Minnesota Wild F Zac Dalpe Getting New Lease on NHL Life
By Jenny Lana
Minnesota Wild F Zac Dalpe’s New Lease on NHL Life, Given Stanley Cup Playoffs Opportunity
I have come to know of a player by the name of Zac Dalpe. If you’re a Hurricanes/Checkers fan you know him well (I first heard of him when he was a member of the Charlotte Checkers).
He played well for the organization and like some other fans, I was devastated when he was traded to Vancouver in 2014-2015 season.
On July 1st, he signed with the Minnesota Wild organization. As sad as I was that it wasn’t in Charlotte, I was glad he got a fresh start, and with who other than his Checkers captain, Brett Sutter.
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Dalpe, even though he started over, it wasn’t an easy road this season. First, he lost his mom at the beginning of the season; then he had a torn labrum in his left hip in the first game of the season with the Iowa Wild. He came back in less time than they said, returning just three months after surgery.
The poor guy just can’t catch a break though; in his fourth game back, he suffered a knee injury. He has appeared in only eight games for the minor league affiliate of the Minnesota Wild. He earned his call up in the 81st game of the NHL season, which is almost if not unheard of. Adding the last two games of the NHL season with his eight games prior in the minor league, he played a total of ten games this season.
I was excited to see Minnesota Wild F Zac Dalpe play in his first Stanley Cup playoff game. He had almost ten and a half minutes of ice time, and went 38 percent on face-off wins – not bad for his first NHL playoff game.
When you think about it, most players whether it be their first NHL game in a while, a call up, or a rookie, never get that much playing time in the regular season for their first game. Zac deserves this chance to prove he can help the team. Unfortunately, he was a healthy scratch as Erik Haula was coming back from injury, which is understandable. The coach was giving a seasoned player his spot back on the team.
Which brings me to my next point. Do I think that Minnesota Wild F Zac Dalpe would have gotten a chance if it wasn’t for Zach Parise being out (possibly for the rest of the season)? Most likely not. I love that Dalpe is given a chance, don’t get me wrong, he deserves it. I believe he would not be given this chance if the coaches, and general manager didn’t see something in him.
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Most fans would think, “The guy has barely played this season and was unfortunately plagued by injuries, why is he getting the chance when Zack Mitchell was the leading goal scorer on the Iowa Wild.” I’m telling you that the coaches and general manager must have seen something in Dalpe that sparked their interest. I for one, wish him nothing but the best of luck the rest of the postseason and his future.