Minnesota Wild 2015-16 preview

With goalie Devan Dubnyk unlikely to repeat his heroics of last season, the Wild must count on their young players to improve this season.

COACH: Mike Yeo

2014-15 RECORD: 46-28-8, 100 points (fourth in Central, lost to Blackhawks, 4-0, in second round)

VITAL SIGNS: 2.77 goals per game (12th); 2.41 goals per game (6th); 15.9 power play pct. (27th); 86.3 penalty kill pct. (1st); PDO: 100.2 (15th); Corsi For pct.: 51.0 (16th); Fenwick For pct.: 52.2 (7th); face-off pct.: 49.9 (15th) 

NOTABLE ARRIVALS: D Mike Reilly, F ZacDalpe

NOTABLE DEPARTURES: F Kyle Brodziak, F Chris Stewart

PROJECTED DEPTH CHART

Forwards

Zach Parise – MikaelGranlund – Jason Pominville
Jason Zucker – MikkoKoivu – Nino Niederreiter
Thomas Vanek – Tyler Graovac – Charlie Coyle
Ryan Carter – Erik Haula – Justin Fontaine

Defensemen

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Goaltenders

Devan Dubnyk
Darcy Kuemper

OUTLOOK: Three years after they joined the Wild as a package deal, Zach Parise and Ryan Suter find themselves on a team not unlike the ones they left—clubs that were built around the goalie and wanting for one more game-breaking forward. The effect that netmandier DevanDubnyk had on transforming the Wild’s 2014-15 season can be demonstrated by 100 different statistics, but his record (27-9-2) compared to Minnesota’s before the trade that brought him in (18-19-5) sums it up nicely. Dubnyk, the savior, however, only comes once.

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would help too.

Defensively the Wild are aware that they've been riding Suter the workhorse a little too hard (29:04 TOI last season), so the young legs of Jonas Brodin, Matt Dumba, Marco Scandella and possibly coveted college free agent Mike Reilly—who are all 25 or younger—will be counted on to give him more breathers. In what is sure to be another Central Division dogfight, how effective the younger players up and down the roster are will go a long way toward deciding if the Wild make the playoffs and get beyond the second round for the first time since 2003.

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PLAYER TO WATCH: Jason Zucker

Las Vegas’ favorite son scored 21 goals in just 51 games during an injury-shortened 2014-15. His return to health and Vanek’s struggles could combine to give Zucker, 23, a permanent top-six role. He chipped in only five assists last season, but that number could improve quickly as he finally gets power play time this season.

PREDICTION: 95 points, sixth in the Central