WildHBcommunity:Minnesota Wild 2014 Good, Bad, and Ugly
I have to admit that the Minnesota Wild have exceeded my expectations early, mid, and even late season expectations with their clinching of the top wild card spot in the Western Conference Stanley Cup playoffs. I have always believed this year that the current roster for the Wild is their most talented in franchise history but I also viewed this team as having flaws that would cause them to disappoint.
The Good
The organizational depth created by Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher since his arrival in 2009 is truly what kept this season alive. At different points of the 2013-14 NHL regular season the Wild featured arguably the hottest goaltender in the league while starter four different netminders due to injuries. Specifically Josh Harding was the best goaltender in the NHL during the first 2 months of the season leading the Wild to a franchise best first two months.
The emergence of rookie netminder Darcy Kuemper this season could not have been timed any better with Harding out of the lineup and Niklas Backstrom failing to make much of an impact and then requiring a season ending surgery. Coincidentally Kuemper burst on to the scene after a near fatal predictable though December collapse by the Wild which had nearly eliminated entirely the tremendous start to the season.
With very little information about the present or future availability of either Harding or Backstrom, the Wild rallied around the 23 year-old Kuemper. Besides missing both of their veteran netminders at that time this team was without their captain Mikko Koivu, assistant captain Zach Parise, and in my opinion the best overall defender this season Jared Spurgeon for nearly all of January and into the Olympic Freeze.
Significant contributions from each of the young forwards(Mikael Granlund, Charlie Coyle, Nino Niederreiter, and Justin Fontaine) carried this team. Featuring their most skilled and promising group of prospects in franchise history, the Wild saw significant progress and production from each. The fact that former Gopher Erik Haula a 7th round pick in 2009 has forced his way into the lineup despite so many other young forwards is just a testament to how deep this roster is finally.
The Wild’s defensive corps when this team has played their best hockey whether it be the last 6 games, the month of January, or the first two months of the season has developed a chemistry and system that has made them tough to play against. I have to give credit where it is due on slight of stature huge of talent Spurgeon who has taken a giant leap forward with his play specifically in the defensive zone. Spurgeon has earned the right to play top pairing minutes with Ryan Suter something I would have never thought possible.
The bottom of the roster defenders Clayton Stoner and Nate Prosser out performed anyone’s expectation and that is a credit to the people that believed in them as legitimate NHL defenders. I think both Fletcher and Yeo had faith in those two and it was definitely reward when either was elevated or depended on during crucial stretches for this team during the regular season. Both of these guys had some pretty significant signature moments and won over their critics this season doing whatever it took to get the job done.
Last but certainly not least is the acquisition of the man, the myth, the legend veteran Russian netminder Ilya Bryzgalov at the trade deadline from Edmonton for a 4th round draft pick in 2014. At a time when rumors were swirling that Fletcher was going to go all in to bring the likes of Ryan Miller, Jaroslav Halak, or even Marty Brodeur to Minnesota for the playoff push the news that Bryzgalov was on his way created a mix reaction of hate and mockery from fans all over social media. I immediately loved the move not because I could foresee Bryzgalov earning points in every one of his starts here in Minnesota but instead because it was a low risk way to give Kuemper a vote of confidence while adding a veteran that Fletcher had in his previous stop in Anaheim.
Bryzgalov beyond his performance between the pipes also adds a dynamic personality to this bland bunch. When the current player leadership (Koivu, parise, and Suter) were mad enough to pull their teammates in for individual meetings, they included veteran Bryzgalov in the leadership council. The players only intervention in the desert has created the momentum to close out the regular season strong for the Wild which is truly inspiring and impressive.
I think nobody is rooting for the St. Louis Blues as the first round playoff matchup for the Wild but I honestly believe that this current group has a chance to beat just about any team in the Western Conference if they continue to play as they have in the past 6 games. The Anaheim Ducks are the matchup most people are rooting for and it seems very likely that will be the case. Buckle Up.
The Bad
I have written about it many times in the past two seasons so I will be brief here but Dany Heatley is no longer capable of contributing anything of substance and his presence in the lineup has caused more harm than help. Heatley is on the books for $7 Million dollars this season against the salary cap and that has to have played a major role in the avoidance by Yeo to remove him from the lineup at different points this season and last year as well. I think Heatley was an important acquisition in general for Fletcher and the Wild if you evaluate the totality of his impact but Heatley’s on ice performance and production have not justified his role, ice time, and status for the Wild the past two seasons.
