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Training Camp Eve, Anticipating the 2018-19 Wild |
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The Summer has finally come to an end and the start of Wild training camp begins tomorrow.
Although the offseason did not bring about the sweeping personnel moves that many had anticipated, the new season will have a different look and feel as new GM, Paul Fenton's tenure officially begins.
Positions on and off the ice will need to be earned as the new hierarchy takes hold within the organization. Bruce Boudreau is firmly established as one of the league's best coaches, but was not hired by Fenton.
Does that mean much or anything at all. Possibly not, but time will tell on that front. Boudreau has done nothing to warrant change behind the Wild bench. Two straight 100 point seasons in his two years here, despite the 1st round playoff exits.
In fairness, the Wild teams were not built to succeed in the postseason, thus the move at the top to bring in Fenton in an effort to restructure the pieces to take the Wild from playoff qualifier to Stanley Cup contenders.
That can not be done with a swing of a wand. So expect that at some point Fenton will make some deals, but when he does he will do so from a basis of current curcumstamce and not based solely on past performance.
The great news heading into camp is the Ryam Suter is healthy and ready to go. There is a good chance that he does not play in any preseason games but more as precaution than due to him not being ready.
We all know the work ethic of Suter and more importantly what he means to the team overall and how integral he is in every situation. Having a healthy Suter makes the Wild an infinitely better team than without him in the lineup.
So it all begins anew tomorrow as the 2018-19 Minnesota Wild set out on the road to capturing a seventh straight playoff berth, but with aspirations that extend well beyond April 2019.
Follow me on Twitter @dwallace17
Minnesota Wild Blogger • 
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