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When Zeev Buium makes his regular-season debut with the Minnesota Wild in September, he’ll be doing so as the crown jewel of their young core of prospects. The defender will only be 19 when the season starts, but expectations are already high. Buium could play a key role for the Wild immediately, especially with Jonas Brodin missing the beginning of the season with an injury. While fans, the organization, and media alike are excited for the player’s rookie season, perhaps no one has higher expectations for Buium than the young defender himself. In an interview with NHL.com, the Denver University product signaled his intention not just to be a part of the Wild’s lineup, but to be an impact player. "I do think that there is an opportunity for me to step in and be a player on the team," Buium said. "And for me, I don't just want to be a guy who's out there. … [I want to] help this team win. So yeah, I'm going to do whatever I can to do that." While Buium has all the tools to fulfill that goal, he’s a young and inexperienced player. The Wild will have to deploy him wisely to get the most out of his skill set while not drowning the player in responsibility. One of the best ways to maximize Buium’s potential would be to give him the opportunity for significant minutes on the power play unit. Buium is exceptionally suited to quarterback a power play unit given his refined offensive talents. In the Athletic’s recent top 100 drafted NHL prospects ranking, Scott Wheeler outlined some traits of Buium’s game that translate well to the extra-attacker unit. “He’s a plus-level skater and handler who plays an extremely involved game in all three zones,” wrote Wheeler, “whether that’s activating into the rush or off the point, shaking pressure on exits or across/off the blue line.” Buium showed those attributes in spades at Denver. The defender led the nation in scoring for two consecutive years due to his elite skating, ability to distribute to his teammates, taking the attack into his own hands when necessary, and using deception and agility to retain possession of the puck. That bundle of skills should translate well to the NHL, especially on power plays when there’s more room on the ice for Buium to go to work. Buium may face challenges early on as he adjusts to the league. Still, the power play is the perfect place for him to utilize his strengths in a controlled environment and become a key contributor for the Wild. If Buium can transition to the NHL as a power play specialist immediately, it would be a massive boon for Minnesota. The team struggled with the extra man last season, ranking 20th in the league with a 20.9% success rate. One of the key components missing from Minnesota’s power play is a true leader from the blueline on the unit. Brock Faber and Jared Spurgeon were the primary blueliners the Wild used on the power play last season. They’re both serviceable, but neither is a game-breaking distributor or offensive threat. According to Naturalstattrick.com, 80 defenders played more than 50 minutes on the power play last season. Jared Spurgeon ranked 32nd in points per 60 minutes (4.86), while Faber ranked 49th (3.41). Spurgeon and Faber are both high-level blueliners, but they lack the skills to make them lethal weapons with the man-advantage, specifically. Meanwhile, the best man-advantage units in the league are run mainly from the blue line, featuring an elite skating and passing defenseman who is also a scoring threat. Here are the best special teams units from last season: (Source: ESPN) Of the top ten power plays, seven of the clubs employ defenseman who ranked top-15 in points per 60 on the power play. That group of defenders includes elite puck-moving and skating blueliners such as Cale Makar, Shea Theodore, Luke Hughes, and Victor Hedman. Buium shares many attributes with that group of players. He has similar size and possesses a comparable skill set to Makar, Theodore, and Hughes. They’re all puck-movers and the kind of distributors that have gravitational pull. Even if they aren’t finishing plays, the offense runs through them when they’re on the ice. While Hedman is an outlier in terms of size, he has a similar offensive skill set to one of the best passing defensemen in the league. They can also be a scoring threat when given the space. If Buium can use those skills on Minnesota’s power play, it would solve a few issues at once. Buium can fulfill his aspiration to be a massive asset for the Wild. Defenseman prospects generally take a bit longer to develop than their forward counterparts, so it’s conceivable that Buium could experience some growing pains as a 19-year-old. That won’t be as big an issue if he immediately becomes an impact player on the power play, which will take less time for him to be accustomed to due to his skill set. Buium’s ascent on that unit would also free up some of the load for Faber and Spurgeon. While one of the two would likely be the anchor of their second unit, it’s still less time on the ice. Spurgeon is getting older and could use a lighter assignment. While Faber is still young, he has also played a considerable number of minutes in his short career. It might benefit him to ease that load. The team also desperately needs to improve on special teams. Using Buium in that role would foster his development, benefit the team, and be advantageous for the other defenders' usage. How Buium adjusts to the NHL will be one of the most fascinating storylines for the Wild this season. They stand to get the most out of him by making him a focal point of their power play unit.

