Let’s Go! Minnesota Wild Carry Heavy but Realistic Playoff Expectations

3. Jared Spurgeon

The captain has been solid this entire year, while he has been on the ice. Spurgeon is a true No. 1 defensemen and the team will need his clever method of exiting the zone, ability to shut down the opposition’s top line, and his speed joining in the rush if they hope to go anywhere in the playoffs. Understandably, fans were upset when I suggested moving on from Spurgeon in the offseason (yes I wrote that, think long term salary) and his stock will NEVER be higher than it is now.

For now, the team will need everything great about Spurgeon that earned his team-friendly contract. If not for injuries this year he most likely would have put up career best offensive numbers (In 2018 he scored 14-29-43 in 82 games). He currently has gone 7-29-36. Not too shabby.

He is a true difference maker and if you look at his analytics (sorry, reading analytics is boring stuff) there is not much of an argument to be made that the team will need him at his very best if they want to win it all. Spurgeon wears the ‘C’ and the team will look to their captain to lead the way.

(No, I do not hate Jared Spurgeon, quite the opposite).