Western Conference: Assigning captains to the captain-less teams

Minnesota Wild

This Minnesota Wild team has an issue, and that’s a lack of identity. Following the end of this season, general manager Bill Guerin decided to make a major decision. That decision was not bringing back captain Mikko Koivu.

The Finland native has served as the team’s captain since the 2008-09 season, but with salary restrictions, and him being 36-years-old, the team decided that it was time to move on. While this was sad to see, it was not a shock due to events that occurred earlier in the season.

During this past Trade Deadline, it seemed every veteran was on the table, with Koivu, Matt Dumba, as well as Zach Parise being shopped to any potential suitors. At one point it seemed both Koivu and Parise were heading to the New York Islanders, but it came in after the strict 3:00 pm deadline.

On October 5, goaltender Devan Dubnyk was dealt to the San Jose Sharks, with Cam Talbot being signed to a three-year, $11 million dollar deal to fill his place.

With a mix of young talent and grizzled veterans, the best move for this franchise is to announce 30-year-old defenseman Jared Spurgeon as the next captain in franchise history.

Spurgeon is fresh off signing a seven-year deal, worth a total of $53.025 million, as he will play a major role in getting a winning culture back to the State of Hockey.

This past season, Spurgeon missed time with a hand injury as he only played in 32 of his team’s 69 games. When he did play, he played quite well, scoring 12 times (lead defensive group) with 20 assists.

But the biggest reason that Spurgeon deserves this honor is due to his path to the NHL. Back in 2008, Spurgeon was drafted 156th overall by the Islanders, but the team decided not to sign him. Due to this, Spurgeon played five seasons in the WHL with the Spokane Chiefs, winning a Memorial Cup in 2008. Following the 2009-10 season, the undrafted defenseman was invited to attend training camp for the Minnesota Wild. He impressed and was rewarded with a three-year entry-level deal, before being assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Houston Aeros.

After playing 23 AHL games, he would get the call-up, playing in his first NHL game on Nov 29, 2010, his 21st birthday.

Since then he has been a staple in this lineup, showcasing the importance of hard work and dedication to his craft. He does the little things on the ice to help his team win, those quick decisions leading to why he has been so successful at this level.

Obstacles are a part of life. Some jump over them. Some fail to do so. Like this Minnesota Wild team, they have plenty of obstacles to deal with to get back to their winning ways, and there is no better person who has had to go through hardships in his career paths to lead this team.