Boldy's "Perimeter" Identity Is Fueling His Hot Start

We’ve seemingly arrived at a crossroads in Matt Boldy’s career. Gone are the days when we said He’s going to be really good. Did you know he’s only 22? Here to stay is I’m naming my firstborn son Matthew Edward.

Just a few weeks ago, the Twin Cities wondered if they could get some of what Bill Guerin was drinking when he predicted the young winger would eventually score 50 goals and 50 assists in a single season. But Boldy has barely had a bad shift through a week of the season. 

It seems like everybody wants Boldy to be something he’s not. They see the 6-foot-3 frame and beg him to crash the net, and someday, he’ll probably develop that skill set. He’s playing his game for now, and his success is self-evident. He’s being rewarded for his play as a puck-supporter and passer and scoring in buckets. 

So, let’s jump in and break down the attributes that make Boldy so dominant on an NHL ice sheet. 

Last week, Matt Boldy kicked off the makings of a dominant season by scoring the first goal of the home opener. 

The play starts with Joel Eriksson Ek’s faceoff win, with a plan to have Johansson retrieve the puck while Eriksson Ek ties up the center. Eriksson Ek drives the net, and Boldy reads to see if the switch between center and right wing opens any space. Ten feet from the net, Johansson fans on the one-timer. That pass alone could have been a point for Boldy, and his soft hands are why the coaches drew this play up in the first place. 

Fortunately, Jonas Brodin made a great play in retrieving the loose puck. He cycles the puck to Johansson, who plays catch with Boldy. Zach Werenski (No. 😎 should probably pressure this play since he has help in the slot. Instead, he maintains position. That allows Boldy the time and space to skate into a shooting angle -- albeit an impossibly sharp angle. 

The idea of this play should be to shoot and hope Eriksson Ek can make a play on the rebound. Instead, Boldy sees space next to the goaltender’s earhole and makes a shot that few NHL players can pull off. Per MoneyPuck, the shot had a 1.4% chance of going in. That highlights how Boldy’s special instincts. 

Boldy’s play away from the puck is also impressive on this play. Note how after he looks to the rafters in despair, he sneaks across the sheet to support the cycling Swedes in the right circle. 

That supporting-role instinct influences Boldy’s next point of the night, where he combines with his linemates for another gorgeous passing play. 

The play above happens primarily because of Johansson, Eriksson Ek, and Boldy’s forechecking efforts. Johansson forces Jack Johnson (No. 3) behind the net and onto his off hand. Johansson beats him around the net, forcing a messy pass to Erik Gudbranson (No. 44). Eriksson Ek’s intense pressure means that Gudbranson only has time to clear the puck to the point, which Middleton and Boldy read as a chance to turn over the puck. 

Boldly is wise to stay high in the zone while his linemates pressure deep. It’s a safe way to slow down a counterattack and allows him to help Middleton create a loose puck. He eventually wins it from a streaking Adam Fantilli (No. 19), highlighting his excellent positioning. 

Finally, Boldy shows off his vision with a pass to Johansson rather than forcing it laterally to Eriksson Ek. The pass to Johansson takes Fantilli out of the play and forces Gudbranson to abandon Johansson so he can cover Boldy. That leaves Johansson and Eriksson Ek two-on-one against Johnson, opening Eriksson Ek for a dangerous cross-ice one-timer. 

After a highlight in the first and second, it would have been selfish for Boldy to leave the home crowd wanting in the third. 

Fret not. Boldy still had one more in the tank. 

For unclear reasons, Columbus was content to let the Wild man-advantage unit stand still, pass the puck, and get whatever look they wanted on this power play. Down a goal, they might have wanted to bait the Wild into shooting into a blocked lane to generate a short-handed counterattack. 

That could explain why Boldy fakes a one-timer from prime real estate. It draws three Blue Jackets towards him, leaving Zuccarello and Eriksson Ek two-on-one at the net. The Norwegian winger tries a slap pass to his center, looking for a tip. Jack Johnson politely saves Eriksson Ek the trouble, redirecting it through his goaltender’s five-hole. 

Boldy made one gorgeous play every 20 minutes on opening night. He displayed his offensive vision, forechecking instinct, and elite shot.

On Saturday, Boldy went the entire first period without points against the Seattle Kraken. However, he got back on track early in the second. 

Boldy is an underrated catalyst for Minnesota’s power play. His first full-time season was 2022-23, and the team made him a focal point of the power play from training camp that year. Boldy’s size, hands, and shot give him a unique power play toolkit that allows him to play any of the four forward positions: net front, bumper, passer, or shooter.

Boldy fully displayed his versatility in his goal against Seattle. After a night of peripheral mastery against Columbus, dishing pucks and picking corners, Boldy drives the net for his second goal of the season. 

Boldy made every type of play in Week 1. Below is a simple play to drive into the high slot and shoot hard -- and boy, does he ever. Joey Daccord reads Boldy’s body language and gets a piece of the shot, but not enough to stop it. This one only had a 5.3% chance of scoring, which is another testament to the power Boldy put behind this wrister. 

Interestingly, this shot comes from the same spot as his power play assist. Even more impressive is the one key difference between the two plays. While Seattle’s weak-side defenseman stepped into Kaprizov’s shooting lane, Columbus’s weak-side defenseman covered Eriksson Ek, leaving Zuccarello open. 

Now, the masterpiece. Want more evidence that Boldy’s vision is on another level? Here you go: 

The poke check knocks Boldy off-balance, but he drifts high and reads the dump-in play. Before Johansson generates a loose puck, Boldy is already on the spot and ready to grab it. He sends a backhand pass behind his back to the right-handed Ryan Hartman -- notably the opposite hand of Boldy’s usual centerman, Joel Eriksson Ek. 

Boldy’s pass threads perfectly through the two Kraken defenders and perfectly onto Hartman’s forehand. Wide open between the hash marks, it doesn’t get much easier than that, and Hartman buries it. 

Boldy isn’t straying from his play style. He’s driving the net to shoot but not battling in the way Eriksson Ek or Foligno might. For a 6-foot-3 forward, it’s a relatively peripheral play style, just like last year. 

The biggest difference is his confidence level in those drives, reminiscent of Kevin Fiala. For example, take the turnover just before Hartman’s goal. Boldy makes a greedy move into the slot because he wants a better opportunity and knows he can get there. Even though he turns that over, Boldy returns to what worked for him before when he passes through two opponents to Hartman in the slot. 

Players as good as Boldy are often rewarded for that greedy play, especially since he’s kept his head up to pass out of those plays if he doesn't get the look he wants. His power-play assist to Zuccarello is a testament to that vision. 

Combining that confidence with his natural talents has taken Boldy to another level. He doesn't have to take abuse at the net front, which has led to injuries for players like Eriksson Ek, Folingo, and Zach Parise. It’s hard to criticize his play style as one-dimensional when he’s already so effective on the forecheck. 

Buckle up, Wild fans. Matt Boldy’s 2024-25 campaign already seems like the start of something special.