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y Ross Palmer The Minnesota Wild lead the league in points for a brief period in the first half of last season, due to a good combination of grit and skill throughout their line-up. They had 11 wins last November, a franchise record, only to be knocked off the top of the league due to injuries. Their talent pool only strengthened this summer as the Wild made the biggest splashes this offseason, signing Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. GM Chuck Fletcher has done a great job in procuring young talent, which was a large part of why Parise and Suter chose Minnesota as their new club. They also added more grit by signing Zenon Konopka, whose toughness will surely make him a fan favourite among their followers. The Wild are close to the salary cap, with just 1.35 million in cap space and 23 players signed to their roster, but there are too positives in the organization to be worried about their cap situation just yet. Leadership: the signings of Parise and Suter have huge implications to the club, and perhaps the most important aspect is the leadership they bring to the ice and locker room. Parise is the former Devils’ captain and alternative captain, while Suter is a former Alternative captain of the Predators. With a lot of young and impressionable talent in the franchise, to have these two players locked up long term will have a great flow downstream throughout the organization. They join Mikko Kiovu (C), Dany Heatley (A), and Matt Cullen (A), to boast one of the strongest, if not the strongest leadership cores in the entire league. Coach Mike Yeo should be a very happy man. Youth: Mikael Granlund – Center, shoots left, HIFK Finnish SM-liiga, 20 years old, drafted 9th overall by the Wild in 2010. Touted as the best player outside of the NHL by some, he should step into the 2nd line center role when he hits the NHL ice. With a strong top six around him, look for Granlund to challenge for the rookie lead in scoring, as well as the Calder trophy. Here’s hoping to Setoguchi and Bouchard to have strong seasons, should the Wild decide to roll with the top line of Parise, Kiovu, and Heatley. Charlie Coyle – Center/Right Wing, shoots right, Saint John Sea Dogs QMJHL Boston University, 20 years old, deafted 28th overall in 2010 by San Jose, acquired in Brett Burns-Devin Setoguchi trade. Expect him to be the first call up when a forward gets injured. QMJHL teammate of Zach Phillips. They both have the benefit of being part of a stacked junior team to joining what is appearing to be a very competitive NHL club. Coyle spent a lot of time playing alongside Huberdeau and some even Phillips in junior, as their lines were tweaked a lot. Some say his talent level is just behind Huberdeau’s. Jared Spurgeon – Defense, Minnesota Wild, shoots right, 22 years old, drafted 156th overall by the Islanders in 2008 and went unsigned only to be invited to the Wild’s training camp in 2010, was then signed to a 3 year entry level contract. Will be the second half of Ryan Suter’s defensive pairing this upcoming season. 3 goals and 20 assists in 70 games last season. Expect these numbers to improve as he is paired with Suter. 63
Matt Hackett – Goalie, Houston Aeros, AHL, 22 years old, drafted 77th overall in the 3rd round in 2009. After a stint in Minnesota last season, he looks to be destined for the NHL in due time. Zack Phillips – Center shoots right Saint John Seadogs, QMJHL. Drafted 28th overall in 2011, in a pick acquired from the San Jose Sharks in the Brett Burns-Devin Setoguchi trade. Junior teammate of Charlie Coyle. They both have the benefit of being part of a stacked junior team to joining what is appearing to be a very competitive NHL club. Matthew Dumba – Defense shoots right Red Deer Rebels, WHL. Big hitter will be a fan favourite when he eventually makes the jump to the NHL. Jason Zucker (right) – Left Wing, University of Denver, shoots left, 20 years old, 2 assists in 6 games last season for the Wild. Upcoming Free Agency Pierre Marc Bouchard and Matt Cullen are UFAs after this season, while Cal Clutterbuck is a RFA after this season. Jared Spurgeon, Marco Scandella and Justin Falk are RFAs after this season. Niklas Backstrom is an UFA after this season. Here’s Hoping: • Niklas Backstrom stays healthy. • Josh Harding stays healthy. • Dany Heatley gets 80 points and there is an influx of interview parodies on Youtube. • The slick PM Bouchard stays healthy. If not, Coyle should be the call-up to the big club. • Spurgeon gets 40 points. • Harding and Hackett display their talent allowing Backstrom to be traded before he goes UFA. • They acquire the missing piece needed for an extended playoff run. • Konopka and Cluttebuck become known as the Terrible Two as they keep the competition in check (ba-dum che). Editor’s note : Ross’ computer crashed midway through the article. Though, maybe his computer crashing coincided with the posting of our beloved forum’s 1,000,000 th entry. 64
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