The 2018-19 NHL season begins Oct. 3. With training camps open, NHL.com is taking a look at the five keys, the inside scoop on roster questions and the projected lines for all 31 teams. Today, the Minnesota Wild.
Coach: Bruce Boudreau (third season) Last season: 45-26-11; third place Central Division, lost to Winnipeg Jets in Western Conference First Round RELATED: [Complete Season Preview coverage]
5 KEYS
1. Better health for Suter, Parise
The Wild are a different team when defenseman Ryan Suter and forward Zach Parise are in the lineup. Minnesota was 23-9-7 and outscored opponents 128-106 in the 39 games when the two were in the lineup last season. In the 43 games at least one of them was out, they were 22-17-4 and were outscored 123-122. Suter is a full participant in training camp after the 33-year-old defenseman had surgery April 5 to repair a broken right ankle, and Parise is healthy after a broken sternum ended the 34-year-old forward's season during Game 3 of the Western Conference First Round against the Winnipeg Jets. "We're hoping they both can stay healthy," center Eric Staal said. "If that's the case, it's definitely going to make us another strong team. They're very important players to our group."
2. More from Coyle, Niederreiter
Center Charlie Coyle and forward Nino Niederreiter need to be more productive than they were last season. Coyle missed a month with a broken right leg and had 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 66 games, down from 56 points (18 goals, 38 assists) in 82 games in 2016-17. Niederreiter had 18 goals and 32 points in 63 games last season after averaging 23 goals and 45.7 points in the previous three seasons, when he missed a total of two games.
"Doesn't seem like Nino had an ideal year," said Paul Fenton, who was hired as general manager May 21 after Chuck Fletcher was fired, "and Charlie certainly has the potential to score a lot more, to be able to put more points on the board, to play with a power forward type of atmosphere every night. For me, those two are going to be critical points of the success we have here."
3. Relief for Dubnyk
Goaltender Devan Dubnyk has played 192 games for the Wild the past three seasons, second in the NHL to Cam Talbot of the Edmonton Oilers (196). That could be why Dubnyk has a 2.84 goals-against average in the Stanley Cup Playoffs through that same span, third highest among goaltenders to play at least 10 postseason games. Alex Stalock, who had a 2.85 GAA in 28 games last season, will compete with Andrew Hammond for the backup spot. Hammond, who agreed to a one-year, two-way contract ($650,000 if he remains in the NHL) on July 1, played one NHL game last season with the Colorado Avalanche and had a 3.21 GAA in 19 games with Belleville and San Antonio of the American Hockey League.
4. Greenway's emergence
Forward Jordan Greenway, a second-round pick (No. 50) in the 2015 NHL Draft, signed his entry-level contract March 26 and made an impact with the Wild, including two points (one goal, one assist) in five playoff games.
"He exceeded our expectations coming in that point in the season with his size (6-foot-6, 226 pounds) and his ability to play a power game," Wild senior vice president of hockey operations Brent Flahr said. "He got better and better every game, played with more and more confidence. We expect big things." That could include a spot on the top line and first power-play unit for Greenway.
5. More grit
Minnesota worked around the edges of its core group, adding depth defenseman Greg Pateryn and bottom-six forwards Matt Hendricks, Eric Fehr and JT Brown in the offseason. "[The Wild] made the playoffs for six straight years," Fenton said. "What's the reason to make a change just to make a change? There's isn't one. I wanted to add some character to our lineup and I think we did with Pateryn, with Hendricks, with Fehr, with J.T. Brown, with guys who will bring more attitude to our lineup, and let's see how that starts to play out from the beginning of the season."
ROSTER RUNDOWN
Making the cut
Luke Kunin could start the season in the Wild's bottom-six group or go to Iowa of the AHL and play a lead role. The 20-year-old center, the No. 15 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee that ended his season March 4.
"Coming off his injury, he's got to get up to speed and see where he's at," Flahr said. "If he's ready to go, great. If not, we'll make sure he's playing lots [in the AHL] and ready to go at some point."
Most intriguing addition
Fehr was signed to give the Wild a right-shot center who has experience killing penalties. He spent most of last season in the AHL and had four points (three goals, one assist) in 18 NHL games with the San Jose Sharks and Toronto Maple Leafs. The 33-year-old's experience could allow him to play several roles this season.
Biggest potential surprise
Hammond is far removed from his "Hamburglar" run with the Ottawa Senators in 2014-15, when he was 20-1-2 with a 1.79 GAA and .941 save percentage in 24 games. The Wild don't need him to play to that level, but they do need someone to earn Boudreau's trust and ease the load on Dubnyk.
Ready to break through
Forward Joel Eriksson Ek had a solid finish to the regular season, with seven points (five goals, two assists) and a shot attempts percentage (SAT) of 50.95 percent in his final 24 games. In his first 51 games, the 21-year-old had nine points (one goal, eight assists) and an SAT of 46.66 percent. With the experience gained from two full seasons in North America and two trips to the NHL playoffs, the No. 20 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft could be poised for a big jump in production this season.
