The Wild were eliminated in 6 games by the Dallas Stars. Right now, it looks like they could be the loser of the playoffs (they lost to the team (Dallas) that lost to the team (St. Louis) that lost to the team (San Jose) that lost to the Stanley Cup Champions (Penguins, if they continue to hold games close)). That’s about where their season was bound to go, having been the team with the fewest points to qualify for the playoffs. Who said the East was weaker?
They need a turn around if they want to win the Cup with their current core. And why wouldn’t they? GM Chuck Fletcher believes that Bruce Boudreau is the coach that can put them over the edge. The question is, can he be the coach to keep the team in the playoffs in the toughest division in hockey, the Central, which has only gotten stronger?
1. Elite Scoring
This team is a team with a ton of depth… and that’s about it. They don’t have elite scorers, and while they had three players (Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu, and Ryan Suter) with 50 points, to advance further in the playoffs, they need more than that. Those are second line numbers when compared with the teams they are likely to face – Chicago, with Kane, Panarin, and Toews, Dallas with Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Jason Spezza, and St. Louis with Tarasenko, Steen, and Stastny.
They need their one guy who will get goals no matter what, who will find the net in key situations and in plenty. They need their own number one wing, and they don’t have it right now. Parise is a great two guy. A number of teams wish they had him to complement their best guy, including St. Louis. But he’s not a best guy.
When Minnesota brought in Thomas Vanek, that’s what they thought he was. They thought they had found their number one wing that would work well with Parise. They were wrong. And now, if they want to win a Cup, they need to find that guy. And they need to do it for cheap, or trade somebody, because…
2. Re-Sign Everybody
The depth that Minnesota has on offense is ALL up for contracts this year. They currently have 8 forwards signed to their roster and 7 million to re-sign at least five more guys. And this comes at a time when one of their best players, Matt Dumba, is also in need of a contract renewal.
Chuck Fletcher has made the classic mistake of not thinking ahead.
Out of everyone that needs to be re-signed – Jordan Schroeder, Jason Zucker, Jarret Stoll, Chris Porter, David Jones, Zac Dalpe, Ryan Carter, Justin Fontaine, and Dumba, I can see 3 as expendable – Porter, Carter, and Stoll. That means the Wild have 7 guys to consider re-signing. And again, 7 million.
Out of this group, the first two guys to be re-signed must be Dumba and Jason Zucker, who finished the top of this free agent class in points in both the regular season and playoffs. Zucker played on the second line in the playoffs while Parise was hurt.
Which means the Wild must trade someone…
3. Thomas Vanek
Vanek has not worked out in Minnesota. He’s 32, past his prime, and making 6.5 million. He scored 40 points. Other players making 6.5< contracts? Justin Faulk, Ryan Johansen, Tyler Seguin, Max Pacioretty. I’m not taking Vanek over any of those players. And they all make less than he does. It’s gotta be a contract that Minnesota figures a way to trade, because his worth to the team is less than any return they can hope to make.
But he’s a guy who scored 40 points, and maybe he does need a place with less expectations. I think Florida would be his ideal fit, because not only do they have the cap space for him, and they should be willing to spend it, as they’re a few good players away from a Cup. With Jagr and Huberdeau as their top wings, Vanek slots into a scoring third line role with the team, playing with McKegg and replacing either Jiri Hudler or Teddy Purcell.
Now if Minnesota keeps him (and is unable to find a trading partner), and they can’t re-sign everyone they want to then it’s time to…
4. Call Up the Kids
Mike Reilly and Joel Eriksson Ek are waiting in the wings. If the Wild can’t re-sign Dumba and one of their depth wings, expect these two to be called up, and to be ready when they are.
As the Wild’s best prospects, Eriksson Ek and Reilly represent two good players who the Wild fought for, in a bidding war for Reilly, and in a heavy draft class for Eriksson-Ek. The Wild should look to get younger, because most of the first free agents to leave are 30+, and the guys they should really focus on bringing back are under 30.
EE and Reilly will also provide exceptional depth at first, and when their elder role models like Ryan Suter and Mikko Koivu are on their last legs (both are currently over 30) these two should step up.
Even if the Wild can’t win with this current core, their future looks fine, as these two should remain tent poles and after a few years of rebuild should be ready to play in the playoffs.
Chuck Fletcher has some decisions to make. While the Wild should be in win now mode, I trust Boudreau to make a team capable of winning something, as long as it doesn’t involve a Game 7.