Minnesota Wild Team Record, Trades, Team Analysis and NHL Prediction

The Minnesota Wild hit the ice this season, determined to reestablish themselves as playoff contenders despite navigating a puzzling era. With a mix of fresh talent and seasoned players, they’re set on proving their resilience and competitiveness. Keep up with the Minnesota Wild’s records, stats, and odds as they fight to reclaim their place among the league’s contenders and forge a new path forward.

Minnesota Wild Record – Last Season Recap

The 2023-24 Minnesota Wild’s standings showed its worst season since 2018-19. This led to the dismissal of head coach Dean Evason. Minnesota went under its NHL odds point projection since that season (excluding the pandemic-shortened 2019-20).

Final 2023-24 Record:

Minnesota finished with 87 points, below the preseason expectation of 96.5 points. The Wild’s 39 wins are their fewest since 2018-19. But the Wild played at a 95-point pace since the coaching change, which still put them lower than the projection.

Top Performers:

Kirill Kaprizov led the Wild with 46 goals and 96 points. Matt Boldy also rebounded from a slow start to finish with 69 points while Brock Faber emerged as a rookie defenseman with 47 points. He finished second to Connor Bedard in the Calder Trophy voting for the NHL’s best rookie.

Minnesota Wild Trades (Additions and Subtractions)

The Minnesota Wild traded with the Boston Bruins for two young players. These should hardly impact their Stanley Cup odds, however.

Key Departures:

F Mason Shaw

Key Additions:

F Travis Boyd
F Devin Shore
F Yakov Trenin

The Wild’s moves focused on reshuffling its young players. Minnesota has the makings of a rebuilding team, but one that can contend for a playoff spot. It can be a shrewd NHL pick given its underdog status.

Wild Prediction for the 2024-25 NHL Season

Keep an eye on Minnesota Wild predictions as this team could be much better than the previous season. Young players can make big steps forward so watch out for Minnesota.

Regular Season Wins Prediction

Minnesota is listed at 93.5 points, around the same pace it was playing under John Hynes. The Wild will be a fringe playoff team if they get within this points range.

Playoff Chances

The Wild can cash on its NHL playoff odds if they go well over their projected 93.5-point pace. Minnesota finished at 100+ points or were on pace for it in the three seasons prior to 2023-24. It’s not improbable for the Wild to do this again.

Key Players to Watch

Filip Gustavsson had an awful 2023-24. His decreased productivity was a big reason why Minnesota fell under expectations. But the goaltender is still just 26 and can have a bounce-back year. Should he post similar stats to 2022-23 (.931 save percentage), Minnesota can outperform its projections.

Coaching Analysis

John Hynes was able to get Minnesota back on track last season. If he can get them back to the playoffs, this would be a step in the right direction. Still, neither Hynes nor the Wild have won a playoff series since he became a head coach in the NHL.

For more expert picks and analysis, visit our comprehensive NHL Predictions section.