I'm done. As Mats Zuccarello has pushed later and later into his 30s, I've been wondering when the moment Father Time claims his victory over the seemingly ageless Norwegian wonder. It's gotta happen sometime, right?! Nope. Or at least, not last year. Zuccarello turned 37 last September, and while many of his fellow NHL Old Guys have been bounced from the league entirely by that age, "The Lizard of Oslo" stayed productive. Through 69 games last season, he scored 19 goals (tied for the fourth-most of his career) and 54 points (his seventh-most). Sure, he missed 13 games, but that injury was... let's say "atypical." You can't even credit Kirill Kaprizov for keeping him afloat last year, either. Not really. Zuccarello played only 44% of his power play minutes with Kaprizov, as well as less than a third of his 5-on-5 minutes. During his 40 games played without his usual running mate in the lineup, Zuccarello still mustered 10 goals and 27 points. Is the shoe gonna drop at age-38? I'm tired of forecasting it. Until proven otherwise, I've got to give Zuccarello the benefit of the doubt. Over the past half-decade, he's had as much staying power as almost any Old Guy we've seen during the Post-Lockout Era. Over the last 20 years, we've seen 68 forwards log 300 or more games between ages-33 and 37. Here's how the top-10 stacks up in terms of points per game: Sidney Crosby, 1.15 Daniel Alfredsson, 1.14 Martin St. Louis, 1.10 Alex Ovechkin, 1.06 Patrice Bergeron, 0.92 MATS ZUCCARELLO, 0.91 Ray Whitney, 0.92 Anze Kopitar, 0.86 Joe Thornton, 0.85 Patrik Elias/Jarome Iginla, 0.83 That's an absurd list to be on. Crosby, St. Louis, Ovechkin, Bergeron, Kopitar, Thornton, and Iginla are all either already in the Hall of Fame or locks to get there. Alfredsson and Elias are also borderline Hall guys. And here's Zuccarello, producing much bigger numbers in his mid-30s than he ever had before. There isn't much reason to think he can't do it again, except "Old." Zuccarello may continue to play most of his even-strength minutes without Kaprizov. With Matt Boldy, Vladimir Tarasenko, and even Danila Yurov in the mix next season, the Wild's superstar won't lack for options on the wing. Even so, his spot on Minnesota's top power play unit is almost assured, and his ability to not just distribute, but find Kaprizov, specifically, with space, is likely to help keep his numbers up. His work on the man advantage is a safety net, but let's not forget that he also showed significant chops when it came to driving offense at 5-on-5 last season. Zuccarello was one of just seven Wild forwards to have an on-ice goals-for percentage above 50% (51.3%), and Minnesota scored 2.62 goals per hour with Zuccarello on the ice at 5-on-5 last year. The only players to see better results were Kaprizov (3.18 per hour) and Marco Rossi (2.77). Minnesota's added depth is another reason for optimism. The Wild acquired Tarasenko, which could mean that John Hynes won't feel like he has to load up his top line with Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, and Joel Eriksson Ek. That'd be a perfect scenario for Zuccarello to continue exploiting the chemistry he has with Kaprizov and formed with Rossi at the start of last season. But even if Boldy gets the nod with Kaprizov on the top line, Zuccarello's options down the lineup are much better than in the past. Last season, if Zuccarello wasn't with Kaprizov or Boldy, his next-best alternative was Marcus Johansson. Now, it's Tarasenko. Sure, you can point to Tarasenko's stat line (11 goals, 33 points) being nearly identical to Johansson's (11 goals, 34 points). Still, Tarasenko was much better at creating dangerous scoring chances than Johansson last season. Even an old version of Tarasenko is likely to have retained more scoring talent than Johansson. And if Tarasenko doesn't work out? No sweat, Yurov or Liam Öhgren are there to take a spot on the wing if needed, and both have the talent to be productive goal-scorers. That's three viable options to line up opposite Zuccarello before we have to start considering someone like Johansson in that spot, and that's good news for Zuccarello's quest to keep it going at age-38. Banking on a 38-year-old to remain not just productive, but one of the better point-producers in recent Old Guy memory, is a decent way to look silly down the road. But look, Zuccarello has been spitting in the face of Father Time for this long without a downfall. Until further notice, I can't bet against him keeping a good chunk of his production going for the 2025-26 season.

