By far the 2021-22 regular season was the very best ever for the Minnesota Wild. Their 53 wins and 113 points are both franchise bests along with the 310 goals scored.
The Wild have been transformed into a contender under GM Bill Guerin and head coach, Dean Evason. In rather short order. Evason was brought in by former GM, Paul Fenton, and elevated to the head coaching role back in 2020 by Guerin. Guerin initially gave Evason the interim tag, with an out to officially name his own head coach.
Evason changed the complexion of how the Wild approached games during his brief stint wrapping up the Covid shortened 2020 season. Guerin was very astute in giving Evason the latitude to show what he could do and ultimately the decision was made to remove the interim tag. Evason has rewarded his boss with two very impressive seasons while creating a player friendly opportunity for each and every Wild player to earn his ice time through merit, and not by longevity.
Kirill Kaprizov built on his outstanding Calder Trophy winning, rookie season, establishing Wild franchise records in goals (47), assists (61), and points (108). Kaprizov's 108 points placed him fifth in the NHL, giving the Wild their first ever top five scorer. Kirill is every bit a superstar, something the Wild have never had in their history. Apologies to Marian Gaborik who absolutely was the most gifted Wild player prior to Kaprizov's arrival, however Gaborik was handcuffed with the style of play that Jacques Lemaire incorporated back in the early days of the franchise.
Kevin Fiala made possibly the biggest strides of any Wild player, which is saying a ton considering all the guys that established new career highs this season. Fiala started out slow as far as the production was concerned scoring just four goals and adding 14 assists through the first 29 Wild games this season. Fiala also found himself in coach Evason's doghouse a few times as well.
The big difference this season for Fiala has been his ability to learn from the adversity, which has made him an exceptional player and opened up more opportunities for the talented winger. Fiala is now killing penalties in addition to his regular shifts and powerplay time, increasing his minutes and overall effectiveness.
Freddy Gaudreau was a solid free agent signing who has established himself as a very dependable center on the Wild's other top scoring line between Fiala and rookie stalwart, Matt Boldy. Gaudreau has become more productive offensively as the season wore on, but his defensive zone work and attention to detail have been outstanding all season long. Gaudreau's relentless work away from the puck and defensive conscience, gives his linemates the room and ability to create offensively.
Matt Boldy stepped into the lineup mid-season after he had fully recovered from the broken ankle he suffered in the preseason finale. Boldy immediately competed the line with Gaudreau and Fiala giving them the final piece to unlock the Wild's second scoring trio. Boldy's 15 goals and 39 points in 47 games have thrust his name into the Calder discussion and had he been able to play the full season, he very well might have run away with it much as his teammate, Kaprizov, did a year ago.
Mats Zuccarello continued to thrive and build chemistry with Kirill Kaprizov, while Ryan Hartman established himself as the Wild's top center. Hartman started hot out of the gate and never let up the entire season, establishing career highs with 34 goals and 65 points while maintaining his in your face game. Zuccarello continues to be a table setter, but this year he shot the puck more often and the result, his second twenty (24) goal season of his 12 year NHL career.
The GREEF line has been the Wild's identity line the last few seasons since they were pit together as a unit by Evason back in 2020. Joel Eriksson Ek has been progressing each and every year with his overall game, but the offense has taken a giant leap forward each of the last two seasons. JEE is one of the top shut down centers in the league and his name is firmly in the conversation with the very best in the league.
Jordan Greenway has taken his game to a new level with the relentless use of his 6'6", 227 lb frame often eliminating opponents with force. That is something that the Wild coaching staff has been waiting for through each of Greenway's first three full NHL seasons and finally now in year four he seems to have embraced his God given attributes and imposed his will on Wild opponents nightly.
The third member of the GREEF line, Marcus Foligno also produced a career season offensively with 23 goals, 19 assists and 43 points. Foligno also was named one of the Wild's alternate captains prior to the season, and his leadership has been evident throughout his Wild career even without the "A" on his sweater. Foligno knows the pulse of his team, and goes about his game accordingly. He delivers the big hit, or drops the gloves at a key time, and now contributes offensively becoming a catalyst and game changer for the Wild.
The Wild fourth line has been one of the better depth lines in the NHL all season. Brandon Duhaime has been the one mainstay on the fourth line all year and the trade deadline addition of Nic Deslauriers gives the Wild a very fierce fourth line. Combine that speed and physicality with another deadline addition, Tyson Jost, who brings some offensive flare to his game while maintaining a strong defensive mindset. Nick Bjugstad has been a very valuable player with his ability to move up and down the lineup when needed.
The Wild defense has long been the area that most focused on as the strength of the Wild. Gone this year was Ryan Suter, turning over the defense unit leadership to captain Jared Spurgeon, newly appointed alternate captain Matt Dumba, and Jonas Brodin.
Alex Goligoski, Dmitry Kulikov, and Jon Merrill were brought in to compete the Wild's top six. Jordie Benn was signed to be the seventh defenceman, but was forced to play in 39 games due to injuries suffered on the Wild blueline.
Goligoski played well for much of the season but did appear to run out of gas down the stretch. However he did lead the Wild with a plus 41 in 72 games.
Jonas Brodin further established himself as the Wild's and possibly the league's best shutdown defenseman. Brodin's skating ability combined with his positioning he continues to negate the top NHL offensive players without having to be overly physical in the process.
Matt Dumba has often been a lightning rod player with Wild fans. He in the past was far more risky in the defensive zone and often took wayward shots in the offensive zone or worse had his big slappers blocked leading to opportunities the other way. Dumba too, has matured and his play is still high energy, but he is much more controlled with his decisions on the ice.
Cam Talbot had another very good season in the Wild goal, and the addition of Marc-Andre Fleury created the internal competition that he thrives under. Talbot earned the All-Star nod at mid-season, but his number post All-Star game dipped dramatically. Then the calendar turned to March and Talbot only lost once in regulation from that point forward.
The Wild just completed their best regular season, and they are building momentum for the games that really matter to this tight-knit group.