Minnesota, the smooth-skating defenseman has injected offense from the back end. His six assists tie him with Zuccarello for the team lead so far.
Now for the Bad
That is where the good ends. You can also point out the fact that the top scorers for the Wild are well into negative territory when it comes to plus-minus.
But that is just barely scratching the surface. Here are a few other reasons why things are bad.
Men on a mission 🤝#mnwild pic.twitter.com/RoqnLxgE4E
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) October 25, 2022
Is Fleury Cooked?
Perhaps the most concerning thing are the play of veteran goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury came at the trade deadline last season, looking to inject experience and Stanley Cup pedigree into a team that has historically lacked both.
Though Fleury was fine at the end of the year and in the playoffs, alarms are sounding so far. In four starts, Fleury is 1-1-1, sporting a 5.25 goals-against average, and an abysmal .847 save percentage. Those numbers will likely come back to earth but by how much?
Fleury is on the wrong side of 35, and there have been questions about how much longer he has left for years now. Could this be the year that Fleury takes a nose dive?
With Filip Gustavsson as the backup, the team is forced to ride Fleury. They may call up one of the young netminders in the organization if things go off the rail, but we are a long way from that.
Ready to rouleau(t)⚡️ #mnwild pic.twitter.com/EkFSOeer4Y
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) October 25, 2022
Team Defense
For a franchise that has been historically known for a strong defense, it has been the complete antithesis this season. Though plus/minus is something of a fickle stat, it is worth noting that only three members of the roster have a plus rating.
For all of their offense, Zuccarello and Addison have alarming numbers. Both are tied for the team lead at minus-seven, with Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Jonas Brodin close behind at minus-six. There has been any number of times when major lapses have left Fleury in no man’s land.
There is no shortage of talent on this team to indicate that team defense should be better. Brodin, Matt Dumba, Eriksson Ek, and Frederick Gaudreau all have positive track records defensively. They will need to be better if the Wild hope to stop giving up goals by the bucket full.
Also…puck drop 🤌#mnwild pic.twitter.com/1Bw7ZoLuE2
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) October 25, 2022
Questionable Secondary Scoring
There is little question that the Boldy-Zuccarello-Kaprizov line is producing. But the offense behind them has been inconsistent. Part of that is the total dearth of offense from defensemen.
Sure, Brodin, (two), Jared Spurgeon (three), Jacob Middleton (three), and Addison (six) have multiple points. But Spurgeon and Middleton are the only goals accounted for.
It doesn’t improve throughout the forward ranks. Ek and Sam Steel are the only Wild with multiple goals outside of the top line. If the Wild want to dig out of their hole, they need to find a more consistent offense apart from their big trio.
There is a lot to change right now with the Wild. Tightening up team defense, improving secondary scoring, and seeing Fleury come back to life are all crucial. Otherwise, it could be a long, disappointing season for the Wild.
Inject this in our veins #mnwild pic.twitter.com/Wj9H98Ym4y
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) October 26, 2022
Credits on Featured Image: Flickr Commercial License/Michael Thornton
