NHL Playoffs 2021: 3 reasons the Minnesota Wild will win the Stanley Cup

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - APRIL 19: Kirill Kaprizov #97 of the Minnesota Wild celebrates with Jared Spurgeon #46 and Kevin Fiala #22 after scoring against the Arizona Coyotes during the first period of the NHL game at Gila River Arena on April 19, 2021 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

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After years of playoff underachievement, here’s why the Minnesota Wild will win the Stanley Cup this year.

After rumors they would sign one or other, the Minnesota Wild signed Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to matching 13-year, $98 million contracts on July 4, 2012. It seemed to be, even for local sports fans hardened to expect playoff failures, when, not if, a Stanley Cup parade would be coming to downtown St. Paul.

In the first eight seasons with Parise and Suter in the fold, the Wild have won two playoff series. Over their last four trips to the postseason, counting last year’s qualifying round in the abbreviated season, they have a 5-15 record.

Dean Evason is in his first full season as head coach this year, after taking for the fired Bruce Boudreau last season. The Wild clinched a playoff berth in late April, so it’s just a matter of where their seed will be and who they’ll match up with in the first round. They have won five of seven games against the Vegas Golden Knights this year (5-1-1 record), so that’s probably the first-round matchup they’d like.

The Wild look vastly different this season, for all the right reasons. Here are three reasons they will win the Stanley Cup.

3 reasons the Minnesota Wild will win the Stanley Cup

3. It’s a meritocracy now

Under previous coaches, players like Parise, Suter and Mikko Koivu were given heavy ice time whether their play always backed it up or not. This season Parise is playing less than he ever has (about 14 minutes per game), and he’s not on a top forward line anymore. Suter is still playing more than 22 minutes per game, but he’s on the plus side of plus/minus for the first time since 2016-17 and he’s no longer locked in on the top defensive pairing. Less has been more for the Wild’s two most expensive veterans.

The clearest evidence of the change in culture for the Wild was Parise’s benching after a rogue shift back in March. His contract status and name did not matter, as he was made a healthy scratch the next game for the first time in his Wild career. That move by Evason set the clear tone that no one is above accountability for mistakes, glaring or otherwise, and the best players will play.

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