MN Wild a Top Darkhorse Contender?

Thursday night the Minnesota Wild kick off their 2025-26 season. It’s a highly-anticipated year as the franchise kicks off their quarter-century of existence. They have multiple anniversary games scheduled and will bring back the original sweaters.

Kirill Kaprizov signed an eight-year contract extension with the belief that he’s playing for a franchise that can win a Stanley Cup. Of course he’ll be a key part of that equation, and the hope is that the team can contend this year.

The first round of the playoffs have been the Wild’s bugaboo, but they have emerged as a dark horse contender to win it all this year.

Stanley Cup aspirations for the Minnesota Wild

Hope springs eternal before the first puck drop of the season, and that has every franchise on a near-equal sheet of ice. The Minnesota Wild need to get over the hump and escape the first round, but some writers at The Athletic believe more is in store.

Polling their staff, The Athletic had 35 respondents vote for a dark horse Cup contender. Minnesota checked in third behind Florida and New Jersey.

The thing we need to keep in mind is that Bill Zito might have $10 million in new cap room to pull a rabbit out of his hat. That alone increases their odds beyond what the model projects for the current roster. The Devils and Wild are good choices after all the injuries they went through last year, though.

James Mirtle – The Athletic

Yeah, I went with Minnesota here. If Kirill Kaprizov stays healthy and Filip Gustavsson is at his best, they have to be taken seriously.

Sean Gentille – The Athletic

It’s a bit odd to see the Florida Panthers, repeat Stanley Cup champions, called a “dark horse” team to do it for a third time. That would be impressive, but it’s hardly out of the realm of possibility.

As Gentille points out, Kirill Kaprizov’s health is a key part of the equation. He has played in 80 games just once during his five-year career, and three times has failed to reach 70. Last season Kaprizov played in just 41 games, and Minnesota not having his talent on the ice was crushing.

Kaprizov has scored 40 or more goals three times for the Wild. How much offense he can generate in the first year of his new deal will be key. Minnesota appears to be down veterans Mats Zuccarello and Nico Sturm for quite some time. They’ll need other players to step up in their absence.

Goalie transition must go smoothly for MN Wild

Last season the Minnesota Wild employed Marc-Andre Fleury and Filip Gustavsson as their top netminders. Fleury has since hung up his skates and will waltz into the Hall of Fame. Gustavsson is an established veteran and just signed a five-year contract extension. The worry is about what’s behind him.

Jesper Wallstedt has been a highly-touted prospect since Minnesota drafted him in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft. He has just five NHL games under his belt though, and the results have been mixed. He hasn’t instilled a significant amount of confidence in Iowa, but the kid gloves are now fully off.

If the Wild are going to win a Cup, they have to have solid play from their netminders. That means it’s a solid season from Gustavsson as the starter, and competent play from Wallstedt as the backup. If John Hynes can rely on that pairing, they may have the pieces to make it work.