With training camp a couple weeks away, the Minnesota Wild have some holes to fill in their starting lineup. Mats Zuccarello, Vladimir Tarasenko and Marcus Johansson all departed in free agency and that trio also takes 150 points of production from last year’s lineup.
For a team with its eyes on the Stanley Cup, losing that much from a year ago isn’t an ideal development. But there could be a silver lining. Looking at the players that left, there’s a good argument that it was time to move on and it may be the perfect reason why the Wild opted to take gambles on the trio of Blake Coleman, Bobby Brink and Maxim Shabanov.
Wild had a strong case for three veterans to move on this offseason
Looking at what the Wild lost, letting three of their top point producers walk is a bold move. Zucarello had elite chemistry with Kirill Kaprizov on the top line and it helped him score 15 goals and record 54 points in 59 games. Marcus Johansson went from a minimum-salary gamble to a top-six forward, netting 15 goals and recording 49 points in 75 games. Tarasenko also was a lottery ticket that paid out, scoring 23 goals and recording 47 points in a middle six role.
Mix in the fact that these are veterans that John Hynes trusted and replacing them feels like a tall task. But when you look at the entire situation, the Wild may have been justified to move on.
While Zuccarello is the steadiest producer of the group, logging 50 or more points in each of the past five seasons, he also carries some risk. After turning 39 this month, Zuccarello is fighting off Father Time and has missed 10 or more games in five of the past six seasons. Even if the price was right – one year, $1 million with a $5 million bonus if he plays in 10 games – it was better off to let the Los Angeles Kings take that gamble and get younger at the position and it also could eliminate the “East-West” tendencies of Minnesota’s offense that is better when it plays downhill.
Johansson also was a master of inconsistency during his time in Minnesota. While he played for the veteran minimum last season, there was a reason why he was cheap after netting 11 goals and 34 points for the Wild during the 2024-25 season. Johansson’s tendency to turn it on when something is on the line was also a defining characteristic of his tenure with the Wild and with a spot on the Swedish Olympic roster at stake, Johansson scored 12 goals and posted 32 points in his first 38 games before scoring three goals with 17 points over his final 37 games.
Tarasenko carried the same vibes. Acquired for future considerations from the Detroit Red Wings, Tarasenko put up solid numbers in his middle six role. But it came with mind-numbing stretches of play including two goals and 10 points in his first 22 games. Tarasenko headed up with 20 goals and 34 points over his final 49 games, but the Wild weren’t sold enough to bring him back and neither were the other 31 teams in the NHL as he remains a free agent.
The Wild’s top-six gambles could have a massive pay off next season
All things considered letting go of Zuccarello, Johansson and Tarasenko feel like good moves in a individually. But they look worse when you look at their total production. Taking 150 points out of any contender’s lineup doesn’t seem like a good idea, but the Wild may have found suitable replacements.
Coleman may be the most stable of the group and feels destined to replace Johansson on the second line. A two-time Stanley Cup champion that the Dallas Stars showed interest in this offseason, Coleman brings leadership to the locker room but he also brings durability and consistency, recording over 30 points in each of the past eight seasons while playing 80 or more games in three of the past five years.
Brink is more of a gamble as a middle-six player, but he’s improved in each of his first three seasons including 12 goals and 41 points with the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2024-25 season. Expecting Brink to be a top-line winger is a high bar, but he could also replace Tarasenko in the middle six if he’s consistent.
If you’re looking for upside, Shabanov may be the best bet of the group. While he wasn’t inspiring with the New York Islanders last year (five goals, 18 points in 44 games), was a point producer during his time with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL, scoring 23 goals and recording 67 points during the 2024-25 season.
None of these gambles are guaranteed to pay off. But with the exception of Coleman, it adds the youth and upside that last year’s lineup was missing. Even if it’s a downgrade in skill, all three should benefit from playing with a better supporting cast as Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy could help each player’s production, bridging the 150-point gap that currently looks like the Grand Canyon.
Replacing that production seems like a tall order. But with two players with upside and another serving as a stable veteran, the gap also explains why the Wild would shake things up going into next season.
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