Zuccarello's absence could lead to an improved roster spot for Wild rookie

The first day of training camp is a time for optimism. After a long summer of questions and speculation, the Minnesota Wild are finally back on the ice and focused on finding a way to win the Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, the first day of training camp is also when the general manager stands before reporters and explains why some players aren’t participating on Day One at training camp. In the case of the Wild, that player is veteran Mats Zuccarello.

As expected, the topic du jour was Kirill Kaprizov and the never-ending saga of his contract extension, but Bill Guerin also informed the assembled media that Mats Zucarello wouldn’t be on the ice, because “something came up”.

That’s a nice wildly vague statement, even for a league where details about injuries are guarded more closely than the original formula for Coca-Cola. As the referenced Tweet mentions, Guerin went on to say that Zuccarello might be out for the start of the season. Well, nothing like a little extra competition for a top-six spot in training camp to motivate some of those players on the roster bubble.

While it’s a setback for the 37-year-old Zuccarello, his absence could open up more playing time for a young forward on the roster. Much like with Jonas Brodin’s injury will create a chance for a defensive player, the opening in the Wild’s forward corp could be the break a rookie needs to make the roster and show John Hynes that he belongs in the NHL. 

All eyes immediately point to Liam Ohgren, the rookie winger who was likely to make the team in some capacity, but now has a chance at top-six minutes. Or, maybe it’s a way for Hynes to ease Danila Yurov into the league. Instead of starting the young Russian as a center, he can gain some confidence skating on the wing of the second line. 

Had everyone been ready to go on opening night for the Wild, Zuccarello would have probably lined up on the top line with Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek. Last season, “Zuccs” had another solid campaign as he finished with 19 goals and 35 assists. Most importantly 13 of the goals and 18 of the assists came at 5v5 play as he provided excellent secondary scoring for the team behind Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi. His ability to produce points when the teams are evenly matched on the ice gave Hynes two solid offensive options to roll out.

Now that depth takes a bit of a hit, at least at the beginning of the season. A lot is already expected of Ohgren, who appeared in 24 games for the Wild last year and posted 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) while averaging just over 11 minutes of ice time. Thought of as one of the Wild’s top prospects, the former first-round pick has the chance to earn some playing time with forwards who can put the puck in the net.

He’s not likely to drive play on his own, but the 21-year-old is a hard-worker and decent passer. Paired with the right finishers, maybe he can have a nice complimentary role on the second line. His game is pretty well-balanced and he’s as responsible as a young player can be defensively.

Of course, should he move up on the depth chart, that leaves some room in the bottom-six for players fighting for a roster spot, whether it be a veteran like Vinnie Hinostoza or another rookie like Hunter Haight who had 20 goals at Iowa in his first season as a professional. 

While openings on the roster don’t always lead to rookies making the team at the beginning of the season, they often give those players a chance to catch the coaching staff’s eye in regards to future call-ups. Zuccarello’s misfortune might just end up being the lucky break a prospect needs.