The Minnesota Frost are back-to-back Walter Cup Champions, but they lost several key players in the 2025 Expansion Draft. The Frost chose Kendall Cooper in the 1st round, 6th overall, to build back their defensive unit and add immediate depth to their roster. Minnesota signed Cooper to a 2-year, standard player agreement. Minnesota initially protected defenseman Lee Stecklein and forwards Kendall Coyne-Schofield and Taylor Heise. During the initial expansion signing window, PWHL Vancouver poached defensemen Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques. Vancouver came back for seconds during the expansion draft and signed forwards Brooke McQuigge and Denisa Křížová to their team, further hampering the Frost offensively. The Frost opted for a defenseman for their first pick, likely because Thompson and Jaques left a meaningful void in the defensive zone. Thompson scored 31 goals and 56 assists over 129 games at Princeton. She also had 4 goals and 14 assists during the 2024-25 PWHL regular season, as well as 6 assists in the playoffs. Jaques scored 61 goals and 95 assists over 172 games at Ohio State University and helped out Minnesota with 7 goals and 15 assists this past season, along with 2 goals and 5 assists during the playoffs. Cooper has comparable college stats and a rocket of a shot. She played for 5 years at Quinnipiac University, where she scored 33 goals and 83 assists over 158 games. Thompson and Jaques already have multiple professional seasons, and it will take Cooper time to develop. Still, there is ample evidence that she has considerable upside. The Frost will contend for a third championship if she’s still able to pick corners like this in the PWHL: Cooper was the 2024-25 recipient of the Wayne Dean Sportsmanship award and earned a gold and silver medal playing for Team Canada’s U18 team. Canada has also named her one of the top 3 players for the U18 Worlds twice. During a post-draft interview with Cooper, Frost GM Melissa Caruso explained that Minnesota needed to rebuild its core defense and add replacement forwards, and specifically was looking for players with speed, strength, hockey smarts, and physicality. Caruso felt that Cooper had that offensive ability and great hockey IQ they were looking for, and anticipates Cooper to be an “immediate contributor” on the blue line. Her physical speed and quick decisions are evident in her playing style. In this clip, Cooper picks up a pass and makes an evasive move, but holds onto the puck. She decides to make a pass down low because she doesn’t have a good shooting lane, and then supports her teammate, Maddy Samoskevich, by giving her a takeover passing lane and drawing a Union College forward with her. In doing so, she gave Samoskevich space to shoot and score, earning Cooper an assist. The PWHL is one of the few leagues that allow body checking, which makes for a much more physical game and can be a challenging transition for recent college graduates who have not previously played with body checking. Cooper noted in the interview that she had played boys' hockey growing up and had experienced a year of hitting. Up against players as tall as 6’2, she learned to keep her head up and deal with the physicality of the game. Cooper is also 5'8", which will help her hold her own against more seasoned players. Minnesota needs players who can grow with the team and eventually become leaders. While Cooper will be a rookie for the 2025-26 season, she could potentially serve as a role model for younger players in the future. Cooper discussed her captainship for Quinnipiac as a fifth-year player on the Roar podcast and how she helped guide 14 new players on the roster. When asked about her role as captain, Cooper stressed the importance of “setting an example both on and off the ice” and utilizing her assistant captains to help new players adapt. She’s coming from a talented team and a winning program. Quinnipiac went 22-12-4 in the 2024-25 season and made it to the ECAC quarterfinals. Being able to play at a high level for 60 minutes and dig in to make the play in key moments is a skill in itself that players on winning teams develop. Cooper’s experience with 60-minute hockey at Quinnipiac will help her adjust to the Frost and PWHL level. Minnesota finished the 2024-25 season ranked third in power play percentage at 17.9%, trailing the Toronto Sceptres and New York Sirens, which had winning percentages of 25.8% and 18.5%, respectively. The Frost have lost some of the players who helped contribute to their success on the power play, and they have room to improve from last season. Hopefully, Cooper will also be able to play that role. Here are a few more of her top plays at Quinnipiac: The Frost may have lost key defenseman Thompson and Jaques during the PWHL expansion process. However, they capitalized on the regular draft by choosing Cooper as their top pick. Cooper’s strength, speed, and hockey IQ will likely make her an integral part of the team in the 2025-26 season, and potentially a member of their leadership in future seasons.

Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin has yet to extend an offer to Marco Rossi, and it's approaching offer sheet time. Guerin's ready to match an offer sheet. If another team offer-sheets Rossi, he'll be happy he kept the 23-year-old forward. Liam Ohgren improved his physical frame, knowing he can reduce injury risk and play more physically. Why can't Rossi continue improving his frame to be stronger? The Wild put Rossi on the fourth line and limited his minutes in the playoffs. He played 66 minutes (11 minutes per game), which is tied for 9th on the team, and 179th in the NHL. He scored 2 points and an assist in 6 games in a small but high-leverage sample size. However, Rossi impressed during his short stint, but it wasn't enough for Guerin to award him with $7 million annual average value on a long-term deal. Rossi’s playoff stint was limited, but his scoring rates and defensive metrics suggest untapped potential. Could more opportunities unlock a breakout performance? Let's explore what makes Rossi an interesting candidate to be a potential playoff performer: Team Rankings Goals Per 60 Minutes (G/60): 4th (1.8) Assists Per 60 Minutes (A/60): 8th (0.9) Points Per 60 Minutes (P/60): 4th (2.7) Shots Attempts Per 60 Minutes (CF/60): 7th (9.88) On-Ice Goal Percentage (On-Ice G%): 5th (60%) On-Ice Expected Goals Against Per 60 (xGA/60): 3rd (2.52) Rossi finished as a top-10 forward when it came to producing shots, goals, and defense. His expected goals per 60 minutes (xGA/60) stood out because he finished ahead of Joel Eriksson Ek, Matt Boldy, Marcus Foligno, Ryan Hartman, and Freddy Gaudreau. Head coach John Hynes relied on Eriksson Ek, Foligno, and Gaudreau for defensive assignments. However, he could have used Rossi more, given his production. League Rankings G/60: 13th Ahead of: William Nylander, Mikko Rantanen, Kevin Fiala, Sebastian Aho, and Leon Draisaitl A/60: 102nd Ahead of: Andrei Svechnikov, Nikolaj Ehlers, Boldy, Jason Robertson, and Alex Ovechkin P/60: 47th Ahead of: Tim Stützle, Roope Hintz, Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, and Nikita Kucherov CF/60: 207th Ahead of: Mark Stone, Mitch Marner, and Robert Thomas G%: T-65th Ahead of: Aleksander Barkov, Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov, Rantanen, Nylander, Marner, Kirill Kaprizov, Boldy, and Eichel xGA/60: 157th Ahead of: Draisaitl, Kaprizov, Marner, Matthews, and Brady Tkachuk Rossi finished with a better G/60 than Draisaitl, A/60 than Boldy, P/60 than Kucherov, and G% than McDavid. If Rossi got more ice time with Kaprizov and Boldy, then he would've been more productive. Rossi generated more shot attempts than Marner, a puck wizard. Boldy was a better goal scorer than Rossi, but only by 2 percentage points. That isn't something that happens by accident. Rossi’s a first-round talent whom the organization seems to view as an underachiever, but who is quietly overachieving. The fact that the Wild limited Rossi throughout the playoffs is inexcusable. Hynes could've benefitted more from this lineup against the Vegas Golden Knights: Boldy - Rossi - Kaprizov Mats Zuccarello - Eriksson Ek - Hartman Foligno - Freddy Gaudreau - Marcus Johansson Gustav Nyquist - Yakov Trenin - Justin Brazeau How did Rossi perform compared to Eriksson Ek and Hartman? G/60 Rossi: 1.8 Hartman: 1.15 Eriksson Ek: 0 P/60 Hartman: 3.44 Rossi: 2.7 Eriksson Ek: 1.36 G% Hartman: 61.5% Rossi: 60% Eriksson Ek: 50% Goals Above Expected (GAE) Rossi: 1.6 Hartman: -0.1 Eriksson Ek: -2 Goals Above Shooting Talent (GAST) Rossi: 1.7 Hartman: -0.1 Eriksson Ek: -1.8 Hartman performed better in terms of P/60 and G%. Hartman deserved top-six minutes. However, Hynes could've put him with Eriksson Ek and Zuccarello. They're better linemates than Nyquist, and Hartman’s a natural wing. Rossi produced the best G/60 and GAE. While Hartman was red hot, he still finished with a negative GAE. Rossi still managed to have better goal production despite being with Trenin and Brazeau. Eriksson Ek was the worst producer of the three. However, his defense is elite, and he remained on the top line. He would've still been an elite shutdown center with Zuccarello and Hartman. Was this lineup winning the Stanley Cup? No. However, they'd have a better shot at advancing past the first round to show progression. They would've given Edmonton Oilers’ goalies Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard problems, but we've seen the Wild make goalies look like Vezina trophy winners. The Dallas Stars are an advanced version of the Wild when it comes to scoring depth. What should the lines look like on opening night? Hartman - Rossi - Kaprizov Boldy - Danila Yurov - Vladimir Tarasenko Zuccarello - Eriksson Ek - Ohgren Foligno - Nico Sturm - Trenin Rossi continues to grow with Kaprizov Rossi has shown that he doesn't need Kaprizov to overachieve. While Kaprizov empowers everyone he plays with, Rossi has produced without him. That’s why Rossi deserves more ice time with Kaprizov. Hartman also should play on Kaprizov’s line. Hartman still gets a top-six opportunity Hartman playing on the top line is a controversial move, but here's the thing. Hartman has top-line experience and chemistry with Kaprizov. This time, Hartman will be playing on Kaprizov’s opposite wing, rather than at center, becoming Minnesota’s Brad Marchand lite. Kaprizov and Zuccarello can also have individual success Kaprizov and Zuccarello are like Marco and Polo. However, they rely too much on passing instead of taking shots. Kaprizov will shoot the puck more while playing with Rossi and Hartman. Rossi can set up Kaprizov. While it won't be as flashy as Zuccarello or Boldy's passing, Kaprizov will remain productive. Kaprizov played with Victor Rask and won the Calder Trophy. Rossi is much