It’s now been over a decade since the last time the Wild made it to the second round. The 2015 season saw them fall at the hands of the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Chicago Blackhawks, in four games. A year before, they lost in six games to the Blackhawks, the only two times the Wild have made it to the second round since their run to the Western Conference Finals in 2003.

Let’s take a look at how their 2024-25 season went, as well as how their off-season has gone.

How the season went

The Wild started the season strong, owning a 20-6-4 record through their first 30 games, the second-best record in the league. They made some moves before the deadline, the most notable of which saw them trade for young defenceman David Jiříček toward the end of November.

Over their final 52 games, the Wild had a 25-24-7 record, good enough to give them 97 points. Like the St. Louis Blues, the Wild were able to fend off the Calgary Flames to earn a berth in the post-season (I’m not over it).

There, they were able to split the first four games with the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights, and in fact even had a 2-1 lead. Late in Game 5, it looked as if Ryan Hartman scored to push the Golden Knights to the brink, but the goal was disallowed thanks to an offside, and the Golden Knights won in overtime and eventually the series in six games.

Kirill Kaprizov is one of just a handful of true superstars in the league. Last season, he missed half the season, but scored 25 goals and 56 points in 41 games after scoring 40 goals in three consecutive seasons.

Matthew Boldy (27 goals, 73 points) and Marco Rossi (24 goals and 60 points) have emerged as talented young players in their own right, while 37-year-old Mats Zuccarello turned back the clock and scored 19 goals and 54 points in 69 games last season. Like Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek missed significant time in 2024-25, but scored 14 goals and 29 points in 46 games.

Defence is where the Wild are the strongest. Jared Spurgeon scored seven goals and 32 points in 66 games last season, while Brock Faber is one of the best young defencemen in the league, potting 10 goals and 29 points last season. Two other young defencemen, Jiříček and Zeev Buium, have a chance to make a significant impact in 2025-26.

Drafted players

The Wild were without their first-round pick in the 2025 draft, as they sent it to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jiříček. With their second-round pick, the Wild selected defenceman Theodor Hallquisth from Örebro HK Jr. in Sweden.

Moreover, the Wild had three fourth-round picks, selecting forwards Adam Benak, Lirim Amidovski, and Carter Klippenstein. With their final pick, the 141st overall pick, the Wild drafted Victoria Royals’ defenceman Justin Kipkie.

Trades

Since the off-season began, the Wild have been one of the busiest teams in the trade department. On Jun. 26, they sent Frédérick Gaudreau to the Seattle Kraken for a 2025 fourth-round pick in an effort to clear cap. Last season, Gaudreau scored 18 goals and 37 points.

To replace him, the Wild acquired two-time Stanley Cup champion Vladimir Tarasenko from the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations. Tarasenko, a six-time 30-goal scorer, didn’t fit well with the Wings, scoring just 11 goals and 33 points in 80 games.

They also made two minor trades. On Jun. 26, they sent Brendan Gaunce to the Blue Jackets for Cameron Butler. Two days later, they sent a 2025 sixth-round pick and Declan Chisholm to the Washington Capitals for Chase Priskie and a fourth-rounder in the 2025 draft.

Free agent signings

The Wild were quiet on the free agent front, at least when it comes to signing new players. Before the off-season began, they re-signed Marcus Johansson to a one-year deal worth $800,000. Their biggest signing once free agency opened saw them sign Nico Sturm to a two-year deal worth $2 million annually.

In recent times, the Wild signed Rossi to a three-year deal worth $5 million annually. Rossi was a restricted free agent, and although they got that deal done, they still need to find a way to extend Kaprizov.

Departures

Gaudreau is the Wild’s biggest departure, as he was a consistent 15-18 goal scorer the past four seasons. Only two other players have left the team, as Marc-André Fleury retired after a long, illustrious career, and Gustav Nyquist signed with the Jets.

What the team looks like heading into 2025-26

So, how do the Wild shape up heading into 2025-26? In the top six, Eriksson Ek and Rossi will serve as top-six wingers, with Kaprizov, Boldy, Zuccarello, and Tarasenko on the wings. Their two bottom six centre could consist of Danila Yurov and Strum. As for their bottom-six wingers, Liam Ohgren could make an impact in 2024-25, while Ryan Hartman, Marcus Foligno, Yakov Trenin, and Johansson.

Defensively, the Wild have Jake Middleton, Buium, and Zach Bogosian as options on the left side. On the right side, Faber, Spurgeon, and Jiříček are their options. Jonas Brodin is set to miss the start of the season, but his return will add another top-four defender to the Wild’s lineup.

In net, Filip Gustavsson is coming off a strong season where he had a .914 save percentage and 2.56 goals against average in 58 games. He’ll be backed up by top goaltending prospect Jesper Wallstedt.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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