Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports
NHL Power Rankings #6: Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are my official dark horse Stanley Cup pick from the Western Conference. Coming off an impressive season, the Wild have a lot of good things going for them.
The most important thing that the Wild did was re-sign goaltender Devan Dubnyk. After struggling to find his way in Edmonton, Dubnyk had a solid season with the Arizona Coyotes before being traded to the Wild. In Minnesota, Dubnyk finally found stability and was a Vezina Trophy finalist. Dubnyk will have to prove that he is worth the contract. Looking at the rest of Minnesota’s roster, I like his chances.
Minnesota has an extremely talented blueline. Ryan Suter is good for roughly 30 minutes of ice time a night. He has lost his scoring touch, but he is as reliable and consistent as they come. Jared Spurgeon is very underrated and is still just 25 years old. Marco Scandella is a cheap but talented defenseman. Perhaps the most intriguing member of Minnesota’s back end is 21-year-old Matthew Dumba.
The Wild have also been blessed with forward depth. Zach Parise is one of the best forwards in the NHL. He had a rough personal life last season as his father passed away. Parise showed incredible strength and character by fighting through that tragic loss to lead his team to the second round of the NHL playoffs. Jason Pominville had a bit of a down year, but still had a very solid season. I’d expect one of the most underrated forwards in the NHL to have a bounce back year.
The one thing that could keep Minnesota from the Stanley Cup is their lack of elite talent. However, if their young players continue to develop and Dubnyk continues to be stellar in net, perhaps the Wild could win the Stanley Cup.
Next: #5