Minnesota Wild and the reasons for their recent skid

It’s safe to say that the Minnesota Wild have been one of the most disappointing teams of 2022-23. After reaching the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs last season as the second-best team in the Central division, the Wild have hit a snag in their growth. The Wild currently sit out of the playoff picture and are falling like a rock.

So, what exactly happened? The Wild were once in contention for the Central Division title this season, rather than vying for a playoff spot. Regardless of what others may say, it is not goaltending. Despite some erratic numbers, Minnesota Wild goalies Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury have been one of the league's most dependable goalie pairings.

Let's take a look and try to figure out what's causing the Minnesota Wild's downfall, and maybe offer some solutions to fix their skid.

Can’t Score

Kirill Kaprizov is an elite scoring talent, and he’s shown it so far this season. Kaprizov has scored in nearly every Minnesota Wild game this season. Kirill Kaprizov has been known to elevate the play of others around him, but this season, that’s just not the case.

Despite having a player that scores in nearly every game, the Wild forwards have failed to build depth pieces around him that can get on the scoresheet. Outside of Joel Eriksson Ek, Mats Zuccarello, Frederick Gaudreau, and Matt Boldy, the rest of the roster has 29 combined goals on the season. Kaprizov alone has 31.

The Lines

Throughout his entire NHL career, Kirill Kaprizov hasn’t been supplemented by a quality set-up man. Sure, Mats Zuccarello and Nikita Kaprizov have been fantastic partners, but the Wild have been missing the finishing touch.

Sam Steel and Ryan Hartman have alternated as the top line center, but both have struggled to get on the scoresheet despite playing with the team's leading scorer. The Wild need to find an anchor down the middle of the ice to play with either Kaprizov or Matt Boldy. Boldy hasn't gotten much help from his teammates either.

The Minnesota Wild have lost their speed

Bill Guerin emphasized speed and strength when he was hired as the Minnesota Wild's GM, but lately, he's only emphasized strength. Trading for Ryan Reaves in the middle of the season was a good move at first, as it gave the team a much-needed boost, but Reaves, along with Marcus Foligno, Jordan Greenway, Alex Goligoski, and others, haven't let the Wild keep up with the fast pace, and it shows.