5 reasons why Minnesota Wild will win Stanley Cup

4. Defensemen who are ready to step up

The Wild’s Cup chances took a huge hit when they lost Ryan Suter, their most reliable defenseman, for the season. But the rest of their defensemen are no slouch, and they’re ready to step up in Suter’s absence.

Matt Dumba has quietly been one of the more effective defensemen since he came into the league. He’s having a career year this season, playing in all 82 games and putting up 50 points — one shy of Suter’s total. He’s been a good presence on the power play and can kill penalties as well. He’s been thrust into a top pairing role earlier this season when Jared Spurgeon went down, and in Jonas Brodin, he has a very capable defense partner.

Speaking of Spurgeon, he will be back in time for the playoffs. That’ll be a huge boost, because even in a season when he’s missed 21 games, he still put up 37 points and has favorable possession numbers. But while he gets eased back into the lineup, expect Dumba to carry the load.

Expect to see a much more even distribution of minutes along the blue line, and for multiple players to assume Suter’s responsibilities. Losing someone as important as him right before the playoffs is never a good thing, but his teammates will rally behind him and put in a collective effort to ensure that their blue line remains one of the Wild’s greatest strengths.