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By Phillip Garrett -
As a hockey fan, there are few more depressing months than the half a year without Minnesota Wild hockey. So, seeing as the Wild are creatures of habit and got eliminated from the postseason early, it’s time to be pessimistic again.
The way I look at it is that there is always a chance to win the Cup as long as you’re still playing. So, considering the Wild had occasionally looked impressive, it was safe to say I was skeptically hopeful of a deeper playoff run. However, that hope quickly rushed down the drain the second Gustav Nyquist forgot what constitutes offsides.
I’m not saying the team's early exit lies solely on one player; that couldn’t be further from the truth. But mistakes like Nyquist's can cost a team a game, or worse, a series. Avoidable mistakes have cost the Wild notoriety for the last decade, but there is a chance to change that. With Minnesota finally out of cap hell, Bill Guerin can build a contending team.
While one star player can make all the difference, a team's success ultimately comes from the front office. They brought Nyquist back to Minnesota after his first unimpressive stint. But it’s always easier to blame the player. In Nyquist’s case, he is to blame. However, the Wild’s problems run much deeper.
The mistakes lie with Guerin’s decision-making.
Guerin has made a few questionable decisions throughout his tenure as general manager, including bringing in unproductive players. However, there has been a pattern in the preferences of players that Bill Guerin chooses to sign: they’re all old. Guerin signed or traded for Patrick Maroon, Zach Bogosian, Ryan Reaves, and even Marc-Andre Fleury, who were all pick-ups, and only Fleury has done anything memorable in Minnesota.
I still believe that Bill Guerin will continue to trade for age and experience over developing his highly rated prospect pool. I have had this conversation with many Wild fans, and many still believe that Guerin was simply working with the cap he had. He couldn’t afford better players, and I almost believed it. That was until I realised that Guerin is trying to phase Marco Rossi out of the lineup. What more evidence do you need?
Since long before the playoffs, rumors of the Wild trading Rossi have created a lot of conversation. I will say now what I said then: They shouldn’t trade Rossi. However, players who haven’t fit Guerin’s mold haven’t developed in Minnesota. Highly anticipated prospects like Calen Addison, Kevin Fiala, and Marat Khusnutdinov have come and gone through the Wild system.
The Wild finally drafted and developed a top-six center. However, when they needed something from their star players in the series against the Vegas Golden Knights, the coaching staff kept Rossi on the fourth line with grinders like Yakov Trenin and Justin Brazeau. Even though Rossi played fourth-line minutes, he still found the back of the net.
If I were Rossi, I’d beg the Wild to trade me if it meant more playing time.
Rossi has earned his right to be paid. However, Guerin appears unwilling to sign him long term, allowing someone who could be part of a competitive core to leave Minnesota eventually. The Wild have valued players like Trenin and Brazeau over prospects with potential like Khusnutdinov and even Lauko. It’s becoming evident that the front office doesn’t prioritize developing players, which is likely why Bill Guerin is notorious for bringing on veterans at the back end of their careers.
If developing players isn’t a priority for the team, they’re unlikely to build a contending roster under this management.
They knew buying Zach Parise and Ryan Suter out would put the Wild in cap hell until the 2025-26 season. That gave Bill Guerin a lot of leeway to build a team his way without expectations to win immediately. All things considered, the Wild have played some of the most exciting hockey in franchise history. However, what good is regular-season success if Guerin has still not proven himself able to assemble a playoff-caliber team?
I don’t know what is happening in the Wild's front office or Guerin’s plans, but I hope I am wrong. If Guerin can turn the Wild into the team we have seen flashes of, I will support his vision.
However, until he shows a clear, compelling vision, I am not sure I trust his capabilities to run this team. Many red flags have made me question whether Guerin is right for the Wild. Still, with more cap space, Guerin must build a roster that’s ready to win now. If the Wild can’t succeed in the playoffs soon, it’s hard to believe Guerin used the cap hell years effectively.
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