Ryan Hartman Scratched; Wild May Have Locker Room Issues

The Minnesota Wild are on a three game losing streak and they’re staring down a barrel into one of the most difficult stretches on their 2022-23 schedule. To remedy their struggles, they’ve scratched lineup regulars like Jordan Greenway and Matt Dumba in recent games.

Ryan Hartman Scratched

On Thursday morning, head coach Dean Evason told Paul Allen on KFAN Radio that Ryan Hartman will take his turn in the Xcel Energy Center press box tonight when the Wild play host to the Philadelphia Flyers. Evason made it clear that Hartman’s recent poor play and propensity to commit stupid penalties are the reason for his benching.

Dean Evason tells @PAOnTheMic on @KFAN1003 that Ryan Hartman will be scratched tonight for #mnwild due to his propensity of penalties.

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) January 26, 2023

The Wild’s issues run up and down the roster. Key contributors from last year’s team, like Marcus Foligno, Jordan Greenway and Ryan Hartman, have been shells of themselves so far this season. Pair that with disappointing first halves from Matt Boldy and Calen Addison, and it becomes easy to see why this team is struggling to remain part of the NHL playoff conversation.

Do the Minnesota Wild have locker room problems?

But problems bubbling below ice’s surface that might be even more concerning than the results on it. Recent reports suggest the Minnesota Wild have clear issues inside their locker room.

The most jarring reports surround Jordan Greenway, who (according to Michael Russo – The Athletic) has been missing meetings throughout the season and showing up late on game days. That sort of thing is unlike any reports of unprofessionalism within that we’ve heard about previously.

Greenway {arrived} significantly after the Wild’s 4 p.m. meetings for a 6 p.m. game against the Blues (Jan 8), multiple team sources told The Athletic.

While the Wild didn’t suspend him or fine him — teams often let captains levy fines into a player’s fund, Greenway also missed a meeting earlier this season. One thing is for certain: he drew the organization’s scorn with this latest misstep because he put the lineup in an incredible bind on a second of a back-to-back with no extra healthy forwards available to play.

Michael Russo (The Athletic – Jan 12, 2023)

Then there’s Matt Dumba, who was scratched for two straight games last week as trade rumors swirled. Dean Evason pointed to poor play but reports have come out since that some teammates were left scratching their heads on the timing.

Throw flammable material — like Hartman’s on-ice discipline issues and Alex Goligoski’s frustration at his lack of playing time — on top of this already smoking pile problems, and it seems like the entire 2022-23 campaign is in danger of going up in flames.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan