Article: The Wild Are Embracing Being A One-Line Team

[Tony Abbott]

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[FredJohnson]

The Wild Are Embracing Being A One-Line Team
 

With three 4th lines…

[Dango]

It kind of sucks that free agency will be an uncertainty and also if our prospects are going to need some Iowa time or not , if we have enough to even need a free agent .    I suppose you could play 20 games and then determine that but then most if not all FAs will be gone  ,   But if you grab one then theres less room for prospects  .  Its going to be interesting what the Wild do this offseason .

[Protec]

Thankfully, the Wild didn't get this guy. Guerin has done well to help MN through a tough period with buyouts but he's had some goofs too. 

This one was of the best possible misses that could've ever happened and how MN got very lucky. 

https://russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2025/04/23/martin-st-louis-benched-patrik-laine-entire-third-period-game-2-capitals/

 

This Summer will be a great opportunity for MN but also a big roll of the dice on Guerin's choices. Knudi wasn't moving the needle now and Brazo size/durability could be seen as an upgrade even though neither guy is a scoring machine. One thing MN doesn't need is more Euro guys who can't respond to North American hockey or one-faceted scorers like Zucker who don't defend for beans. 

[RedLake]

Need Tuch, Bellows and Cicceralli. Willy Plett wouldn't hurt on the back end.

[MNCountryLife]

Hats off to the other 3 lines as well.  The whole team is playing well.  Fun to watch.

[mnfaninnc]

I assume the bet is that Kaprizov, Ek, and Boldy will be more productive together than they will be apart. That seems like a pretty good bet right now. They've got size, skill, speed. This is what we need to line 2 too. I don't mind Rossi centering or winging on line 2, but he needs to get stockier still. I'd like to see what an OgZ-Yurov-Rossi line could do? But that's getting ahead of the moment!

 

[joebou15]

I'd still probably put Hinistroza in for Nyquist. The Gus BusT has been brutal. Stroza has been able to add something since he showed up. And Rossi is totally miscast. 

The Rossi thing has become a little bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy for the management and coaching staff.

Say things like, "This is a big series for Rossi..." or "Wild could use secondary scoring from guys like Rossi, Zuccarello, and others," but then place him with a couple of guys like Trenin and Brazeau who are total shit, and expect Rossi to shine. 

Then say, well he had a rough couple of games. Where's he been? 

It's awfully tough to expect loads of depth scoring from him when you put the kid, who has not played as a 4th liner all year, into a 4th line role in the playoffs. Not to mention the 11 minutes a game through 2 games.

Outside of the top line and Ryan Hartman, the rest of the lineup has been questionable, at best, in its construction.