By Aaron Heckmann -
The Minnesota Wild are off to one of their best starts in franchise history with an 8-2-2 record and .750 points percentage through the first 12 games of the season.
Entering Tuesday night’s 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, the Wild had collected 18 of a possible 22 points in their first 11 games. That matched the best start in franchise history; they had 18 points in its first 11 games in 2002 and 2006. However, Minnesota also set a franchise record with 41 goals in its first 11 contests.
The Wild caught the league’s attention and put themselves in the headlines throughout the first couple weeks of the season by not facing their first deficit until October 24.
In case you missed it, the Wild didn’t trail in their first 391 minutes and 31 seconds of regulation time this season. It was the second-longest streak to open a season in NHL history behind the Boston Bruins’ 457:21 in 1969-70. It wasn’t until Nikita Kucherov gave the Tampa Bay Lightning a 2-1 lead in the second period in the Wild’s seventh game.
That's an incredible feat, and the Wild hope it will indicate their growth since last season and their depth this season. They hope to return to the playoffs after missing the postseason in 2023-24 for only the second time since 2011-12.
Minnesota is in second place in what will be a highly competitive Central Division and fifth league-wide. While the season is still young, the Wild look like they have the pieces to make a run — yes, past the first round — this season.
The Wild look like a team ready to reach new heights in their first full season under John Hynes. Let’s be honest: They haven't had a perfect start, and the team has plenty to work on. Still, this year’s squad has a different complexion. That's evident as they look more structured and in sync this season.
Minnesota looks better built and appears poised to make some things happen. The pressure is on, as it can’t be overstated how important this season is, namely because the Wild are eligible to extend their superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov to an extension as soon as July.
Through 12 games, the Wild have faced a deficit for a league-low 79 minutes and 5 seconds. That's 26 minutes and 34 seconds fewer than the Carolina Hurricanes, with the second-fewest trailing minutes at 105:39.
That indicates how well the Wild have performed this season. The most promising part of their quick start is how they have gotten to this point.
Minnesota's impeccable defensive play is the highlight of its season. The Wild lead the NHL in fewest goals against (1.61) and high-danger chances against (8.63). They are second in expected goals against (2.07), fifth in shots against (26.09), and sixth in scoring chances against (24.08) at five-on-five on a per 60-minute basis.
Brock Faber, Jonas Brodin, and Jake Middleton have given the Wild superior play on the back end. Their captain, Jared Spurgeon, has also been back in the lineup the past four games after a four-game absence.
Kirill Kaprizov has unsurprisingly taken the spotlight up front with an incredible start. He has scored seven goals and 21 points through 12 games — a 143-point pace over a full 82-game season. Meanwhile, his top-line counterparts, Mats Zuccarello (5-6-11) and Marco Rossi (3-7-10), have been strong in their own right.
Matt Boldy got off to a slow start last fall. However, he has six goals and 13 points, which included a slick overtime winner against the Toronto Maple Leafs last Sunday. Joel Eriksson Ek (5-2-7 in 10 games), Freddy Gaudreau (2-4-6 in 12 games), and Ryan Hartman (3-1-4 in 7 games) are also off to good starts.
The Wild look like a deeper squad, and that’s especially true with the offseason trade addition of hard-nosed forward Jakub Lauko and then free agent acquisition Yakov Trenin.
Moreover, the goaltending situation no longer looks worrisome. Filip Gustavsson has been a quality starter, going 6-2-1 with a .917 save percentage and 3.2 goals saved above expected through his first nine starts. Backup Marc-Andre Fleury looks just fine.
Top players performing. More depth. Superior defense. Good goaltending.
A lot is clicking for the Wild right now. Still, they have a lot of room for improvement as their penalty kill ranks 31st in the league at 62.5 percent, and their power play is 1-for-18 over the past five games. There’s no question their special teams have to improve if they are going to compete with the other heavyweights in the Central.
But unlike the 2023-24 campaign when adversity got the best of them, the Wild appear better equipped to handle the challenges that come their direction this season.
The season is still young, but the early results and indications look favorable for the Wild. They look like a team ready to take the next step and prove to Kaprizov that they can build a Stanley Cup-caliber team in the state of hockey.
All stats via Hockey-Reference, Natural Stat Trick and MoneyPuck.
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