better than Rask. Zuccarello can focus on helping Ohgren gain more confidence as he adapts to the NHL. Zuccarello continues his old magic Zuccarello continues playing well in his late 30s while mentoring Ohgren. The Wild need Ohgren to grow as an NHL goal scorer, and Zuccarello can help with that. Zuccarello can utilize his high-end creativity to maximize Ohgren’s shot. Eriksson Ek's the perfect net front presence. Eriksson Ek and Ohgren already have a connection other than being Swedish. Ohgren is becoming Mr. September in training thanks to Eriksson Ek setting an example. Thanks to Ohgren’s father, Andreas, as well. He's the real MVP. Andreas is a professional trainer for NHL players, including Gabriel Landeskog, Nicklas Backstrom, and Jesper Boqvist. So, for Andreas to get his son looking like a machine is encouraging for Guerin's future. While Eriksson Ek and Zuccarello mentor Ohgren, Boldy and Tarasenko can mentor Yurov. Boldy can temporarily bring back prime Tarasenko Aside from Kaprizov, Boldy is the best player to maximize Tarasenko. Hartman doesn't have the puck skills like Boldy to maximize Tarasenko. Boldy's contract is turning out to be one of the league’s best bargains, giving Tarasenko better security to mentor Yurov. Yurov gets to establish himself as a top-six center by playing a middle-six role. That relieves pressure from Yurov as the center of focus. The more time Yurov spends with Boldy, the more it will unleash Yurov. Overall, the Wild have a better top-nine with the configuration above. Yurov and Ohgren haven't established themselves in the NHL, where they'll need veteran support to balance the lines. Trenin and Foligno have a big center with speed in Sturm to win faceoffs for them. There's enough support for Rossi to thrive. Rossi may consider a bridge deal, and the Wild should consider offering him one. Rossi needs to view this as an opportunity to secure a better raise in the future. Guerin and Hynes will soon acknowledge his true value. However, it's time for the Wild to maximize him after quietly establishing his presence in the spotlight. Hynes can't continue to put Rossi in a bottom-six role. Rossi has the potential to be a top-line center, but it will take more time and experience to develop. The Wild have something brewing for the 2025-26 season, and Rossi fits that picture. Minnesota should still be happy that Rossi fell to 9th in the 2020 draft. Let's continue supporting his fight from death to getting his name on the Stanley Cup.

Jake Middleton is a fantastic story for the Minnesota Wild. Acquired him in a low-wattage trade with the San Jose Sharks in 2022, Middleton has beaten the odds as a 7th-round pick. Four years later and a fresh four-year, $4.35 million extension later, Middleton remains an enigma. With great results playing next to Jared Spurgeon and not-so-great results elsewhere, Middleton’s game is a bit of a mystery. At 6-foot-3 and 220 lbs., he’s one of the bigger guys on the Wild blueline. Still, he sometimes struggles to use his size to his advantage. Middleton has a career high of 25 points. He’s never had more than 10 goals or 20 assists in a season, but he’ll go on hot streaks where he looks like Bobby Orr for two weeks. He posted another season of a negative GF% with 48.4%, ranking fourth on the team among defenders. Middleton also posted 2.23 GA/60, which is good for fifth-best among Wild players. While these numbers aren’t encouraging, he logged the second-most minutes on a team that was seventh in goals against. Middleton isn’t a plus offensive contributor, nor is he overly physical, but he logs a ton of minutes and can be serviceable in a top-four role. While many fans are perplexed by his contract extension, considering the deals other defenders on the market are receiving, Middleton is on a reasonable contract. To deliver value on his contract, Middleton must win board battles and be responsible with the puck. He also must limit turnovers in a role where he’s not playing against the opponent’s best players every night. Enter Zeev Buium and David Jiricek. Jonas Brodin will miss the start of the 2025-26 season, so there will be pressure on everyone to step up. However, that’s especially true for Middleton, who’s the next in line to be the top pairing left-shot defender. Still, the Wild should let Middleton play a more balanced game when Brodin returns, allowing the D-core to get a more even rotation of minutes. It would be beneficial to everyone, especially Brock Faber, to have more dispersed minutes compared to last season. Spurgeon is about to turn 36, and Brodin is 32. It’s unsustainable to play Faber as often as the Wild did on their top pair last season. However, Buium should mitigate some of the pressure on Faber. If it yields positive results, pair Buium with Faber as the pseudo top pair while Brodin is out. That would allow Middleton to slot back next to Spurgeon in a role where he has excelled the most. The Wild should reduce Middleton and Spurgeon’s minutes and give Jirick and whoever is on the third pair, whether it’s Buium or Brodin, more ice time. Or if you want to play matchups with Middleton and further reduce his minutes, play him with Jirick on the third pair and let those two big bodies be some bash brothers on the bottom pair. I’d take that seven days of the week and twice in the playoffs compared to the Jon Merrill and Zach Bogosian third pair. Middleton has done anything and everything the Wild have asked of him, but his play has steadily suffered due to matchups that are a little bit out of his depth. Given the Wild have NHL-ready young talent and established veterans, it’s in everyone’s best interest to balance out the Wild’s D-core. All stats and data via CapWages, Evolving Hockey, and MoneyPuck.com unless otherwise noted.

