Inside look at Minnesota Wild

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, the Minnesota Wild.

There's a fine line between steady and stagnant for the Minnesota Wild.

The Wild have been the definition of good for some time. They've qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in six of the past seven seasons, and 12 of the past 14.

But since 2013, Minnesota has won three playoff series. It hasn’t reached the Western Conference Final since 2003, its third season after entering the NHL in 2000.

Last season, the Wild defeated the Dallas Stars in the first round in six games, their first series win since 2015. Then, they were eliminated in five games by the Colorado Avalanche in the second round.

Minnesota has higher ambitions, general manager Bill Guerin said. This season, being good isn't good enough.

"We had a good year last year. We made a big step. We are a very good team," Guerin said. "But the thing we can't do is just be complacent and be satisfied with what we did last year. We have to look forward and see how we can do better."

After a few offseasons of relatively little change, the Wild have taken a different route.

Among the changes were the departure of forward Mats Zuccarello. Zuccarello, who played the previous seven seasons in Minnesota, had 54 points (15 goals, 39 assists) in 59 games as part of a potent forward duo with Kirill Kaprizov.

"We're going for something a little bit different," Guerin said. "It's more about a big picture thing. 'Zuccy' has done nothing but help Kirill, on the ice and off the ice. They're really good friends. ... This is more of a big picture decision."

Zuccarello signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Los Angeles Kings on July 1.

Forwards Marcus Johansson, who had 49 points (15 goals, 34 assists) in 75 games last season, and Vladimir Tarasenko, who had 47 points (23 goals, 24 assists) in 75 games, also are gone. Johansson signed a contract with Farjestad of the Swedish Hockey League on June 5; Tarasenko is an unrestricted free agent.

Blake Coleman, a possible replacement for Zuccarello in the top-six forward group, was acquired in a trade with the Calgary Flames on July 2, along with defenseman Olli Maatta, for defenseman Jake Middleton, a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft, a fourth-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft.

Coleman had 35 points (20 goals, 15 assists) in 69 games last season. He won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021. Maatta also was part of back-to-back championships, with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017.

"It's a different look. We're looking for something a little bit different," Guerin said. "When I say, 'big picture,' I mean about the team. Sometimes you go in a little bit of a different direction. You don't always keep rolling back the same team.

"Maybe a little bit of change because that's good too. You don't want to just keep rolling out the same thing year after year and expect different results. Just a little bit of a tweak here and there. I think it's good and it's healthy for everybody."

But what's left is appealing to Coleman, who last played in the playoffs with the Flames in 2022.

"That's what it's all about," he said. "While we loved being in Calgary, it's been really hard and disappointing to not be in the playoffs the last handful of years. I've been fortunate to go on some Cup runs and get a taste of what it feels like to be at the top of the mountain. So I'm really excited about that.

"I really think I have a lot to bring come playoff time. That's where I feel like I really thrive as a player and I enjoy that atmosphere and that pressure."

That's a trait returning Minnesota players are trying to adopt, coach John Hynes said.

"(The playoffs are) not like the regular season," Hynes said. "The consistency level you have to play with, the dedication level you have to play with on the simple things, truly understanding tactically what you need to do, emotionally how you need to play against a team."

The Wild were 46-24-12 last season, third in the conference and the Central Division, behind the first-place Avalanche and second-place Stars.

Change was necessary. More important, though, would be Kaprizov, forward Matt Boldy and defenseman Quinn Hughes, among others, leading a deep run.

"A lot of times, getting better doesn't mean you just go out and get different players," Guerin said. "Yeah, we can get better players, I guess. But we have to continue to make strides as a team and continue to get better in all areas of our game. We took a step last year, a big step, but we have to continue, as a group, continue to get better.

"That doesn't always just mean signing different guys or going after the sexy free agent. We can get better in a lot of different ways."