The Minnesota Wild fanbase knew who they were facing in the playoffs for quite some time. Even with their strong start to the season, the Colorado Avalanche were so far ahead of them, that a first-round matchup against the Dallas Stars was a virtual lock. The Wild vs. Stars series was the most anticipated of the playoffs since either of them could feasibly make it to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Wild got off to a tremendous start on Saturday, as they soundly defeated the Stars 6-1 behind three-point performances by Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Mats Zuccarello, and Joel Ericksson Ek, and an incredible 27-save showing by goalie Jesper Wallstedt. They are just three wins away from advancing to the second-round.
These Stanley Cup playoffs might be the most wide open it's ever been. So there are going to be a variety of different opinions on who will be the last team standing. That includes former NHL players.
T.J. Oshie recently spoke with FanSided's Steph Driver before the start of the playoffs. During the interview, Oshie gave his prediction that the Wild will win the Stanley Cup. Oshie and Great Clips want to send fans to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. "It was the most fun hockey I have ever played," he said about his time in the playoffs. Now through May 10, fans can enter the Great Clips Power Play Sweepstakes on the Great Clips app. One lucky fan and four friends will win tickets and a trip to a 2026 Stanley Cup Final game as well as gift cards for free haircuts. Additionally, everyone who enters the sweepstakes will also score a $2 off coupon for a future haircut at their local Great Clips salon.
T.J. Oshie predicts Wild will win 2026 Stanley Cup
"I think if Minnesota can beat Dallas and can beat Colorado, I think they'll have the confidence that no one else will be able to stop them, personally," said Oshie. "I think picking up Nick Foligno and [Michael] McCarron is really big for them. Now they have a big physical line that could also put the puck in the net. So you almost cover up for the fact that Quinn Hughes isn't a super physical guy and he plays like 30 minutes a night and with the puck on his stick a little bit, so you need a little bit more juice, a little bit momentum on the physical side. And they'e got some good goaltending this year.
"So I think it's going to be someone that hasn't won, personally, or that hasn't won in a while, and I kind of hope it is. You like seeing a new team get in there and a new fanbase be able to have their parades and enjoy the cup for a summer."
The Wild, much like the Stars and Avalanche, are going to have the toughest paths to the playoffs. Given the current playoff format, which fans and even general manager Bill Guerin aren't too fond of, will have to compete against their division rivals in the first two rounds. Given how dominant Colorado, Dallas, and Minnesota have been this year, it's not an easy task. But whoever does make it out of that side of the bracket before the Western Conference Finals should definitely have all of the confidence to make a run.
As Oshie brought up, the Wild did bring in more physical players at the trade deadline in Nick Foligno, who was the captain of the Chicago Blackhawks, and Michael McCarron of the Nashville Predators at the trade deadline. These were moves made after the Wild were unable to pry Vincent Trocheck away from the New York Rangers. So they brought in McCarron and Nick Foligno to put on the same line as Marcus Foligno, creating a physical trio. That was evident in Game 1 against the Stars, as they accounted for 13 hits total.
Then there's the goaltending situation. Wallstedt shined early in the year, but reports indicated they were open to dealing him for a big-name player, considering they have Filip Gustavsson under contract for the foreseeable future. But after a rough April by Gustavsson (4.05 goals allowed average and .837 save percentage) was enough for head coach John Hynes to name Wallstedt the goalie for Game 1. In four starts in April, Wallstedt had a 1.77 goals allowed average and a .942 save percentage to his credit. The decision paid off as Wallstedt stopped 27 of 28 shots faced, and is now in line to start in Game 2 on Monday night.
Let's not forget that the Wild have a ton of scoring potential with Kaprizov, Boldy, and Hughes. This is a team that is hellbent on bringing them their first Stanley Cup. Wild fans are believers in the team, and they have another believer in Oshie, a former Stanley Cup champion.
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