NHL Power Rankings: St. Louis Blues start 2019-20 season on top

21. Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild can’t wait for the puck to drop on Opening Night. When it happens, it will officially end an offseason from hell. All of their off the ice drama was on full display this summer, as the Wild fired general manager Paul Fenton after just over a year. Despite being an aging team, Minnesota doubled down on their age by signing Mats Zuccarello to a long-term deal.

Minnesota has some very good players. Jason Zucker is primed for a bounceback year and the Wild should be very grateful Phil Kessel reportedly refused to be traded there. Eric Staal is a solid player, though his days of scoring over 30 goals are probably over. Mikko Koivu’s offense is declining, but he’s still a defensive wonder. When he’s healthy, Zach Parise is a consistent producer.

The Wild’s blueline is quietly one of the best in the NHL. Minnesota fell off a cliff last season after Matthew Dumba’s injury. That’s not a coincidence. Ryan Suter remains as steady as they come. Jared Spurgeon is among the NHL’s most underrated players.

Goaltending is what will probably keep the Wild from the postseason. Devan Dubnyk has not been nearly as good as his raw stats might suggest. The Wild make his job pretty darn easy, yet Dubnyk has struggled. Their backup, Alex Stalock, doesn’t inspire much confidence either.

If Dubnyk bounces back and can be an above-average goaltender, the Wild have a solid chance of making the postseason. But don’t hold your breath.