Minnesota Wild: Success Will Come Through Depth

If the Minnesota Wild are to be successful next season it will be because of the scoring depth on the team.  The through free-agency the Wild will be able fill out four strong lines that can score in many situations.

After signing free agents Eric Staal and Chris Stewart, the Minnesota Wild added much needed scoring depth. More importantly, that they were able to add both players without parting ways with one of the team’s young defensemen, which GM Chuck Fletcher said was crucial.

Because they are returning a majority of their roster, the Wild will have 11 players who scored 10 or more goals last season. However, that does not take into account that both Stewart and Marco Scandella missed chunks of time with injury last season, but they are both capable of adding to that depth. If both players return to form, then the Wild are looking at 13 players who can contribute 10 or more goals.

This is important because of the way the Wild are built from the top down. We have all seen that when this team is successful, they get contributions from up and down the lineup. It has also been noted that Head Coach Bruce Boudreau has a track record of success without star players. None of this is by accident, every move made this offseason has been to give the team as many offensive contributors as possible.

Related Story: What Free Agent Signings Add to the Team

The good thing about this strategy is that it has been proven to be successful in the recent past with another NHL club. Think of the scoring depth Pittsburgh displayed last season. Being able to roll the Crosby, Malkin, and Kessel lines and still get offensive production from all three was the key to their Stanley Cup run. A word of caution about this comparison between the two teams is the fact the Wild do not possess offensive players of that caliber.

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However, what they have done is compile (on paper at least) greater depth than even the Penguins showed last year. The team’s projected third line of Jason Zucker, Erik Haula, and Jason Pominville are all capable of putting up at least ten goals. That ignores the fact that both Zucker and Pominville have recent 20 goal seasons under their belt, so it is fair to expect more production from them than the numbers they put up last year. Based on these line projections the Wild have a scorer on every line to include the fourth line with the addition of winger Chris Stewart.

Next: Is There Still a Need to Trade for a Forward?

The success of the Wild will largely depend on their ability to roll four lines that can score. On paper at least, the team has given itself the personnel to do just that.  The season ahead will tell if they will be able to perform.