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Ryan Suter on the decline or just shaking injury rust off?

By Andrew Lennox

NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 15: Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter (20) is shown during the NHL game between the Nashville Predators and the Minnesota Wild, held on October 15, 2018, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 15: Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter (20) is shown during the NHL game between the Nashville Predators and the Minnesota Wild, held on October 15, 2018, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Coming off a career-threatening injury, Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter has, at times, looked sluggish so far this season. Father time may have finally caught up with the 33-year-old native of Madison, Wisconsin.

Head coach, Bruce Boudreau and the Minnesota Wild faithful hope that Ryan Suter will return quickly to the player that we have grown accustomed to watching year after year.

Let’s face it; regardless of the late-season injury last year, Ryan Suter had another work horse-like year. Per hockey-reference.com, he averaged over 26 minutes of ice time a game and tied a career-high of 51 points in 78 regular season games.

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Fast forward to this season, Suter once again is logging a ton of ice time for the Minnesota Wild.

So far, he has been slow getting to loose pucks and at times been out of position during critical situations late in games. In my opinion, his crisp tape-to-tape passing that we have seen every year seems to be off.

In all fairness to Suter, he didn’t get the off-season training that an athlete needs to compete in today’s NHL.

He just started skating two months before training camp began and the majority of his off-season was spent rehabbing from a gruesome right leg injury.

With that being said, Suter is an elder statesman in a league that’s getting younger and faster every year. He is 33 years old and has put a lot of miles on his legs over the years.

With the injury and getting up there in age, maybe it’s time for Boudreau to cut down Suter’s ice time for the Minnesota Wild, at least for the time being.

Collectively, Matt Dumba, Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin already log a ton of ice time. So why not have a young Nick Seeler and Greg Pateryn play a few more minutes a night?

This may help Suter get more rest and hopefully help him regain his all-star form.

There hasn’t been much to be positive on so far this season for the Minnesota Wild.

Next. Five game pace - Wild need to find a higher gear. dark

I do believe, though, regardless of Ryan Suter getting up there in age and coming off a massive injury; we will see him improve throughout the season.

With the Minnesota Wild being in the toughest division in hockey, the Central Division; Suter’s teammates need to step it up until he gets back to being the player he once was.

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