The Minnesota Wild’s Christmas extravaganza came up short this summer. After emerging from the bulk of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter’s contract buyouts, the Wild looked around and realized it was worth overpaying for a player that wouldn’t move the needle and settled on a trade for Vladimir Tarasenko and added Nico Sturm in free agency.
Ultimately, this could be the most effective approach for general manager Bill Guerin. But the pressure is mounting. The Wild haven’t been out of the first round of the playoffs since the 2014-15 season. A large chunk of the returning core has been responsible for three straight 2-1 leads that were choked away in recent playoff series.
These are signs that remaining status quo isn’t good enough to make a run in the Western Conference, and the best way to break the cycle is to create some diamonds.
For those of you who aren’t gemologists, diamonds are formed from carbon atoms that bond under immense pressure and heat deep within the Earth’s mantle. While Grand Casino Arena isn’t likely to reach the 2000-degree temperature required to make this happen, Minnesota’s playoff failures have turned up the heat.
Usually, the general manager would be the first figurehead to feel the heat. But Guerin has survived thanks to Minnesota’s elite farm system.
Wild fans know the names. Zeev Buium made his NHL debut during last year’s playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights. Jesper Wallstedt has been considered the Wild’s goalie of the future. Danila Yurov is making his trek from Russia, and they traded a big enough haul for David Jiricek that would make Jason Pominville blush.
While Minnesota’s farm system was ranked second by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler last February, it has yet to make a significant impact in St. Paul. Guerin and Judd Brackett’s first-round picks, only Marco Rossi has emerged from Iowa to secure a major role. The Wild drafted Matt Boldy only months before hiring Guerin in 2019.
Part of the reason is that the Wild have had a competitive team through most of that time. Guerin likes the team that he’s constructed, and he’s rewarded players with lucrative contract extensions. While Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Foligno, and Ryan Hartman have contributed to Minnesota’s success, their extensions have blocked the path of younger talent, making it more difficult for them to break into the NHL.
Even Rossi had a difficult path to NHL minutes. The ninth-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft rode up and down I-35 until he stuck in the NHL. Although he posted a 60-point season last winter, he was demoted to the fourth line in the playoffs and has been the subject of trade rumors.
Other players have followed Rossi’s path. They acquired Jiricek in a massive trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but he spent most of last season either in Iowa or a press box.
Liam Ohgren was the 19th overall pick of the 2022 draft but was mothballed behind Marcus Johansson. 2023 first-round pick Charlie Stramel is hoping to build off a solid first season at Michigan State, and the Wild are hopeful Buium can make an immediate impact next year after they scratched him in favor of Jon Merrill in the playoffs.
The labor has yet to produce fruits, but it’s not like the Wild haven’t mined impact talent. Boldy overcame a midseason slump to become a franchise-building block for Minnesota last season. Brock Faber has become an elite defenseman after coming over in the Kevin Fiala trade. Even a modest trade, like the 2022 deal for Jacob Middleton, gave Minnesota a top-four player on the blue line, and it’s helped the Wild make the playoffs despite their cap situation.
Still, the Wild need more. Part of this falls on the players who need to take a step forward. Buium could be a key piece in Minnesota’s search for offense after 54 points in 65 collegiate games at Denver. Yurov could also be an intriguing addition if he can make the jump from the KHL and adapt to his move to center. Jiricek and Ohgren could also be breakout candidates, but they’ll need some help to see the ice.
That’s why John Hynes bears a lot of responsibility next year. Hynes knows he needs to win this season and may not have patience with mistakes from young players. But we’ve already seen the ceiling of the current roster. While it may be tempting to throw Johansson out there, it could be at the expense of Ohgren, who could be approaching “go-time” at age 21.
The other players may not inspire a full-fledged youth movement, but could help the Wild get over their playoff drought or become pieces that they could ship for a bigger move at next year’s trade deadline. No matter what they do, Minnesota needs to unearth its talent to relieve some of the pressure it’s facing this season.
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