Minnesota Wild: Everything you need to know before the playoffs begin

The Minnesota Wild started the 2022-23 season off lackluster. It was only until recently that the Minnesota Wild emerged as a true threat in the Western Conference. The Minnesota Wild were eliminated in the first round of the 2022 playoffs by the St. Louis Blues and will look to win their first playoff series since beating the pesky Blues back in 2015.

The Wild have found their form behind rock solid goaltending and unrelenting, shot-blocking defense. The Wild have relied on their Russian superstar Kirill Kaprizov to generate most of the offense for much of the season, however due to a recent injury, the Wild will need to find their offense in other areas.

Here’s a look at where the Minnesota Wild stand as they contend for the NHL playoffs

Minnesota Wild v Washington Capitals

Forwards

Kirill Kaprizov will be out for 3-4 weeks leading up to the playoffs. That’s not a good thing for a team that was so reliant on him as their primary goal scorer. However, the injury could also be a blessing in disguise as it could help struggling forwards like Matt Boldy and Frederick Gaudreau discover their scoring knack.

The Wild have lacked depth all season in their forward lines, and it’s shown in the score sheet. They need to use Kaprizov’s injury as a way to find more offensive firepower so that when the elite russian playmaker returns, the team is better for it.

Defensemen

The Minnesota defense will be one of the most interesting storylines to watch heading into the playoffs. The top pair, Jared Spurgeon and Jake Middleton, have one of the highest grading lines in the NHL.

The team has several defensemen who cannot be paired with each other due to their lack of defensive prowess and focus on the offensive game in Matt Dumba, John Klingberg, John Merrill and Calen Addison.

The Wild will have to rely on Jonas Brodin and Alex Goligoski to make up for the lack of defensive skills of their teammates. If any of those four are paired together in the playoffs, opposing coaches will look to expose them whenever they are on the ice.

Goalies

The Minnesota Wild may have the two best goalies out of any team in the league not named the Boston Bruins. Filip Gustavsson was a god-send for them, and was also the NHL player of the week last week. He has a .935 save percentage this season, the best in the NHL, along with a 1.91 GAA.

The team also has a three-time Stanley Cup champion in their arsenal in Marc-Andre Fleury, who has had a rough start to the season, but has regained his form in the last two weeks.