The Minnesota Wild will enter the 2024-25 NHL season in a precarious position. They did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season after a three-year streak of having done so. A team in that position would usually pivot, improve their team, or commit to a rebuild. Unfortunately, the Wild really aren’t in a position to do any of those things. They’re in a bit of a cap nightmare, but also have too many promising young players to fully rebuild as well.
To see improvement next year, they’re going to have to rely on players who are already on their roster progressing. If the team hopes to find themselves in a playoff spot next year, the Minnesota Wild forwards group must take a step forward. Obviously, all NHL teams need their roster to improve internally, but the Wild have to rely on this perhaps more than any other club in the league. There really are no other options to construct the roster in a better way.
