The Minnesota Wild are about to wrap up a long three weeks of training camp and preseason this weekend. Here’s a few things to look for in the last preseason game on Saturday before the real thing begins October 13th.
1.) The Lineup should look like it will to start the year. In the final tuneup before the team opens the regular season against the St. Louis Blues, the team will most likely play the same lines as they will to open the regular season. Minnesota Wild fans will get to see exactly what the forward lines and defensive pairings will look like to start the season. They will also get to see how those players work and adapt with one another. This is especially important because no line will look the same as it did at the end of last season, how quickly the players gel as a line will be important to the early success of the team.
Related Story: What to Look For in the Preseason
Puck Prose
2.) The fringe roster battles. The fourth line forwards especially have not been settled yet. Players on that line need to take advantage of their opportunities and play well or they will be sent to Iowa. Of particular interest are Joel Eriksson-Ek and Zac Dalpe, both have had strong preseason and training camps. Both could very well find themselves skating with the Wild when the season begins. Another interesting situation to keep an eye is what the team will do with Mike Reilly.
3.) Bruce Boudreau’s Coaching Style. I know the preseason has already given a glimpse of the kind of coach Boudreau is. But it is still something worth watching in the early going, the way he communicates with players will be key with this team. As will be how he bridges what appeared to be a divide between the veteran and younger players on the team. Hopefully he can have more success than previous coach Mike Yeo in this regard and avoid those troublesome January slumps that always seem to plague the Wild.
Next: Latest Roster Cuts About Missed Opprotunity
4.) The results. The Wild play the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday, a team with which they share the division. Winnipeg did not make the post season last year, finishing with 78 points and a last place finish in the Central division. However they are still just a year removed from the franchise’s only postseason appearance, and given this is a divisional game, expect the Jets to be a good test for the Wild. The players to watch for Winnipeg are Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien.