The Minnesota Wild Are A Team Of Russian Nesting Dolls

Every hockey team strives for depth in its lineup. The Minnesota Wild have struggled with lineup depth in the past and are missing most of the centers they started the season with. Somehow, the Wild are still one of the hottest teams in the league right now, and part of that might be the fact that so many of the players are slightly different versions of each other.

Rossi Is A More Polite Version Of Eriksson Ek

Besides the obvious similarities (both play center and are European), Marco Rossi has been trying even harder to embody Joel Eriksson Ek's personality. He’s been gaining muscle during every off-season, and it’s shown in the way he plays the game.

Sure, Rossi might be undersized, but he’s been more willing to engage in the board battles. He’s got a bit of the Eriksson Ek grit to his game. However, Rossi is generally more polite, which is probably why he doesn’t get punched in the face as often as Ek does.

Middleton Is A Suburban Version Of Bogosian

Two big defensemen who are both known for their facial hair, Jake Middleton and Zach Bogosian, are on the two ends of the Wild’s defensive core. Middleton is the surprise top-four defenseman who thrives next to our diminutive captain.

Bogosian is one of the last Atlanta Thrashers players in the league, playing on the third pairing for the Wild next to some of the young blue-liners. He's an outdoorsman who loves to hunt and fish, and his scraggly hair and beard fit that persona. Middleton, on the other hand, seems more like a suburban dad who might not be crazy about outdoor life, but enjoys mowing the lawn of his suburban McMansion. 

Boldy Is the Cat Version Of Faber

These young players are complete opposites in so many ways, but Matt Boldy and Brock Faber are also besties who have earned the couple nickname Foldy.

Faber is a golden retriever in every sense of the word. He’s almost always got a smile on his face, and he is full of youthful energy. Boldy can be like that sometimes, but most of the time, he is more of a cat. He typically looks like he is judging you, and he’s more likely to give the cold shoulder than Faber is.

Zuccarello Is A Smaller, Sneakier Version Of Hartman

If Ryan Hartman is a rat, then what does that make Mats Zuccarello?

They have different play styles, but at the end of the day, they both enjoy annoying players on the other team. Hartman is more of a mouthy rat, while Zuccarello has those crazy eyes that make him hard to read. While Hartman will call you names to your face, Zuccarello seems more like he would gossip about you behind your back, which is even harder to come to terms with.

Gustavsson Is the Dad Version Of Wallstedt

The Wild's Swedish goalie tandem has been a dream team lately. Could that be because Wallstedt is a younger, non-father version of Gustavsson? Maybe this one is a bit too obvious, but it makes sense, doesn’t it?