With Uncertainty In Goal, Darcy Kuemper Faces His Biggest Season Yet

Kuemper has played all of 32 career regular season games with the big club, but he's already proven himself to be one heck of a young tender. At 6'5" and 205-pounds, the young native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan has a unique package of size, talent, skill and athletic ability, something that is highly irregular for a netminder of his size. Kuemper has used this to his advantage, dominating the Canadian major junior leagues, the ECHL and the AHL in impressive fashion while collecting numerous awards and recognitions at nearly every level of play he's faced so far.

With a successful season in the books, Kuemper is now a restricted free agent set to command a one-way deal. Considering the uncertainty surrounding the aging, injury-plagued Backstrom, and the MS stricken Harding, Kuemper likely has the inside track on the starting role in St. Paul, something he is probably all too keenly aware of. However, while Kuemper's been successful in a limited showing, there's no knowing whether or not he'll be able to withstand the rigors of being a No. 1 NHL goaltender for a full season at the tender age of 24 (no pun intended).

Minnesota needs another option and, at this point, neither one of Backstrom or Harding look like viable options. It's a good bet Kuemper is the man between the pipes, but he'll need help as the season goes on, and the Wild may have to look elsewhere. Harding is untradeable, and Backstrom will probably have to be unloaded for peanuts, but that's the likeliest route Fletcher will have to take.

Kuemper is already an incredible young netminder to watch at age 23 (now 24)--imagine how good he'll be in five years when he hits his prime. That's a scary thought.