TSN.ca's 2014-15 NHL Season Preview: Minnesota Wild

With the NHL regular season right around the corner, TSN.ca profiles each team leading up to puck drop. Next up are the Minnesota Wild, looking to build on last season's playoff appearance. Catch up on their summer moves and the issues they face this season, as well as Craig Button's analysis of their top prospect and an analytical breakdown by TSN's Scott Cullen.

Division: Central GM: Chuck Fletcher Head Coach: Mike Yeo

2013-14: 43-27-12 (4^th in Central) Playoffs: Lost in Conference semifinals to Chicago Blackhawks

Goals For: 207 (23^rd) Goals Against: 206 (7^th) Powerplay: 17.9% (16^th) Penalty Kill: 78.8% (27^th)

That Was Then:

The Wild aren’t really known to be high scorers. To make matters worse some of their top scorers were unable to complete a whole season due to injuries. Captain Zach Parise was only available for 67 games while Mikael Granlund was dressed for 63.

The injuries and unfortunate illnesses extended to the crease as well, with Minnesota using five different goaltenders. Josh Harding, Darcy Kuemper, Niklas Backstrom and John Curry all saw time in the Wild net.

They found some success with Ilya Bryzgalov, who had an impressive 7-1-3 record good for a 2.12 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in 11 regular season starts. But, after sharing playing time with Kuemper in the playoffs, he became an unrestricted free agent.

The 30-year-old Harding posted a league-best 1.65 goals-against average and .933 save percentage, but he was limited to 29 games due to his battle with multiple sclerosis, his last game of the season was Dec. 31.  He has dressed at camp and is being monitored closely but the team to see if he can surpass the 29 games he played in last year.

Kuemper, the youngest of the three at the age of 24, was the 161^st overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft and seems to be the Wild’s future. He was more-or-less forced into playing last season after Niklas Backstrom was injured in Game 1 of the Western Conference quarter-finals. The pressure of playoffs didn’t get the best of him, in his six games he was 3-1-1. Kuemper, however, is a restricted free agent and hasn’t signed a contract as of yet.

Backstrom, 36, may have past his prime, especially since last season was a career-worst for him with a 3.02 goals-against and .899 save percentage.  Minnesota is hoping for a speedy recovery since he underwent hip surgery after being injured during the post-season. However, he remains on the Wild’s payroll for another two seasons at $3.4 million per year.

The Minnesota Wild made it to the playoffs for the second straight season, but were taken out by the reigning 2013 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks in the second round. 

Even with the loss they were able to win their first series in eleven years by trumping the Colorado Avalanche in seven games. 

Scott Cullen's Analytics

Wild 2013-14 Stats by Quarter

Key: GPG= goals per game, GAA= goals-against per game, SH%= even-strength shooting percentage, SV%= even-strength save percentage, SAF%= score-adjusted Fenwick percentage (differential of shot attempts faced vs. shot attempts, excluding blocked shots, adjusted for game score), PTS%= percentage of available points.

Analysis:

Games 1-20: Solid possession and exceptional goaltending from Josh Harding.

Games 21-41: Possession, scoring and goaltending all fell off, with predictable results.

Games 42-62: Darcy Kuemper revived the goaltending and scoring picked up, offsetting sinking possession stats.

Games 63-82: Percentages remained strong, possession improved and Wild earned a playoff spot.

Key 2014 Additions: D Stu Bickel, D Justin Falk, C Jordan Schroeder, C Brett Sutter, LW Thomas Vanek

Key 2014 Subtractions: LW Matt Moulson, D Clayton Stoner, C Cody McCormick, RW Dany Heatley

This Is Now: 

One of many things that work in the Wild’s favour this year is their depth; with additions to the team they are able to move players around.  The Wild have an abundance of power forwards, where they have an oppourtunity to pair different players together to see who has chemistry.

Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu and Jason Pominville are productive veterans that drive the Wild attack.

The chemistry between Parise and Pominville is evident last season the tandem generated 116 points in 149 games of the regular season. Pominville lead the team with 30 goals and 30 assists in 82 games, while Parise was a close second with 29 goals and 27 assists in 67 games. 

Thomas Vanek is an incoming veteran scorer and the Wild have young forwards Mikael Granlund, Charlie Coyle and Nino Niederreiter taking on more prominent roles.

Granlund, in particular, has room for further improvement since he was limited to 63 games due to injuries. When he returned to the ice during the playoffs he was there for all 13 games adding 4 goals and 3 assists for his first NHL playoff appearance.

DEPTH CHART

Forwards

Craig's List

TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button's Top Prospect:  Mathew Dumba

TSN Scout Craig Button on Mathew Dumba:

Mathew can leave a mark, literally and figuratively, on the game. With a proclivity to step up and make bone jarring hits, opponents will have to be aware when he’s on the ice. With a booming shot, a real jump in his skating and the desire to make a difference on the scoreboard, teams will have to pay attention to him. The trying to do ‘too much’ label became a thing of the past when he was traded and played for current Pittsburgh Penguins’ coach Mike Johnston in Portland of the WHL last season. Mathew became at ease and wasn’t forcing plays and subsequently his contributions became more significant and his impact greater. Just part of his maturing process and you have to be patient because he has the potential to be a unique and special player.

Fantasy - Cullen's Player to Watch - Mikael Granlund

A diminutive playmaker, Granlund has taken some time to adjust to the North American game, but finished strong last season, scoring 19 points in his last 25 regular-season games, before adding seven points in a dozen playoff games.

With more ice time, Granlund showed that he can be a productive scoring centre in the league, generating more shots on goal and the depth of Minnesota's talent on the wing virtually assures that he will have quality linemates this season.

If Granlund can stay healthy, he's skilled enough for a big jump in production from last season's 41 points. Something in the 55-to-60-point range shouldn't be out of the question.