Hockey Wilderness
A Minnesota Wild Blog that WON'T make you sick and kill you!
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Spurgeon’s Unpredictable Surge Took Him From NHL Long Shot To Minnesota’s Leader
If you were to take a stroll down the frigid streets of Edmonton, Alberta, you wouldn't have to look far to spot flashes of blue and orange. Those colours signify the city's deep love for the Edmonton Oilers. Growing up in Alberta’s capital, Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon was an Oiler...
Does Dylan Larkin Live Up To the No. 1 Center Branding?
The Minnesota Wild want a Number One Center. That's not necessarily news. You could write that at just about any point in the Wild's quarter-century-long history, and it'd be true. What is news is that a No. 1 Center wants Minnesota. Dylan Larkin wants out of Detroit, and Helene St. James of t...
Vladimir Tarasenko Can Still Change A Game With One Shot
The Minnesota Wild should prioritize re-signing Vladimir Tarasenko this offseason because he still gives them something they desperately need: proven scoring talent. In a league where finishing chances is often the difference between a good offense and a dangerous one, Tarasenko remains one of...
Report: Wild Interested in Trading For Mat Barzal
The Minnesota Wild are clearly going to look to upgrade the center position this offseason. While there were other problems up against the Colorado Avalanche in the second round, their center depth got the better of them as Joel Eriksson Ek was out for the series and the lack of true star power down...
What Can the Wild Learn from Carolina's Playoff Performance?
As the early summer sun dipped behind the Carolina pines before Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Vegas Golden Knights, the atmosphere around Lenovo Center transformed. What had resembled a backyard barbecue an hour earlier became something louder, tighter,...
Can Riley Heidt Follow Hunter Haight's Blueprint Next Season?
I watched a lot of Iowa Wild games this year, took my annual road trip to catch a home series, and also went down to Des Moines to cover the team’s final two games of the season. Through it all, I was able to observe and document the growth, difficulties, and progress that players encountered as the...
Trading For Dylan Larkin Would Force the Wild To Make A Sophie’s Choice
Dylan Larkin’s recent trade request should be good news for the Minnesota Wild. Larkin has to be serious if he’s asking to leave his hometown Detroit Red Wings, which took him in the first round of the 2014 draft. Insiders have also listed Minnesota as a viable destination. That feels like a u...
Do the Wild Have What It Takes To Land Dylan Larkin?
The Minnesota Wild have arrived at the exact moment they've been waiting for: A star center is forcing their team's hand to move them. Three-time All-Star and Team USA gold medalist Dylan Larkin has reportedly requested a trade, and the Detroit Red Wings may have to move on from their captain this s...
Wild Have Another Chance to Land Top Center
Dylan Larkin (somewhat) shocked the hockey world when it was reported that he has requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings. Eleven seasons in and he has played a total of five playoff games -- so it is actually understandable why he wants out of there. But considering he's a Michigan guy and a W...
Will Caedan Bankier Be Back Next Season?
I watched a lot of Iowa Wild games this year, took my annual road trip to catch a home series, and also went down to Des Moines to cover the team’s final two games of the season. Through it all, I was able to observe and document the growth, difficulties, and progress that players encountered as the...
5 Players Who Will Define Judd Brackett's Legacy In Minnesota
In the week since Judd Brackett, the Minnesota Wild's Director of Amateur Scouting, parted with the team to join the Toronto Maple Leafs as an Assistant GM, reactions have been mixed. Some have lamented the loss of the draft guru who picked Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes in Vancouver, then built...
Minnesota Wild Legend Joins the St. Louis Blues
That's Wild Is this betrayal? Are we now super mad? Minnesota Wild legend Mikko Koivu has joined division rival St. Louis Blues as a European Development Consultant, as he will work with the Blues' prospects drafted out of Europe and help them develop. Now, are we expecting the next Koivu to...
