The Wild Are Playing the Long Game

Just like Rome, a Stanley Cup-winning team isn’t built in a day. In the last few seasons, the playoff runs show a team that is developing into a true force of nature. The Minnesota Wild are in a pre-Stanley Cup-building mode, and fans need to stick with the team through the process.

In a time when hockey has been trending toward speed and skill, the Wild are on the leading edge of pushing that pendulum back toward big, physical play. This year especially, the Wild have been a team to fear. 

But being a trendsetter is hard. It will take time for the rest of the league to recognize and follow suit. The Wild are often penalized because they’re not afraid to finish their checks and drop the mitts if needed. They carry a reputation that makes the officials call a tighter game, and that can be a hard pill to swallow.

It is imperative that the Wild commit to their style of play. The team is built to be physical and get gritty, greasy goals. Sure, pretty goals are nice and highlight-worthy, but that is not the priority. Sticking to their brand of hockey, despite the challenges along the way, will lead to good outcomes in the next few seasons.

Rest assured that Bill Guerin has a plan and he’s not afraid to play the long game. In the past few seasons, Guerin has made decisions at the trade deadline and during the off-season that were initially questioned. He’s known for making bold news and not being afraid to go all in.

Trading Cam Talbot for Filip Gustavsson? Trading to bring Marcus Johansson back to Minnesota? Both of these trades were widely panned. Now look how they’ve turned out. Gustavsson has played his way into being one of the best goalies in the league. Johansson has become Matt Boldy’s wingman on the ice. Guerin saw the potential and took the leap because he’s not afraid to play the long game. 

It might be hard to see the progress from last year to this year. The unfortunate absence of Joel Eriksson Ek has affected the entire look of the club. Eriksson Ek serves as a linchpin for the entire Wild squad. Not only is he an effective pest around the net, but he also plays a huge role in both the power play and penalty kill. Without him, the special teams have been struggling. Fans can’t use the eye test for this one because the team isn’t whole.

The difference between the playoffs in 2022 and the 2023 playoffs is consistency. Last year, the Wild fell apart completely when the playoffs started. Suddenly, the big physical club seemed more interested in running around instead of checking. Kirill Kaprizov did what he could to carry the team, but hockey is a team sport. Even a superstar can’t play the game by himself.

This year is a different story. It’s been a struggle without Eriksson Ek, but the team maintained their physical style of play. Despite dealing with adversity, they’ve stuck close to their identity. They’ve played through referees making suspect calls, struggles on the faceoff dot, and special teams that are on life support. Through it all, they’ve kept up their physical style of play, and that is truly noteworthy. 

The Wild are a team-first team, which is important when players need to commit to a certain style. Several players have commented on being accepted immediately in the locker room and that Minnesota feels like home to them. They’ve mentioned that they finally have a team that believes in them. When players feel like part of a team, they are even more likely to buy into the system that the team is running. The Wild do not make it a secret that their game is hard and physical. Players coming in know exactly what will be expected of them and in the long run, that will help the team continue to find players who are a good fit for their style of play. 

It can be challenging for fans to be patient because they aren’t privy to the long-term vision for the Wild. Minnesota sports fans are some of the most impatient in the league. Fans need to be willing to commit right alongside the players. It might take several years, but one thing is for sure: the Minnesota Wild are transforming into a Cup-winning team.