In this episode of NHL Wraparound, Neil Smith and Vic Morren break down the Minnesota Wild — a team that continues to underperform in the playoffs despite regular season success. With 97 points last season and yet another first-round exit, the Wild haven’t won a playoff series in a decade. So what’s next?

Neil and Vic evaluate the off-season moves by GM Bill Guerin — including the retirement of Marc-André Fleury, key signings like Vladimir Tarasenko and Nico Sturm, and what it means that Guerin didn’t make bigger changes despite finally having cap flexibility after the Parise/Suter buyouts.

They dive into the team’s core — Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Jared Spurgeon — and whether that group is strong enough to push past the Wild Card bubble. Plus, goaltending questions with Filip Gustavsson taking over and top prospect Jesper Wallstedt stepping in.

Is this a playoff team or just more of the same?

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] Minnesota’s playoff frustrations and off-season expectations

[01:30] Breaking down the Wild’s key losses and additions

[04:20] Guerin’s conservative approach despite cap space

[05:45] Defensive depth and Jonas Brodin’s injury

[07:00] Goaltending tandem: Gustavsson and Wallstedt

[08:15] Kaprizov’s future and the weight he carries

[10:00] Is John Hynes on the hot seat?

[11:25] Can this roster survive the Central Division pressure?

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

The Wild made minimal upgrades despite having more flexibility this summer.

Kaprizov is entering a contract year — and the pressure is on.

John Hynes is entering a pivotal year as head coach.

Minnesota may be fighting for a Wild Card spot unless their top players break through.

📍 RESOURCE LINKS

🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgBj1LV0-DMfBhcRPSJZLjA

🐦 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nhlwraparound

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555451139787

🎤 Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil

🔗 Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/

#MinnesotaWild #Marc-AndreFleury #FrederickGaudreau #JustinBrazeau #VladimirTarasenko #NicoSturm #CalPeterson #NicolasAube-Kubel #TylerPitlick #MarcusJohansson #ZachParise #RyanSuter #BillGuerin #KirillKaprizov #JoelErikssonEk #MattBoldy #RyanHartman #MarcusFoligno #ZeevBuium #BrockFaber #JaredSpurgeon #JakeMiddleton #ZachBogosian #MatsZuccarello #DavidJiricek #DanilaYurov #LiamOhgren #JonasBrodin #FilipGustavsson #JesperWallstedt #JohnHynes #DeanEvason