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Guerin Era Begins With Wild |
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The Bill Guerin Era officially begins tonight in Nashville. So what should we expect from this Minnesota Wild club in 2019-20?
The word from all of the players is that it is a very different feel around the club as Guerin is very visible and he brings an heir of intensity that drives the players.
His message is clear that he is here to make things happen and get the Wild to a level that we have never seen before. The intensity should be a welcome change to a team and quite frankly an organization that has been mired in mediocrity for far too long.
Most if not all of the predictions have the Wild missing the playoffs and struggling in the ever tough Central Division. The expectations are not great and quite honestly that is a perfect place for the Wild to be.
There are questions around the offense for sure, however that does not mean that they are necessarily true. The additions of Kevin Fiala and Ryan Donato late last season bring solid upside potential. Add Mats Zuccarello and his playmaking ability and the return of the most dynamic offensive player on the roster in Matt Dumba and the Wild offense has reason to believe that they will be significantly better than the team that we witnessed whimpering into the offseason last April.
Jordan Greenway, Luke Kunin, and Joel Eriksson Ek have the opportunity to establish themselves and will be counted on to take the next step in their progression as full time NHL players. All three players bring something different and each has the ability to have a significant impact on how well this team does this season.
Kunin is a natural leader with the heart of a champion. Greenway, with his size and skill will be an absolute handful for Wild opponents to contain. Eriksson Ek has always been responsible in all three zones and late last season he started to show the forechecking beast that he can be, which should translate into more offense from JEE.
Mikko Koivu returns from the torn ACL with a renewed vigor. Entering the final year of his contract Kpivu could very well be playing his final season in the league or at the very least in Minnesota. The captain is the consummate professional and Bruce Boudreau's most reliable forward. Having the captain back is huge, and better yet having him slotted in as a third line center should make him that much more effective.
Defense is the strength of the Wild team and has been for several years. Led by the rock, Ryan Suter the minute munching defender that is counted on in every situation. The return of Matt Dumba cannot be understated as we all saw what happened when he went out of the lineup last season.
It became the tale of two seasons. The one with Matt Dumba in the lineup where the Wild were sitting comfortably in playoff position near the top of the Western Conference standings and then the one that saw the offense sputter and ultimately dry up with #24 on the shelf.
Dumba was on his way to a 30 goal season prior to his unfortunate injury. He too returns with something to prove as well. Combine that with Jared Spurgeon, Boudreau's barometer, as he is referred to by the head coach. Spurgeon is the most underrated defensemen in the NHL in my humble opinion. Spurgeon is so versatile, being counted on to shut down the opponent's top lines while also delivering the outlet passes and his uncanny ability to jump into the offense at just the right time makes Spurg the asset that is irreplaceable.
Jonas Brodin continues to be so steady and reliable in all three zones. Offense is not counted on as much from Brodin however he most certainly can provide that as well. The late season addition of Brad Hunt provided some much needed offense from the backend for the Wild and his play earned him a contract and a roster position.
Nick Seeler and Greg Pateryn formed a very solid third defense pair for the Wild with their physical play and no nonsense approach. Pateryn will miss the first six weeks of the campaign opening up the door for Carson Soucy to get a look. If and when there is an injury on the defense, Louie Belpedio is ready for the call as he was narrowly outplayed by Soucy for the final roster spot.
Devan Dubnyk is once again going to be counted on heavily to carry the load between the pipes. Dubnyk has been a calming force for the Wild since his arrival to the State of Hockey. Alex Stalock has proven to be a very capable backup giving Boudreau the confidence to create a rotation that works for the team as well as the ability to make in game changes that had previously been an issue with the Wild goaltending when he first arrived.
So tonight the marathon begins in Nashville and the Wild will play 13 of the first 18 away from the friendly confines of the XCEL Energy Center. Getting off to a good start is going to make a world of difference once the schedule starts to balance out.
Bold prediction: Wild make the playoffs and finish in the top 3 in the Central Division
Minnesota Wild Blogger • 
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