You have to look under the hood a bit to notice, but Matt Boldy is coming off his worst NHL season. His 27 goals and 73 points masked a regression in his ability to drive offense and defense, going from elite in both categories to merely fine. At a time when he had half a season to assume the mantle of The Guy on the team with Kirill Kaprizov out, he didn't quite deliver. It's likely to be the worst season we'll see from Boldy in a long time, health permitting. Still, when you look at his hefty $7 million salary? Boldy was a clear bargain. Make it as simple or complicated as you'd like. Boldy produced the 34th-most points among forwards on the 62nd-highest cap hit. We're talking Tage Thompson/Sebastian Aho-type production for the price of Troy Terry. According to The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn, he produced $8.6 million in value on his $7 million cap hit. Speaking of Luszczyszyn, he's put Boldy's bargain into the August news cycle with his list of the 10 best contracts in the NHL. Boldy's deal snuck in at ninth place, with Luszczyszyn projecting it to net Minnesota $27 million in surplus value over the next five years. As the years on the deal wind down, it'll likely fall out of the top 10, but the deal itself will only keep getting better for the Wild. Boldy inked his contract during the post-COVID flat cap stagnation, accounting for 8.38% of the $83.5 million salary cap. We already know the salary cap is going to be for the next three years, and over that time, it'll be up around 37.5%. Boldy's contract will be a minuscule slice of Minnesota's overall pie very, very soon. Here's the percentage of cap space Boldy's taking up, as well as the 2023-24 cap equivalent, over the first five years of his contract: 2023-24: 8.38% ($7.00M) 2024-25: 7.95% ($6.64M) 2025-26: 7.33% ($6.12M) 2026-27: 6.73% ($5.62M) 2027-28: 6.17% ($5.15M) In just three years, Boldy's salary is going to be about the same cap percentage as, for instance, Morgan Geekie ($5.5M, 5.8% of a $95.5M cap). That's what? A decent second/third-line tweener on a good team? Boldy's a bona-fide top-line forward, with the potential to ascend into the conversation with the league's best wingers if he takes another step. The value Boldy brings with his contract has already helped the Wild make the playoffs despite some major salary cap hell. Next season, Minnesota will get the peak bang for its buck between his and Kaprizov's salaries. These are the top-10 teams for points-per-game from their top-two scorers over the past two seasons, along with their combined cap percentage in 2025-26: Connor McDavid/Leon Draisaitl, EDM: 3.05 (28.7%) Nikita Kucherov/Brayden Point, TBL: 2.76 (19.9%) Nathan MacKinnon/Martin Necas, COL: 2.47 (20.0%) Artemiy Panarin/J.T. Miller, NYR: 2.41 (20.6%) Mitch Marner/Jack Eichel, VGK: 2.41 (23.0%) Auston Matthews/William Nylander, TOR: 2.36 (25.9%) KIRILL KAPRIZOV/MATT BOLDY, MIN: 2.21 (16.8%) Jack Hughes/Jesper Bratt, NJD: 2.21 (16.6%) Mikko Rantanen/Jason Robertson, DAL: 2.17 (20.7%) Sam Reinhart/Sasha Barkov, FLA: 2.16 (19.5%) That's just ridiculous value for next season, carried in large part by Kaprizov's $9 million salary in the final year of his deal. Going forward, though, Boldy's going to carry a lot more of the weight. Boldy's deal will allow the Wild to pay Kaprizov top dollar without suffering with the salary cap. The upper limit to estimates on Kaprizov's next cap hit is $15 million, which would (currently) make him the league's highest-paid player going into 2026-27. That's a lot of money, and a big chunk of the cap. But with Boldy's salary, that's only $22 million between the two. We don't know the salary cap beyond the next two seasons, but here's what percentage of the cap $22 million would take up in... 2026-27: 21.2% 2027-28: 19.3% The Wild are going to be paying their top two forwards not much more than a fifth of their salary cap, at worst, for the next three years. Beyond that, the number goes down from there. Boldy will have two more years locked in at $7 million per season, and that's going to be excellent news for Minnesota. This crop of young talent that Wild fans have been waiting for is basically all here, starting in September. Within two years, all of these players will need to get paid. Marco Rossi is already looking for his next deal. Jesper Wallstedt and David Jiříček will look for a raise next year, and Zeev Buium, Liam Öhgren, and Danila Yurov are up to get paid two summers from now. If those players are anywhere near what we think they'll be, it'd be tough to keep this core together, especially if the Wild are going to make some sort of splashy move to add a star player. Paying Boldy $7 million instead of $10 or $12 over the next five years could mean the difference between keeping or losing a key piece of Minnesota's puzzle. They still have to be smart in their moves and investments, but being smart with Boldy gives them a hell of a head start.

