Minnesota Wild: 3 Keys To Success in 2017-18

The Minnesota Wild have locked up their youngsters, and are looking to contend for the Stanley Cup in 2017-18

The Minnesota Wild must be frustrated. On paper, they look strong from every angle. Good coaching, strong goaltending, one of the best defensive groups, and impressive depth at forward. At the same time, the Wild have yet to crack the code on how to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

As one of the best regular season teams, they led the Western Conference in goals for with 266, and had the second best home record. The Wild have all the makings of a great team, but the NHL playoffs is a different beast. They are still a young franchise, but have not been to the Western Conference Finals since 2002-03.

For the past two seasons, the Wild were eliminated in the first round. They lost 4-1 to the St. Louis Blues last season, and 4-2 to the Dallas Stars the year before. To right the ship, the Wild will need to take their game to the next level, and here are the three key factors for them to have success in 2017-18.

1. The Growth of their Younger Players

The Wild have a great balance of youth and experience. They have veterans in the right spots, and solid potential in their young players. In terms of importance, Mikael Granlund must be at the top of the list. He is the closest thing to a number one center on their roster, and seems to be learning from Mikko Koivu. He led the team in points last season, and was second in goals with 26. If there was one player the Wild need to step up, it is certainly Granlund.

Nino Niederreiter is also an interesting case. Like Granlund, Niederreiter signed an extension this season, and is hoping to become the leading goal scorer. He has the most potential, and continues to improve with more opportunity. He has the potential to be a 30-goal scorer, and playing with quality players will only increase his chances of becoming a better offensive player.

Charlie Coyle is also one of the Wild’s best young players. He is more of a two-way player, but made significant improvements over the last few seasons to become a more complete player. As a result, the Wild have a carousel of quality talent in their young players, and juggling the best lines seems to be the hardest part. Continuing that development, and finding long-term chemistry, should be a primary goal for the Wild coaching staff.

2. Veterans Leading by Example

The negative factor of having plenty of youth is inconsistency. While they try to find their footing at the NHL level, bad games are almost guaranteed. In those situations, the veterans need to be the ones that step up, and show what it takes to succeed at this level. Ryan Suter must be one of the hungriest players in terms of a Stanley Cup appearance, and he has plenty of help up front to make those dreams happen.

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Zach Parise, Eric Staal, and Koivu need to be better in the playoffs. While Parise was probably the Wild’s best player in the postseason last year, but it almost seemed like they caved defensively. With quality players at both ends, finding the right balance to come away with the win is the only formula for long-term success in the playoffs. If you focus too hard on one side, chances are you’ll get burned at the other.

If those three players can step up, the natural progression for players like Granlund, Niederreiter and Coyle should follow suit. Interestingly enough, these six players could make up the top two lines for the Wild, which shows just how important these players are when it comes to success in Minnesota.

3. Increased Offensive Opportunities in the Playoffs

The interesting thing about the Wild is it’s hard to rule them out of the playoffs this season. With that said, most of their issues are during the postseason, not before. While it’s easier said than done, generating more offensive chances in the postseason is certainly a way for one of the best defensive teams to make progress.

Last season, the Wild managed just eight goals over the five games against the St. Louis Blues. They simply did not look like the same team that finished second in the Central Division. They did not give up many goals, but were unable to score them, and threw the series to the Blues as a result. A healthy balance could mean a second round appearance this season, or maybe more.

Next: Minnesota Wild: 2017-18 Season Preview

Looking at Devan Dubnyk‘s stats from last postseason, there is clearly an issue. He finished with a 1-4-0 record, but maintained a 1.86 goals against average, and a 0.925 save percentage with one shutout. Those stats do not usually belong to a goalie sitting with one win in five games. There is a clear lack of offensive output for the Wild, and that is why they are unable to get beyond the first round.

The Western Conference is a tough nut to crack. However, the Wild continue to prove that they are one of the best regular season teams in the NHL. The time has come to transition that success into the playoffs, and the only way to do it is to generate as many offensive chances as you can, while eliminating the easy opportunities for your opponent. This is where the Wild need to improve, and without any truly elite players, it becomes a committee goal that needs to be address this season.

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