The Minnesota Wild have been consistent contenders over the past 13 seasons, reaching the Stanley Cup Playoffs in all but two of them (2019 and 2024). Their eight appearances in the past decade are tied with the Colorado Avalanche for the most in the Western Conference during that span.
Yet despite consistently reaching the post-season, they havenâ€t exactly been “serious contenders,†as general manager Bill Guerin himself put it in October of last year. The Wild haven’t advanced past the first round since doing it in back-to-back seasons in 2014 and ’15.
Most recently, after finishing the 2024-25 regular season with a 45-30-7 record, the Wild faced the Vegas Golden Knights in the opening round of the playoffs. They were eliminated in six games, with the final three contests decided by a single goal and Games 4 and 5 going to overtime.
So, heading into the upcoming season, securing a post-season berth will remain the initial goal, as it always is. But more than just qualifying for the playoffs, the Wild are more motivated and hungrier than ever to chase the breakthrough that has long eluded them and advance deeper into the Stanley Cup hunt.
With the nearly $15 million in dead cap space the Wild were carrying because of the 2021 buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter finally dropping to just $1.67 million for the 2025-26 season, there are also no more excuses left as to why they canâ€t get there. “Without a doubt, this is the best position that this team has been in,†Guerin has said.
However, even before the puck drops on the new season, the Wild have hit a minor snag. Superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov, eligible for a contract extension since July 1, has yet to sign. As is often the case in hockey, speculation is swirling — bringing unwanted attention to and putting pressure on the front office.
Weâ€ll explore that in more detail shortly as we continue our look at each of the NHLâ€s 32 teams over 32 days.
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Is he still considered a newcomer if heâ€s returning? In their most notable move of free agency, the Wild brought back Nico Sturm, signing the 30-year-old forward to a two-year, $4-million deal. Sturm began his pro career in Minnesota as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and played 111 games across four seasons with the organization.
Since leaving Minnesota, the six-foot-three, 209-pound German has suited up for the Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks and Florida Panthers. He returns with two Stanley Cup wins to his name, having hoisted the trophy in 2022 with Colorado and again in June with Florida. With 331 career NHL games under his belt, Sturm has 46 goals and 46 assists for a total of 92 points. Likely to take on a bottom-six role, Sturm shines on the penalty kill and in the faceoff circle — two areas in which the Wild need to improve from last season (when they ranked 30th on the penalty kill at 72.4 per cent and 29th in the faceoff circle at 46.7 per cent).
The 2021-22 season marked Jake Middletonâ€s first as a full-time NHLer, and it also saw him traded from the San Jose Sharks to the Wild. Since then, Middleton has quietly impressed with steady improvement in his defensive game. The six-foot-three, 219-pound defenceman isnâ€t the type to make headlines for his play, but he provides plenty of value behind the scenes.
Middleton, 29, has led the Wild in blocked shots over the past two seasons (161 in 2023-24 and 157 in 2024-25), while delivering a respectable 99 hits last year. Limited to 67 games in 2024-25 due to injuries, he still managed career highs in goals (eight), average ice time (21:52, second-most on the team) and shots (97, third among Wild defencemen), while adding 13 assists (the second-best total of his career). He also suited up in all six of Minnesotaâ€s playoff games, contributing two assists and five shots while once again leading the team with 13 hits and 19 blocked shots.Â
The Wild boast an exciting prospect pool, the result of strong work from their scouting department in recent years. Leading the way is defenceman Zeev Buium, selected 12th overall in the 2024 draft. Ahead of the 2025-26 season, with the 19-year-old likely to land a spot on the Wildâ€s opening-night roster, NHL Network ranked him fourth on its list of the leagueâ€s top 25 prospects, behind only Matthew Schaefer (New York Islanders), Ivan Demidov (Montreal Canadiens) and Michael Misa (San Jose Sharks). Buium, 19, signed his entry-level contract with Minnesota on April 13, just three days after his NCAA season ended, and went on to appear in four of the Wildâ€s playoff games and record an assist.
“There’s a reason why he’s here,†head coach John Hynes said at the time. “He has played some big moments. … Heâ€s a smart player, heâ€s competitive, and heâ€s got some really good elements to his game.†At the University of Denver, Buium was one of college hockeyâ€s most dynamic defencemen, posting 48 points (13 goals and 35 assists) in 41 games as a sophomore in 2024-25 after recording 50 points (11 goals and 39 assists) in 42 games as a freshman.
Three burning questions:
1. How will the Kaprizov contract situation unfold?
Earlier this month, Wild owner Craig Leipold said he felt they were “not that far off†from getting an extension done with franchise cornerstone Kirill Kaprizov. But that optimism was challenged after NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported a week later that Kaprizovâ€s camp had turned down an eight-year, $128-million offer. The deal would have made him the NHLâ€s highest-paid player in both average annual value and total dollars. Since then, Guerin has attempted to steady the waters, telling The Athletic on Wednesday, “We are still having ongoing talks. We love Kirill. We want to keep him here. I have a good relationship with his agent, and we are still in talks. Weâ€re not panicking or anything. This is just part of negotiations. My job as general manager is to protect my players, and I donâ€t want this stuff in the public eye.â€
While Minnesota fans are understandably uneasy with no deal in place — wondering whether heâ€s eyeing a shorter term or questioning his desire to stay — there is still plenty of time for the three-time 40-goal scorer to sign on the dotted line. However, the hope is that negotiations donâ€t drag on and become a distraction during the season.
2. Could a Tarasenko resurgence be on the horizon?
Minnesotaâ€s acquisition of Vladimir Tarasenko from the Detroit Red Wings in June was viewed as a low-risk, high-upside move. The cost was only future considerations, and the veteran winger has one year left on his two-year, $9.5-million contract. “There’s a lot (of reasons heâ€s a fit),†Guerin said at the time. “I think he’s a player that is in need of a fresh start. … We’re at a place that Vladdy can come and hopefully get back to the form that he’s had in past years.â€
Tarasenko, 33, has 662 points (304 goals and 358 assists) over 831 career NHL games, but is no longer the offensive force or chance creator he once was. He is coming off a down season in Detroit, where he tallied 11 goals and 33 points in 80 games. But for a Wild team that finished 25th in the NHL in scoring at 2.74 goals per game, any resurgence would be a welcome boost. Beyond the potential production, he also brings championship experience as a two-time Stanley Cup winner (2019 with the Blues and 2024 with the Panthers).
3. Can they avoid another bad case of the injury bug?
Injuries are inevitable in the NHL, but the Wild were hit particularly hard in 2024-25, with a significant portion of the roster missing extended time. Kaprizov required lower-body surgery and played only half the season, while Mats Zuccarello also underwent lower-body surgery and was limited to 69 games. Marcus Johansson missed 10 games due to a concussion, and captain Jared Spurgeon appeared in just 66 games due to various injuries. Joel Eriksson Ek battled through an injury-plagued season as well, playing only 46 games before undergoing core muscle surgery this off-season. Luckily, heâ€s expected to be ready for the start of the new campaign.
Jonas Brodin, meanwhile, was held to 50 games and also had off-season surgery for an upper-body issue that could see him miss the start of the new season, and Middleton played 67 games while dealing with injuries of his own. David Jiricek, one of the Wildâ€s top prospects, suffered a lacerated spleen with AHL Iowa in March, ending his season prematurely. So, considering what they went through and still managed a solid campaign, avoiding that level of injury trouble again could give the Wild a significant edge in their pursuit of success in 2025-26.
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