NHL.com is providing in-depth analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 8-Sept. 8. Today, three important questions facing the Minnesota Wild.
[Wild 32 in 32: Season preview | Top prospects | Fantasy breakdown]
1. Will the goalie tandem of Marc-Andre Fleury and Filip Gustavsson work?
After being acquired by the Wild prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 21, Fleury split time in goal with Cam Talbot. Fleury was 9-2-0 with a 2.74 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in 11 regular-season games and 2-3 with a 3.04 GAA and .906 save percentage in five Stanley Cup Playoff games against the St. Louis Blues in the best-of-7 Western Conference First Round, which Minnesota lost in six.
The 37-year-old Fleury signed a two-year contract with Minnesota on July 7 and will have the lion’s share of starts as the No. 1 goalie, creating a tandem with the relatively untested Gustavsson. The 24-year-old, who was acquired from the Ottawa Senators for Talbot on July 12, was 5-12-1 with a 3.55 GAA and .892 save percentage in 18 games (16 starts) last season with Ottawa and went 11-6. -1 with a 2.50 GAA and .915 save percentage in 20 games with Belleville of the American Hockey League.
Video: PHI@MIN: Fleury makes 2 slick stops on van Riemsdyk
2. Can players like Ryan Hartman, Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Foligno replicate the success of last season?
Minnesota set a team record last season with six players scoring at least 20 goals. Hartman, who centered a line with Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, scored 34 goals after never having more than 19 in his first seven NHL seasons. Eriksson Ek, who continues an upward trend in his game, set NHL career highs in goals (26), assists (23) and points (49) last season, and Foligno, his linemate, also produced unlike any previous season (23 goals, 19 assists). The high offensive output is going to be hard to repeat, especially without Kevin Fialawho was traded to the Los Angeles Kings on June 29.
3. Will the Wild take a step forward or a step back?
For the most part, the 2021-22 season was unprecedented for Minnesota, which set team records for points (113) and wins (53). The Wild return a similar roster, but with the loss of Fiala and the high expectations placed on Gustavsson, forward Marco Rossi and forward Matt Boldywho had 15 goals and 39 points in his 47 regular-season games last season as a rookie, it might be too tall an order to expect another step forward.
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