Kaprizov Named All-Star While Fleury Continues his Hall of Fame Bid
An injury filled week for the Wild has led to a lot of call-ups and some interesting rosters, but nothing can deter Kaprizov and Fleury from being elite.
Welcome to the THW Minnesota Wild Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Wild writers.
In today’s edition, we look at a couple players the team has recalled from Iowa, take a deep dive in Fleury’s record-tying 551st win, celebrate having a player as good as Kirill Kaprizov who will be at the All-Star weekend once again, and more!
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Now on to the good stuff…
Minnesota Wild Recall Top Goaltending Prospect Jesper Wallstedt
January 7, 2024 by Tyson McKay
The Minnesota Wild have had a strange season, to say the least. A very slow start led to a coaching change that prompted a tremendous win-streak, only to encounter a massive number of injuries to key players that now threaten their playoff hopes once again.
One of the Wild’s biggest losses has been that of their number one goalie, Filip Gustavsson who went down in the second period of their Dec. 30 game against the Winnipeg Jets. While Marc-Andre Fleury will still be leading the way in net, it looks like it is finally time for Wild fans to get a look at prized prospect, Jesper Wallstedt.
Minnesota Wild’s Rossi & Boldy Help Fleury Get Win 551
January 7, 2024 by Mariah Stark (Holland)
The Minnesota Wild were looking to escape their recent losing slump when they took on the Columbus Blue Jackets on the road on Saturday, Jan. 6. They were still missing six players due to injury, but they did get Mats Zuccarello back, which proved to be a nice jumpstart for their scoring. Things didn’t look promising to start as the Blue Jackets scored first and held the Wild back for a bit.
The third period looked to stay tied until late when the Blue Jackets scored to take the lead for the third time and looked to put the game away. The Wild had to dig deep and got slightly lucky with a rolling puck from Marcus Johansson to tie things at three and force overtime. There were some big chances for both teams, but the Wild got the advantage and took the win 4-3 on a Marco Rossi goal, and that’s where we’ll start with this article.Â
Wild Call Up Adam Raska from Iowa, Return Sammy Walker
January 5, 2024 by Tyson McKay
The Minnesota Wild are riddled with injuries and after Thursday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Wild are now on their third losing streak of four or more games this season. The loss of top-end players has meant that most of their roster is made up of players elevated into roles they don’t normally play, and it’s a perfect opportunity for young prospects or fringe AHL players to stand out and grab hold of a roster spot.
Raska, a name most Wild fans will have forgotten, was part of the return from the San Jose Sharks earlier this season in exchange for defenseman Calen Addison. He is a 22-year-old right-winger from Czechia who has eight NHL games under his belt but has yet to collect his first point. He has just one point in his 20 games with Iowa since the trade, but the fact that he has managed to pack in 61 penalty minutes in that time tells you all you need to know about his play style.
Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov Named 2024 NHL All-Star
January 4, 2024 by Mariah Stark (Holland)
With the holidays here and everything that has gone on with the Minnesota Wild in the past month since the firing of Dean Evason and the hiring of John Hynes as well as the team’s complete turnaround of their season, it’s time for another roundtable.
The Hockey Writers Wild Team of Tyson McKay and Mariah Stark answered the questions that you’ve been wondering about in the past month, from the coaching change to who’s stepped up and what’s going on this holiday break. We’ll start with the coaching change since that’s been the most significant piece of news and move on from there.
Wild Need More From Some Players as Injuries Pile Up
January 4, 2024 by Mariah Stark (Holland)
The Minnesota Wild have a way of shocking fans this season, first with their monumental turnaround from losing to winning when they had a coaching change, and now an unfortunate turn with a high number of injuries. Every team in the NHL has to deal with the adversity of injuries; it’s just part of the game, but typically, it’s one or two players at a time, not seven players.Â
That’s right, the Wild are currently without seven of their players; six are full-time roster players and integral to the success of their lineup, with the final player earning his spot every time he’s in the lineup. Those players are Kirill Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello, Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon, Filip Gustavsson, Marcus Foligno, and Vinni Lettieri. With this many players out, others will have to fill the void in every position, and we’ll start with goaltending.Â