Adding bottom of the roster players to compensate for the lack of size and toughness in general throughout the Wild’s roster has hamstrung the team last year and this year. Players like Zenon Konopka, Mike Rupp, Torrey Mitchell, Darroll Powe, and Cody McCormick have all found their way on the roster here in MN without much ability to contribute to the actual game of hockey while limiting the ice time and opportunity for younger players in the lineup.
Beyond the forwards the Wild has held onto bottom pairing defensemen for about the same reason like Justin Falk and Keith Ballard when the team would be better served with players that could contribute like Jonathan Blum and Marco Scandella. It seems Fletcher and Yeo could have done better to address performance issues before it bogged down the team but that is hard to pinpoint completely who is most responsible.
The contract of veteran netminder Niklas Backstrom looks especially bad now that he looked every bit of his 36 years of age this season and had his season end in injury. Backtrom is on the books for two more seasons and signed his deal after the new CBA was agreed to so he is ineligible for a compliance buyout. Also because of Backstrom’s age his contract will count against the team’s salary cap no matter if he retires or accepts some sort of regular buyout. Fletcher signing the 36 year old to a 3 year deal at $3.5Mil per year looks completely like a panic move now and I am not sure how it gets any better from here.
Kyle Brodziak has become the lightning rod for Wild fans because of his putrid offensive zone play despite so many premium opportunities. Brodziak is a player that offers some positive attributes to the Wild so it is not as if he doesn’t contribute to the team but when his defensive stopper role is less than stellar his offensive limitations become magnified to the point of fan base outrage. Brodziak will be in the final year of a 3 year deal next year and could very well be bounced this offseason. I truly hope Brodziak is able to elevate his play in the playoffs because he is a heart and soul type of guy for this roster. Brodziak just needs to have confidence in his abilities and get out of his own head.
The Ugly
I can’t explain how much I respect and admire Josh Harding. I think it is absolutely heart breaking that anyone can have their life’s work ripped from them as is the case with Harding. The ugly part of Harding’s battle with Multiple Sclerosis he hides from the world instead putting on a brave face and inspiring us all with his courage and perseverance. Harding has proven that he is capable of much more than the world may ever realize.
To lose the opportunity to complete the most successful season of his NHL career due to complications of Multiple Sclerosis is just about the ugliest thing that could have happened. Harding even before his diagnosis stated that his purpose and goal for re-signing with the Wild was to fulfill his dream of becoming the team’s #1 netminder. Harding almost certainly left money on the table to return to Minnesota and to have his future in doubt despite being the best goalie in the NHL is just unbelievable. We may have seen the last of Harding between the pipes for the Wild which is a damn shame.
I hate to stir this back up because I truly enjoy all of the positivity and momentum that surrounds our favorite squad but if the Wild does get ousted in particularly convincing fashion, I will have a ton of anxiety about what is next for head coach Mike Yeo. I think at best his positives and negatives as the Wild’s bench boss even each other out. I think that Yeo’s future with the team was in serious jeopardy previous to this current 6 game miraculous run in which his team earned their playoff life. Yeo is certainly a polarizing figure when this team struggles and he fades into the background completely when they are going well.
I am hoping that this team makes a deep run and Yeo keeps his job but if this team gets ran out of the rink by either Anaheim or St. Louis in the first round I think it should be time to move. I hate not trusting Fletcher and Leipold to be decisive in bringing in a veteran bench boss should the Wild have another first round letdown this year but as a Minnesota sports fan I have come to expect it.
Final Thought
No matter the final results this season, the brand of Minnesota Wild hockey has been rejuvenated. When this team can out duel every team in the league to sign a college free agent like UMass-Lowell defensemen Christian Folin it means something. To think that this organization matters again on the national level and looks poised to compete in a loaded Central Division it matters. When the Iowa Wild will feature a loaded lineup of top prospects the organization can take it’s time in developing it matters. This team may be destined for an early exit in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs but it is built to compete for the next 5-10 years.
Just My Take, Tony Dean Follow Me on Twitter @TonyDeanTHW Also Like the WildHBcommunity of FaceBook here: WildHBCommunity on FaceBook