Written by Tom Schreier
In terms of the free agency market, with the exception of dealing with our own free agents, and we’ll try to deal with as many of those guys as we can, we’re not really looking at this point to be a big player.
— Wild GM Chuck Fletcher after the Blackhawks sweep, 5/11/15
It would be tempting for the Minnesota Wild brass to blow things up after being swept by the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year. It would appease some of the fan base, for the time being, and “hold people accountable” for the devastating postseason result — except that dismantling the roster would not accomplish either task in the long run.
Ultimately, fans will be happy with winning, and team chemistry is an important ingredient to sustainable success in the NHL. Mass firings don’t hold people accountable, anyways: The new coach comes into a messy situation that he can’t do much about right away, the players on the roster feel expendable and therefore little loyalty to the club they play for and the constant roster shuffling only buys time for a general manager who doesn’t have a concrete vision for the team.
What the Wild are doing right now is the right thing, even if it might not mean a complete overhaul. The Blackhawks remain in the division, of course, and will have to be surpassed in order for Minnesota to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals. Thomas Vanek still needs to prove that he hasn’t lost his scoring touch, Mikko Koivu might no longer be a top six forward, and there’s still three goalies on the roster. But many young players are fully capable of taking a step forward next year, and would be better able to do so with familiar faces in the locker room and stable ownership that have bestowed support to both general manager Chuck Fletcher and embattled head coach Mike Yeo.
Nino Niederreiter is capable of scoring 30 goals per year. Jonas Brodin has proven that he’s an upper-tier defensive-defensemen in the NHL. Marco Scandella is a great two-way defensemen. Jason Zucker came into his own last year after spending the first three years bouncing between the NHL and AHL. Charlie Coyle has size and developed a mean streak last year. Mikael Granlund, who recently signed a two-year extension, is the team’s first-line center. All are 25 or under: Either in the prime of their respective careers or about to enter it.
Add Matt Dumba, who could be a top-4 defensemen next year, to the mix, as well as Jordan Schroeder and recently signed Mike Reilly, and the Wild have a strong young corps to work with. “There’s no sense boxing these young kids out, they’re ready,” Fletcher told the Star Tribune recently. “They all deserve an opportunity to grab more ice time and get a bigger share of the pie.”
Things will have to change if Minnesota plans on navigating through the Central Division and past the Blackhawks in the playoffs, and the difference will be made up primarily by the youth. The Wild has a strong leadership group and proven veterans, but at this stage in their careers, they’re less likely to dramatically improve like a younger player. In the end, they are there to do what they have a track record of doing, be it two-way play from Zach Parise, eating minutes along the blue line as Ryan Suter has always done or be a dynamic goal-scorer in Vanek’s case.
Minnesota also re-signed veterans Nate Prosser and Ryan Carter, making this year’s team very similar to last year’s, even among the depth players.
The stability up and down the organization, from ownership to the players, should help the youth reach their peak quicker than they otherwise would because of the leadership they will benefit from. It also shows confidence on Fletcher’s behalf that he believes in the guys his management team has drafted and developed. In the end, it’s more important to make headlines at the end of the year than in free agency, and sometimes the lack of moves are the best ones to make.
“We were pretty happy sitting on the sidelines today,” Fletcher said on the first day of free agency. “We like our team.” The hope is that by sitting on the sidelines now, the Wild won’t be after the second round of the playoffs next year.
Tom Schreier writes for 105 The Ticket’s Cold Omaha. Tune in to The Wake Up Call every Sunday at 8:00 am to hear the crew break down the week in Minnesota sports.