The Canucks Are The Right Wild Trade Partner For A Top Center
The Minnesota Wild landed a franchise-changing player when they traded for Quinn Hughes. Bill Guerin didn't have any qualms about giving the Vancouver Canucks Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, and their 2026 1st round pick. He cared about who could help the Wild win now. Minnesota didn’t win the...
The Wild Might Be Wise To Play the 1C Waiting Game
If you take Erik Johnson at his word, either Auston Matthews or Connor McDavid will be joining the Minnesota Wild in the next three years. “I think Bill Guerin finds a way to get a Matthews or McDavid in Minnesota,” Johnson told the Pat McAfee Show, “to push them over the edge.” Perhap...
Mats Zuccarello Is Still A Vital Connector On the Wild
The Minnesota Wild must prioritize re-signing Mats Zuccarello because he remains one of their most reliable offensive connectors, especially when the game gets tight. Even at 38, Zuccarello still brings a blend of vision, puck control, and chemistry with elite teammates that the Wild cannot easily r...
Can Rasmus Kumpulainen Rebound From His Trying Rookie Season In Iowa?
It was a season full of growth and growing pains for Minnesota Wild prospects. Business as usual, really. But each season also brings its own circumstances. How players adapt and grow within their environment can go a long way toward determining their viability as NHL prospects and, with it, the fut...
David Spacek Has A Recognizable Name and An Undefined Career
Hidden in the Minnesota Wild’s prospect pool, there are plenty of names that scream potential. The likes of Carson Lambos and Charlie Stramel are always going to stand out due to their first-round draft pick status. A player like Rieger Lorenz has become a household name within the University of Den...
The NHL Playoffs Are Breaking My Heart
Sure, hockey is basically a year-round sport, but playoffs are different. The NHL playoffs take the hardest sport and condense it into a cutthroat, winner-take-all feast of the world's best sport. It’s supposed to be fast and fun, almost two months of the best hockey being played every single night....
How Badly Will Losing Judd Brackett Hurt the Wild?
The Minnesota Wild are about to lose one of the most important figures in their hockey operations department, and the effects could be felt for years to come. Judd Brackett has been widely credited with helping reshape the Wild's prospect pipeline since joining the organization in 2020, overseeing s...
Why Do the Wild Have A Minor League Team In Jacksonville?
What do an arena in St. Paul, an arena in Des Moines, and one carved along the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Fla., have in common? Starting next October, they will all be part of the Minnesota Wild's developmental pipeline. The State of Hockey is heading to the Sunshine State. On May 1...
The Wild Should At Least Explore A Jack Hughes Trade
The Minnesota Wild should at least explore a trade for Jack Hughes, even if the odds of landing him are slim. He’s a 24-year-old, elite first-line center with game-breaking speed, playmaking, and the kind of offensive ceiling that can change a franchise’s direction overnight. Hughes is also under co...
The NHL's Playoff Format Could Work In the Wild's Favor This Summer
Minnesota Wild fans have plenty of gripes, but one of the biggest is the NHL’s playoff format. Designed to build regional rivalries and guarantee compelling first-round matchups, the Wild were the poster child of what happens when the format doesn’t work as intended. They had to go through a Central...
Can the Wild Actually Withstand Losing Jonas Brodin?
As the Minnesota Wild look to the summer, the team isn't looking to take their second-round loss to the Colorado Avalanche lying down. "If there’s something out there that can make our team better, I am willing to do it," vowed Bill Guerin at his end-of-year presser. "I won’t sit on my hands."...
Robert Thomas Still Checks A Lot Of Wild Boxes
The Minnesota Wild reportedly made a deadline push for Robert Thomas. Even though they couldn’t land him then, there’s a compelling case for revisiting the idea this offseason, especially because Minnesota needs a true top-six center who fits their competitive timeline. Robert Thomas checks a...
Which Wild Players Are Actually Worth Bringing Back?
That's Wild The Minnesota Wild have several players heading into unrestricted free agency this summer. Michael McCarron, Vladimir Tarasenko, Mats Zuccarello, and Marcus Johansson are just some of the names that could just walk away from the team. But who will they be bringing back? Zuccarell...
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