The Minnesota Wild have Stanley Cup aspirations this season, but if they want to get where they want to go, they’ll need some of their gambles to pay off. The Wild lost 150 points from their top six forwards this offseason and if the performances by Bobby Brink, Maxim Shabanov and Danila Yurov in Monday’s preseason game against the Chicago Blackhawks are any indication, Wild fans should be cautiously optimistic about where this team could be headed.
Brink was the star of the show on Monday night, netting a pair of goals and looking like “a gamebreaker” per The Athletic’s Michael Russo. Shabanov also added a goal while playing “fast” and “with grit” and Yurov showed his defensive prowess while also winning 11-of-16 faceoffs.
While the Wild lost the game by a score of 4-3 and it’s a preseason matchup against a Blackhawks team expected to finish toward the bottom of the Central Division, there are some good takeaways. And perhaps it’s a sign that the changes the Wild made will pay off as they inch closer to the Oct. 1 season opener against the Nashville Predators.
The Wild’s young trio must solve their 150-point hole in their lineup
The Wild were a Stanley Cup contender last season but those dreams fell apart in their second playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche. While the Wild took advantage of a banged-up Dallas Stars team in the first round, the Avalanche had more speed and skill while playing an attacking game.
The “East-West” style of play convinced Wild general manager Bill Guerin that changes needed to be made and several veterans were sent packing including Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Johansson and Vladimir Tarasenko. There was a valid argument for letting each player walk, but as Minnesota goes into this season, they need to find a way to replace those players.
Yurov is the most established of the group and could wind up cracking the top-six if he winds up improving his performance in the faceoff circle. Russo noted that of the 120 centers that took at least 500 faceoffs last season, Yurov ranked last at 39.2 percent, which makes Ryan Hartman a more likely candidate to fill the top center role. But with a strong defensive game and the chance for improvement, Yurov could either become an impact player or a stronger trade chip that brings Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin to Minnesota.
Brink is another player for Wild fans to keep an eye on. Acquired for David Jiricek at last year’s trade deadline, Brink only played in 17 games, scored twice and produced five points between the regular season and the playoffs. But he also has speed and a strong defensive game that could also help Minnesota add balance to their bottom six.
The biggest wild card is Shabanov. Shabanov’s first season in the NHL did not go well as he battled injuries and logged just five goals and 18 points in 44 games for the New York Islanders. The Islanders also declined to tender Shabanov at the end of the season, but the Wild like his speed, playmaking ability and intelligence on the ice, which makes him a candidate to fill Zuccarello’s role on the top line.
The Wild’s upside could come from an unlikely trio
The Wild will lean on their star players to provide a baseline for next season. But while Quinn Hughes, Matt Boldy, Kirill Kaprizov and Brock Faber give a steady floor, the trio of Shabanov, Brink and Yurov represents some upside on a team that has leaned heavily on its veterans in recent years.
That trio may not be household names right now, but each player is staring at a massive opportunity in front of them to open the year. If they play like they did on Monday night, they could be key pieces for the Wild in their lineup or even trade pieces that could help Guerin swing a bigger move ahead of this spring’s trade deadline.
Whatever the Wild decide, Brink, Yurov and Shabanov will be critical components of the Wild’s success and the early reviews suggest that they’ll be up to the challenge.
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