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Minnesota Wild: 3 Bold Predictions for the 2019-2020 season

By Brennen Rupp

ST. PAUL, MN - MARCH 17: Zach Parise #11 of the Minnesota Wild protects the puck from Brock Nelson #29 of the New York Islanders during a game at Xcel Energy Center on March 17, 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota.(Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)
ST. PAUL, MN - MARCH 17: Zach Parise #11 of the Minnesota Wild protects the puck from Brock Nelson #29 of the New York Islanders during a game at Xcel Energy Center on March 17, 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota.(Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The Minnesota Wild have had a turbulent offseason. It’s been an offseason in which Paul Fenton, the previous general manager compared Mats Zuccarello to a lizard. An offseason in which Fenton reportedly put Zach Parise on the trade block. All the craziness reached new heights on July 30th, when the Wild announced they fired Fenton.

On Oct. 3rd, the Wild will open the 2019-2020 campaign in Nashville against the Predators. It’s a season in which many believe will end with the Wild missing the playoffs for a second straight season.

During last week’s press conference both owner, Craig Leipold and new general manager, Bill Guerin voiced their confidence that the Wild could reach the playoffs. That’s where we will start with our “Three Bold Predictions”.

  1. The Wild will shock the hockey world and make the postseason. The Wild will be getting Matt Dumba and Mikko Koivu back from injury. Jason Zucker and Eric Staal are both in store for bounce back seasons. Ryan Donato and Kevin Fiala are candidates to have breakout seasons. Zuccaello will give the Wild a playmaker that they’ve lacked during the Parise and Ryan Suter era. All those ingredients add up to the Wild enjoying a bounce back season and getting back to the playoffs.
  2. Suter will post career-highs in points and assists. Suter will turn 35 in January and will enjoy the best season of his career by posting career-highs in points and assists. Suter will post 55 points and 48 assists to help the Wild reach the postseason.
  3. Parise will exceed 63 points, the highest of his Wild career. This maybe isn’t the boldest of predictions, considering Parise had a 61-point output last season. However, when you hear Parise’s name mentioned, it’s usually about his declining play. His performance last season was impressive. It’s even more impressive when you consider he reportedly played through a  broken foot at the end of the season. He’s probably never going to record 45 goals again, like he did back in 2008-2009, with the New Jersey Devils. However, he is capable of a 33 goal season with 33 assists.
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