The Minnesota Wild are long overdue for a playoff run. Are they deep and healthy enough to make one?

Minnesota Wild

Last season: 45-30-7, lost to Vegas in first round of playoffs.

COACH: John Hynes (third year with Wild, 363-309-75 over 10 seasons with three teams).

SEASON OPENER: Oct. 9 at St. Louis.

DEPARTURES: C Frederick Gaudreau, G Marc-Andre Fleury, D Jon Merrill, D Declan Chisholm, RW Gustav Nyquist, C Devin Shore.

ADDITIONS: RW Vladimir Tarasenko, C Danila Yurov, C Nico Sturm.

BETMGM STANLEY CUP ODDS: 35-1.

What to expect

The Wild proved their commitment to contending for its first Stanley Cup by signing star LW Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year, $136 million contract extension that is the richest deal in NHL history. Despite another first-round exit from the playoffs last spring — they have not won a series since 2015 — the Wild were emboldened by the way they outscored Vegas 19-18 over six games with three straight one-goal losses, two in overtime. After missing Kaprizov and standout C Joel Eriksson Ek to injuries for roughly half the season and seeing most of their defensemen sidelined by various ailments at different stages, the Wild are banking on better health for their veterans and steps forward by young cornerstones RW Matt Boldy and C Marco Rossi. Holding the longest active streak in the league of consecutive winning seasons at 13 in a row, the Wild are well-positioned to keep that run alive. The big question is whether the Wild can give Kaprizov enough complementary scoring after three straight seasons in the bottom half of the NHL in goals per game.

Strengths and weaknesses

The good: With 14th-year veteran Jonas Brodin on track to return soon from offseason upper body surgery, the blue lin is stacked with a mix of stalwarts (Jacob Middleton, Jared Spurgeon) and rising stars (Brock Faber, Zeev Buium). The low-profile acquisition last year of David Jiricek — the sixth overall pick in the 2022 draft spent most of last season in the AHL — gives the Wild another high-ceiling player on the back end to support G Filip Gustavsson, now backed up by Jesper Wallstedt following Fleury’s retirement.

The not-so-good: Forward depth is tenuous, with veteran LW Mats Zuccarello expected to miss the first two months of the season following surgery for a lower-body injury that popped up shortly before training camp. Tarasenko was the team’s most notable free agent signing, the former standout for the Blues who’s had a strong camp in his 14th year but has only 52 goals over his last three seasons with five different teams.

Player to watch

Yurov. The 21-year-old Russian, who was drafted by the Wild in the first round in 2022, will be given every opportunity to maintain a regular role after a prodigious start to his pro career in the KHL. Yurov started camp centering the third line, but he’s taken turns at left wing on the second line in Zuccarello’s absence. Liam Ohgren, who was taken five picks before Yurov in that fruitful first round three years ago, has also been getting a look at a top-six spot while Zuccarello is sidelined.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL