MNWild: Ready for a Wild Road Trip?

So many positive storylines right now for this Minnesota Wild team that it begs the question, what will be their undoing? Sure this is far from a complete team and it has struggled against the more highly ranked and thought of opponents it has faced so far this year. I still get the feeling from watching this team play that they are completely bought into Head Coach Mike Yeo and each other. This two game road trip first in Washington and then in Carolina will be a great measuring stick for their progress to this point.

So many of us have been engaging in savagery of Dany Heatley and calling for decisive action from the Wild with regard to his role and playing time. What we don’t have to do is worry about the actual interaction and environment it creates to ask a player/person like Heatley to humble himself and take in stride a very public demotion and reduction of role. No question the Zenon Konopka comments about Heatley were about more than just lip service. When a guy has been a superstar and then is unable to fulfill that role there is definite fallout. I think Konopka’s comments show this team has a strong sense of community behind the scenes.

Mathew Dumba is this with the Wild despite playing in 9 games this season already which is the limit for a player eligible to return to Canadian Juniors and have his contract start pushed into the next season. The Wild currently has only 7 defensemen with the team on this east coast road trip because Keith Ballard stayed behind due to a reoccurrence of the concussion like symptoms that had caused him to miss multiple games already. Nate Prosser will mostly like be in the lineup for both games on the road trip but if Dumba plays in either or both well then we have an answer on his future now. Dumba could still be returned to Red Deer even after playing in more than 9 games but the first year of his contract would be activated and the Wild would most likely keep him in MN at that point barring a complete collapse of his game and confidence.

I am hard pressed to truly able to explain how exciting and impressive Josh Harding’s rise to become the Wild’s top netminder has been so far this season. Harding is quite clearly a very talented hockey player but he is unquestionably a better person. When Harding was forced to disclose his diagnosis last year when his absence was questioned, I think the entire Wild organization was in a state of shock. Harding put on a brave face and carried himself with class to begin the year but a very public very ugly letdown occurred against the Chicago Blackhawks early in the season that resulted in Harding being pulled after two quick goals.

Harding left the team to work to figure out a treatment solution to help manage his MS while also maintain the lifestyle attributed to an NHL goaltender. With it basically being uncharted territory I am comfortable in saying I think it was very reasonable to have doubts Harding could/would ever make it back to even being an every game backup let alone winning the top job as the starter for the Wild. Harding played very important minutes for the Wild at the end of the season last year and in its first round playoff series. Harding’s momentum has been building since then.

I still believe general manager Chuck Fletcher has some work to do clearing out contracts at the bottom of the roster. I just do not see a role for Mike Rupp on this roster and at minimum would like to see him put on waivers and sent to Iowa to be a veteran leader down there with the young players. Because Rupp has been on injured reserve it has allowed the Wild to keep 8 defensemen on the roster which has been very important so far. Also the only 2-way contracts on their roster are Charlie Coyle, Nino Niederreiter, and Mikael Granlund who are all playing very important minutes for the team. Justin Fontaine would require waivers and almost certainly would be claimed. Push is going to come to shove here soon for Fletcher and I believe it will be Rupp who goes.


I am currently in the dirty dirty New Orleans this week so I will not have access to the Wild’s road trip. I will be back middle of next week! Enjoy

Just My Take,
Tony Dean
@AWKD

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