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NHL playoffs 2017: Minnesota Wild preview

By Dave Stevenson

Feb 10, 2017; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild celebrate a goal scored by forward Nino Niederreiter (22) during the second period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 10, 2017; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild celebrate a goal scored by forward Nino Niederreiter (22) during the second period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Minnesota Wild know their window to win a Stanley Cup is shutting. Can they win before it’s closed? 

Teams only get so many chances at winning a Stanley Cup. From the way the Minnesota Wild have conducted themselves over the past year, it’s safe to say they know their window is closing. Zach Parise and Ryan Suter will only remain productive for so much longer. The Wild won’t be able to afford to keep all of their young players thanks to long-term contracts given out to that duo. Knowing this, Minnesota began pushing in all of their chips to win a Stanley Cup in 2017.

It all started when they made Bruce Boudreau their new head coach. Say what you will about his playoff record, no coach is better at getting his team into the playoffs than him. In fact, the 2016-17 season is his first full season as a coach in which his team didn’t win the division. Buying out Tomas Vanek’s contract was the next move. With the cap space, the Wild added Eric Staal to a three-year deal and Chris Stewart to a one-year deal.

Most of their chips were in at this point. However, the rest of them went in at the 2017 NHL trade deadline. Needing to add some offense, the Wild traded for the best available center Martin Hanzal of the Arizona Coyotes. They also acquired his teammate Ryan White. In doing so, they gave up a lot of draft picks but this also made them one of the deepest teams in the Western Conference.

Though the Wild lack the elite stars of the Chicago Blackhawks, they do have an impressively deep lineup. It’s not a secret Minnesota relies heavily on their top three forward lines. Eight of their forwards have at least 40 points. Staal, who has been a great free agent pickup, is the team leader in goals with 28. Mikael Granlund’s transition from center to wing was done to help him have more success on offense. It’s been great for him, as he leads the team with 69 points. Nino Niederreiter (57 points) and Charlie Coyle (56 points) have each set career highs. Jason Zucker is starting to show he can be a reliable forward.

Minnesota’s defense is as good as any in the NHL. Devan Dubnyk should get some Vezina Trophy love, though the Wild make his job relatively easy, so he likely won’t get it. Suter is still one of the best defensive defenseman in the league. Jared Spurgeon has evolved into one of the most impactful defensemen in the NHL. Jonas Brodin and Matt Dumba provide valuable defensive depth, as does Marco Scandella. The Minnesota Wild have everything it takes to be a Stanley Cup contender.

Why they can win

They’ve shown they can sustain an impressive level of play for an extended period of time. This is important because it’s precisely what the Minnesota Wild will have to do to win a Stanley Cup. They own one of the deepest rosters in the Western Conference. Only a late season slump cost them the Central Division title. Possession stats suggest they’re one of the top teams in the league. Corsi has proven to be predictive of Stanley Cup champions and the Wild have one of the best even strength CorsiFor percentages in the NHL. After a late season slump, they appear to be back on the right track.

Why they won’t win

Much like the Washington Capitals, Minnesota is a bit cursed. They haven’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs since the 2002-03 season. The Wild will have to face the St. Louis Blues in the first round, who they haven’t played very well against this season — Minnesota has a 2-2-2-1 record against them. Boudreau has a terrible history in elimination games and so do the Wild. This huge gorilla will be on their back until they cast it aside by having some success in the postseason.

X-factor

Since the beginning of March, the Wild have struggled to score. However, Staal is averaging nearly a point per game with 19 points in 21 games. The trade for Hanzal has made his job a lot easier and has given him more favorable opportunities. Staal’s making the best of them. For the Wild to make an extended Stanley Cup run, he’s going to have to continue to be their number one center. Staal has some experience in the playoffs, winning the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes back in 2006.

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Prediction

The Minnesota Wild have everything needed to be a Stanley Cup contender. However, they’ll have to exorcise their demons to make it to the Western Conference Finals. A second round matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks will tell us if this year’s Wild are different from the same old Wild.