The Minnesota Wild are going into this season with some star power, but somehow Matt Boldy is flying under the radar. The 25-year-old enjoyed a career year with 42 goals and 85 points over 76 games last year and could be in for an even bigger leap this season. But with Quinn Hughes and Kirill Kaprizov, Boldy’s still an afterthought, coming in at +30000 in odds to win the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Those odds feel about right as Boldy is a great player on the verge of becoming an elite one. But it could also make him the ultimate dark horse in the Hart Trophy race if everything comes up right for him this season.
Matt Boldy could take an even bigger leap for the Wild this season
On a team that has been considered flyover country for most of its existence, Boldy has been the Wild’s best kept secret. The 12th overall pick in the 2019 draft, Boldy has gotten better every year since debuting as a 20-year-old during the 2021-22 season and has seen his point total grow in each of the past five years. General manager Bill Guerin also predicted that Boldy could become a 50/50 player at some point in his career and there’s a good chance it could happen thanks to his continued improvement.
Boldy’s biggest issue was consistency during his career, but he’s solved that after recording a point in 49 of the Wild’s 82 games last season. He also has improved his playmaking ability as well as his defense, which helped him net four shorthanded goals last season. But for all the ways Boldy improved his game last season, the biggest gain may have been his notoriety off the ice.
Boldy had some momentum going into the 2024-25 campaign, being invited to the NHL’s North American Player Media Tour for the first time and coming off an invite to the United States team for the 4 Nations Face-Off. But he hit an extra gear last season, scoring a goal for the U.S. during its gold medal win over Canada during the Milano Cortina Olympics and further cemented his status with six goals and nine points in six games during Minnesota’s first-round playoff victory over the Dallas Stars.
Like many of his teammates, Boldy had a rough second round series against the Colorado Avalanche, scoring an empty net goal and logging four points over five games. But in his mid-20s, Boldy still has room to grow and may be one of the surest things on a Wild team that has plenty of questions coming into this season.
Matt Boldy’s Hart Trophy bid is still a long shot, but another break out may not be
The Wild are trying to figure out their lineup this season, but Boldy may have the fewest questions with his spot on Minnesota’s second line. With Joel Eriksson Ek still at center, establishing chemistry with Blake Coleman could be the fastest way to get going and that process has already gotten off to a good start as The Athletic’s Joe Smith noted that line “is going to be a pain to play against.”
“He’s hardworking,” Boldy said of Coleman. “He’s going to win battles. You know exactly what he’s going to do. If that’s our foundation, that’s our standard, then the skill will come and we’ll make plays and score. That’s the biggest thing with us: We know if we work hard and win battles, good things will happen.”
While he’s also on the second line, there’s also a chance he could be bumped up to the top line to play with Kaprizov at some points during the season. While Boldy isn’t on the same level as former Hart Trophy winner Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers, Draisaitl occasionally spent time with Connor McDavid on the top line, averaging 14:37 of time on ice per game over the past three seasons according to Natural Stat Trick.
Wild head coach John Hynes has also opened the door for Boldy to play with Kaprizov, which could lead to increased opportunities both at even strength and on the power play.
“There are certainly going to be times in games [when] that will happen, depending on how things shake out a little bit,” Hynes said via The Athletic’s Michael Russo. “Obviously, it’s probably good for matching and things like that…but both [can] make other players better. So is it going to happen this year? Yes. I can tell you yes now – they are going to be on the ice together. …But ideally I wouldn’t like to have them together on a full line.”
Even if Boldy does reach the 50/50 mark playing with Hughes and Kaprizov, it’s likely the other two will get the votes as they are stars that drive winning. But putting up big numbers along with the play he displayed last year will only have his star burn brighter and capture the attention of voters across the NHL.
It also would help if the Wild lived up to their preseason expectations as a Stanley Cup contender. The more Minnesota wins, the more exposure Boldy and the rest of the Wild will get, perhaps raising the antennas of fans who have looked over them in the past.
Boldy shouldn’t be considered a favorite to win the Hart Trophy this year. But if he plays like he has, there’s a good chance he could get some votes and perhaps throw his hat into the ring while taking his next step toward stardom.
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