By Tom Schreier -
On December 31, 2023, Marc-Andre Fleury became only the fourth goaltender in NHL history to play 1,000 games. However, he ended the day one game shy of tying Patrick Roy for the second-most victories of all time. The Winnipeg Jets beat the Minnesota Wild for the second consecutive game before the calendar turned to 2024, kicking off a streak where the Wild lost eight of nine games.
“I wish it was a win,” Fleury said. “Disappointing. I thought the guys played great.”
The Wild had ridden a new-coach bump in December. Bill Guerin relieved Dean Evason of his duties after Minnesota's November 26 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, which dropped Minnesota to 5-10-4 on the season. The Wild rallied behind John Hynes, winning seven of their next eight games. However, the Winnipeg series became a turning point in the season.
Minnesota constantly rallied after losing streaks to remain in the playoff bubble this year. But they almost always lost when it mattered. They often responded by saying they played well, flummoxed that they couldn’t win a game when fighting for their playoff lives. Still, the Wild finished 0-9-1 against the Central Division’s three best teams – the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, and Winnipeg.
The Wild lost meaningful games to good teams because they aren’t a playoff-caliber team. Minnesota’s roster isn’t skilled enough because the front office prioritizes size and veteran experience over youth and upside. In the offseason, they re-signed three declining veterans – Ryan Hartman, Marcus Foligno, and Mats Zuccarello – which didn’t allow them to sell at the deadline. Therefore, the Wild missed out on a franchise-changing opportunity in the middle of the season.
Hartman, Foligno, and Zuccarello will continue occupying roster spots that the Wild could use for upcoming prospects, lowering their skill ceiling. And Minnesota doubled down on that strategy throughout the season. In November, they traded Calen Addison, 23, to the San Jose Sharks and replaced him with 33-year-old Zach Bogosian. Then they bought Bogosian’s dead-cat bounce. Even if they wanted their roster-building strategy now, it would take years to undo it.
During the Wild’s first skid under Hynes, Guerin expressed surprise at how many injuries they sustained. Jared Spurgeon and Jared Spurgeon were out, and so were Mats Zuccarello and Kirill Kaprizov. Marcus Foligno and Filip Gustavsson joined them, too. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Guerin said. “Even when I was playing, I can’t remember a rash of injuries like this, and to key guys, which is crazy.”
Some of Minnesota’s injury issues were unfortunate. For example, Winnipeg’s Brenden Dillon injured Kaprizov on a dirty hit. But it’s also a product of the Wild’s philosophy. They are an undisciplined, veteran team. Their “grit” is often just reckless play, which cost them in the playoffs last year. And older players are more likely to suffer injuries.
Guerin believed that health was an essential factor in Minnesota’s success this season. “I still believe in this group,” he said in mid-January. “I know people are going to say I’m crazy, but I do. I think we’ve shown that when we are healthy and when we are doing what we’re supposed to be doing, we’re a good team.”
On February 20, the Wild followed up their 10-7 win over the Vancouver Canucks by losing 6-3 to Winnipeg. Marco Rossi nearly had a hat trick, which would have been Minnesota’s third in two games. But his efforts weren’t enough. The Jets led 3-1 after two periods, and Minnesota couldn't mount a comeback after scoring seven third-period goals against Vancouver.
The Wild had another opportunity to grab a wild card spot, but Winnipeg beat them again. “It was two tips in the third that changed direction,” said Fleury. “The power-play goal was a nice play backdoor. Couple shots I didn't see. I don't think we got outplayed by any means.”
In early March, The Athletic reported that Minnesota was listening to offers on Rossi. After recovering from a COVID-related heart condition, Rossi became the second Wild rookie after Kaprizov to score 20 goals this season. Rossi has been one of the team’s best 5-on-5 players, but he’s less productive on the power play. He’s also 5-foot-9, 180 lbs.
But what he lacks in stature, he makes up for in effort. He’s gritty in his own way. He doesn’t play recklessly. Instead, Rossi is willing to skate to the middle of the ice to score greasy goals and draw penalties. He’s a work in progress but one worth investing in. Rossi could become another reliable top-six center who could complement Joel Eriksson Ek. However, it feels like the Wild would rather have a larger, veteran player with a higher floor but also a lower skill ceiling.
On April 7, Winnipeg beat the Wild to complete the sweep. Kaprizov has been carrying Minnesota all season, but his two goals weren’t enough to beat the Jets. The Wild appeared to realize they won’t make the playoffs this year. "It's a tough feeling, for sure," Zuccarello said. "But at the end of the day, that's the reality right now. You reassess and have to be better."
The Wild must get better if they want to make it to the second round for the first time since the 2014-15 season. You can blame Minnesota’s cap situation. But given their slow start and lack of cap room, they had the perfect opportunity to go young and prepare for the future. Instead, the Wild bogged down their future cap with expensive contracts for declining players.
Injuries played a factor, but veteran-laden teams that play reckless hockey are more likely to get hurt. Occasionally, it seemed like the Wild felt they were getting unlucky bounces. But good teams create their own luck, and more skilled rosters can overcome variance. Ultimately, the front office built a team that prioritized size, physicality, and veteran experience. Therefore, they constructed a roster that wasn’t as good as the best teams in their division and the league. To believe anything else seems crazy.
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