2015-16 record: 38-33-11 (87 points)
Lost to Dallas in Conference quarterfinals
Captain: Mikko Koivu
It seems to be an annual ritual for the Minnesota Wild since they decided to blow money on Zach Parise and Ryan Suter in 2012, as they almost always seem to struggle to make the playoffs. Whether it is the failed gambles for Dany Heatley and Thomas Vanek or a pipeline that hasn't had the returns that they hoped for, the Wild almost always seem to fall short of expectations. Now, it's Bruce Boudreau's turn, and all he has to do is get the Wild to play with more consistency for a whole season. Given that the salary cap continues to be a hindrance, that will be easier said than done.
Parise, when healthy, can usually be counted on for 30 goals a season. While Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle are solid when it comes to secondary scoring, the rest of the unit needs to pick up, especially Jason Pominville, Jason Zucker, and Mikael Granlund. Unfortunately, the reinforcements are Eric Staal and Chris Stewart, with the former coming off the worst season of his career since his rookie year while the latter has always been maddeningly inconsistent in production. Defense has been a strength, and will continue to be again. Suter is not a true number one defender, but he is certainly the Wild's best player on the blue line, and while the rest of the unit is still growing, as Jonas Brodin, Matt Dumba, Mike Reilly, and Marco Scandella are all 26 and under when the season starts, there is potential to be even better, especially since Scott Stevens steps in as an assistant coach. The challenge for Boudreau is to give Devan Dubnyk a little more rest, as he's played over 70 games last season to go along with the 38 in a row he started the season before. That workload helped to explain his troubles in the playoffs, and it will be up to Boudreau to work Darcy Kuemper in a little more, something that the previous coaching staff did not do. The power play was middle of the pack, and certainly, improved production across the board will help a little in that regard. However, the penalty kill was near the bottom, and a more aggressive approach would be helpful.
Prediction: 6th in the Central Division
While everyone else ahead of them in the Central Division improved in the off-season, as well as the Winnipeg Jets, the Wild face an uphill climb once more if they hope to make the playoffs. It could be a long year in Minnesota this season.
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