The Minnesota Wild are still looking for their Christmas miracle on West 7th Street. General manager Bill Guerin should add New York Rangers’ star forward Artemi Panarin to his wishlist. Panarin is more of a trade deadline target, but the Wild could target Panarin sooner than that. Here's why Guerin should keep a close eye on the Rangers: The Rangers aren't in a rush to extend Panarin New York isn’t rushing to extend Panarin. He’s approaching his mid-30s, at which point he's expected to decline. However, Brad Marchand is showing everyone that age is just a number. Panarin is a much better player than Marchand, though. The Rangers may be looking for cap flexibility. They recently extended Igor Shesterkin to an eight-year, $92 million extension ($11.5 million AAV). They traded Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks for cap space. Don't be surprised to see them make more roster changes. If the Rangers start the season with more regression from their top players in Vincent Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad, J.T. Miller, and Alexis Lafreniere, then Panarin would likely be open to a trade. Don't be surprised if the Wild are interested in him, especially Kaprizov. Could Kaprizov convince Panarin to come to Minnesota? Panarin is declining, but still a productive player Panarin, 33, may no longer be a 100-point player, but the Wild don’t need that. They have Kaprizov. Panarin just needs to be a point-per-game player. We’ve seen what Mats Zuccarello is capable of as Kaprizov's 37-year-old sidekick. Panarin undoubtedly can do better than Zuccarello. Panarin finished tied for 13th with 37 goals in all situations, ahead of: Jason Robertson (35) Kevin Fiala (35) Auston Matthews (33) Sidney Crosby (33) Seth Jarvis (32) Mikko Rantanen (32) Nathan MacKinnon (32) Sebastian Aho (29) Brady Tkachuk (29) Jack Eichel (28) Mitch Marner (27) Matt Boldy (27) Panarin was tied for 30th with primary assists with 27 in all situations, ahead of: Sam Reinhart (24) Brayden Point (23) William Nylander (23) Matthew Tkachuk (23) Boldy (23) Kaprizov (22) Robertson (22) Jarvis (22) Panarin was 9th in 11.6 goals above expected in all situations, ahead of: Point (11) Kyle Connor (10.8) Kyrou (10.6) Nikita Kucherov (10) Fiala (6.5) Jake Guentzel (6.3) Kaprizov (4.6) Aho (4.1) Tim Stützle (3.8) MacKinnon (2.5) Reinhart (2.2) Panarin finished 26th in Goals Per 60 Minutes (G/60) with 1.41 goals in all situations, ahead of: Fiala (1.4) M. Tkachuk (1.39) Jarvis (1.36) Kucherov (1.34) Jack Hughes (1.25) Rantanen (1.1) Aho (1.1) Eichel (1.06) Connor McDavid (1.06) Boldy (0.97) Panarin finished 20th in Points Per 60 Minutes (P/60) with 3.39 points in all situations, ahead of: Robertson (3.29) Point (3.28) Hughes (3.24) Nylander (3.15) Aleksander Barkov (3.14) Rantanen (3.03) Reinhart (3) Boldy (2.63) Panarin was tied for 120th in 5-on-4 G/60 goals with 1.55, ahead of: Eichel (1.45) Boldy (1.44) Kucherov (1.3) Mitch Marner (1.3) Hughes (1.27) Kaprizov (0.95) Aho (0.9) Stützle (0.45) Panarin finished 25th in 5-on-4 Assists Per 60 Minutes (A/60) with 4.65 assists, ahead of: Matthews (4.37) Leon Draisaitl (4.28) M.Tkachuk (4.09) Aho (4.05) Nylander (3.78) Point (3.19) Boldy (3.13) Jarvis (3.04) Fiala (2.81) Rantanen (2.79) Robertson (2.17) Panarin and Crosby are the “old” timers on this list, and they're showing that age is only a number. Panarin bested someone like Matthews, who finished one goal shy of 70 goals in 2023-24. MacKinnon is a consistent 100-point scorer, but wasn't able to beat Panarin. Marner became a 100-point scorer for the first time, but it wasn't enough. Eichel finally broke out into a 90-point producer, yet fell short of beating Panarin. Panarin recorded a better G/60 than McDavid, who’s supposedly the best player in the world. Panarin also proved his worth as a better A/60 producer than Draisaitl. McDavid and Draisaitl are the NHL's best present-day duo despite not having a Stanley Cup, showing that Panarin can still hang with the best. Although he’s 33, Panarin will likely remain in his prime for the next three years. When he approaches his late 30s, we'll start to see a real decline. However, I still expect him to remain a top-six/middle-six winger in his 40s. He has become the best undrafted player since Martin St. Louis. Alex Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretzky in goals, but Panarin is on a journey to pass St. Louis in scoring. Now it's Panarin's turn to make history of his own: 163 points away from tying St. Louis (1033) 89 goals away from tying St. Louis (391) 74 assists away from tying St. Louis (642) Panarin should likely pass St. Louis within two