Minnesota Wild: Weekly Roundtable, Bold Predictions for the Season

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 20: (L-R) Ryan Carter #18, Mike Reilly #4, Nate Prosser #39 and Matt Dumba #24 of the Minnesota Wild stand in position at an auxiliary rink during practice for the 2016 Coors Light Stadium Series game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Minnesota Wild at TCF Bank Stadium on February 20, 2016 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 20: (L-R) Ryan Carter #18, Mike Reilly #4, Nate Prosser #39 and Matt Dumba #24 of the Minnesota Wild stand in position at an auxiliary rink during practice for the 2016 Coors Light Stadium Series game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Minnesota Wild at TCF Bank Stadium on February 20, 2016 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – FEBRUARY 21: A detailed view of the jersey of Zach Parise #11 of the Minnesota Wild is seen in the locker room prior to the 2016 Coors Light Stadium Series game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Minnesota Wild at TCF Bank Stadium on February 21, 2016 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images) /

There are a lot of questions for the Minnesota Wild heading into the coming season. We have a look at what we think the answers may be.

Each of us here at Gone Puck Wild have different ideas of what to expect from the Minnesota Wild this season, both as a team and individual players on the team.

Last year, could anyone have predicted Eric Staal’s 42 goals, or Las Vegas as a Stanley Cup Finalist? Could we have thought Taylor Hall would win the Hart Trophy, or the Edmonton Oilers would miss the playoffs?

Last September, those things all would have been considered as bold predictions. Those statements can be heavily scrutinized for being based loosely on fact, but mostly on hunches or gut feelings without determinable evidence to back it up.

As part of our weekly roundtable discussion, we have each had a look at the Minnesota Wild’s coming season and decided on a bold prediction of something we expect to happen for the team this year.

Some may call these predictions bold, some may think we are being unrealistic; we like to think we are being optimistic. Whether it’s a player having a fantastic year, the team finishing higher than most experts are predicting, or simply overcoming past demons.

To count as a “bold prediction” our choices are each something that the hockey world would be extremely surprised if they do happen, but are things which are entirely within the realm of possibility.

So how do we think the season will play out?