years. Will it be with the Rangers, though? How likely is Kaprizov to convince Panarin to waive his NMC? The Wild must ensure that Panarin truly wants to play in Minnesota. How much can Kaprizov convince Panarin to play with him on the top line? The Wild will have to prove to Panarin that they are a legit contender, much like they need to with Kaprizov. For example, the Colorado Avalanche traded Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes, where he and Aho are close friends. Aho was excited due to their history and Finnish connection. However, that wasn't enough to keep Rantanen in Carolina. Rantanen preferred to play with the Dallas Stars rather than the Hurricanes and forced a trade. Guerin should be all-in on Panarin if the Rangers don't sign him. The Wild can excel at a new level with Panarin dominating with Kaprizov. Panarin would also be reuniting with Vladimir Tarasenko, which should be another reason for him to waive the no-trade clause. However, Panarin could still choose a better destination to compete. Panarin is regressing, but at a slow pace. Ovechkin and Marchand have shown to be elite veterans. Panarin is more than capable of being an elite veteran and could help drive winning for the Wild.

Standing at only 5'8”, you’d think Adam Benak would be a long shot to play in the NHL. However, that’s not the case for Minnesota Wild’s fourth-round selection out of Czechia. The Wild took Benak with the 102nd pick in last year’s draft. He may only be 5’8”, 163 lbs. Still, when you look at how he puts the puck in the net, his vision on the ice, his 200-foot game, and his motor, you’d never be able to guess that his size was holding him back. Benak played in the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms last year, where he was the leading scorer with 59 points in 56 games. Benak has dominated wherever he has played, whether it’s internationally or in the Czech leagues. He has been a point-per-game player or better at almost every single level of hockey he’s played. Before dominating the USHL, Benak set the record for most points scored at the Hilinka-Gtetzky international tournament. His 17 points in seven games broke the record of 15 points set years ago. He has 21 points in 10 career games. Although Benak spent last season in the USHL, the Brantford Bulldogs took him second overall in the CHL import draft. Benak hasn’t indicated whether he’ll play in Brantford or continue with the Phantoms. There is something about Benak’s game that scouts in Minnesota love. “Just wait until he hits puberty. He’s still a boy,” Youngstown coach Ryan Ward said about Benák’s size. “People that look at his size should think twice. He’s a special player. Just give him some time,” Ward continued. “He’s an extraordinary hockey player. So competitive, so smart, unbelievable passer.” “He’s the kid that everybody tells me that if he were six-foot, he’d be a first-round pick, even a top-five pick. That’s how good this kid is,” The Athletic beat reporter Michael Russo said on his podcast with Wild play-by-play broadcaster Anthony LaPanta. “Played at Youngstown last year. From Czechia. English is fantastic. Buddies with Spacek. Buddies with both Jiricek brothers. … You look at his YouTube stuff. He is special.” On draft night, David Jiricek found Benak in the stands and gave him a ton of Wild gear. The connections to Minnesota’s current players are already strong. And as a smaller player, Benak can use Marco Rossi and Mats Zuccarello as examples of two other smaller players who have found success in Minnesota. Benak shares many similar attributes to Rossi. “He gives us speed, he gives us finesse, he sees the game,” said Jaroslav Nedved, Czechia’s assistant coach. “He’s a big part of our group. For us, he’s the biggest impact on our game. With his speed and hockey IQ, he sees the game one step ahead of everybody else. “He can skate one way to bring the defenceman in, and then he can pass it or delay it and put it to the second wave. And he knows what’s going to happen before everybody else knows. If he goes to the right or left side of the rink with the puck, it’s for a reason. “How do you say it in music? He’s the conductor, or the orchestrator. He orchestrates his teammates.” Remind you of anyone? “I think my work ethic is the biggest difference,” said Benak. “I know I’m smaller, but you don’t have to be the biggest guy if you’re the hardest worker. So that’s what I’m trying to do, and show people that size doesn’t matter for me.” Benak sees his size as an advantage and can’t wait to prove the doubters wrong. All stats and data via HockeyDB, Elite Prospects, and CapWages unless otherwise noted.