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Pre-Scout: Can the Oilers enact revenge on the Minnesota Wild?
Jan 29, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov (97) celebrates his empty net goal against the Calgary Flames during the third period at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
Photo credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
Michael Menzies
Jan 31, 2026, 11:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 30, 2026, 20:59 EST
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Maybe Edmonton Oilers fans can resonate with this quote from Minnesota Wild coach Jon Hynes. 
“The one thing I will say is that when you go through 82 games, they’re not all gonna be Picassos, right?” said Hynes. 
Right you are, Mr. Hynes. Both teams would approach this ethos from different angles after their last efforts.  
The Oilers are coming off a bizarre three-goal come-from-behind 4-3 win in overtime over the San Jose Sharks that spanned the full range of emotions. 
The Wild also won their last game in Calgary on Thursday night by a 4-1 score. But it lacked…and could say more about the state of the Flames than the Wild. 
Minnesota was up 2-0 at the first intermission, but were outshot 13-3. In total, the Wild had just three High Danger Chances at 5-on-5 in the whole game, according to Natural Stat Trick. Filip Gustavsson was tidy in a 29-save victory. 
“But good teams find ways to win, even when you’re not at your best. We got the goaltending when we needed it. Obviously, early in the game, or throughout the game, the penalty kill came through for us to keep the score where it was, and then we had our opportunities on the power play,” Hynes continued. 
“We were able to find a way to finish. I think that is a good sign, but I think we all know it wasn’t our best tonight.”

When you’re best are the best

Minnesota’s victory vaulted them over the Dallas Stars momentarily for second in the Central, as all three playoff teams in the division have been playing roughly .500 hockey in their last 10 games. 
Since the Oilers last played the Wild in December, the Wild have put together a 9-5-5 run. No longer on that wicked hot streak, but settling into a nip-and-tuck race against the Stars for home-ice advantage. 
Quinn Hughes’ ability to play all the minutes has helped them get through injuries. Jonas Brodin missed his eighth consecutive game against CGY. Zach Bogosian has been out for a dozen games. 
Matt Boldy only missed a week and has been back in the lineup for three games. He’s scored twice with two assists in those contests, and only needs one more point to reach 300 for his career. 
Joel Eriksson Ek, who I’m sure Hynes will try to attach to McDavid’s hip tonight, also has 20 points in his last 20 games. Knoblauch will be well served to use the last chance in this matchup. 
The December 2nd 1-0 shutout snapped an eight-game McDavid point streak vs MIN. He has one point in the two head-to-heads this year. 

A wall on the move?

Do the Wild start the Great Wall of St. Paul? 
Jesper Wallstedt is no longer performing like Dominik Hasek, with five of his last eight outings being below a .900 save percentage, but he snapped a three-game personal losing skid on January 27. 
What do you make then that Wallstedt could be dangled as a valuable trade piece – and not just by online neck-beards, but Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman? 
I’m not sure, but general manager Bill Guerin is focused on wins this post-season. 
I’ve said it before when the Kaprizov contract discussion was hot: if the Wild played in a different market, they would be clowned on by general hockey media for having lost eight straight playoff series. Only two playoff rounds won since the 2004-05 lockout! 
They are linked to Nazem Kadri. The future is now, according to Guerin. 

This guy

A word on Kirill. 
In his last seven games, he’s been held under two points just once, with 14 total points in that stretch. By surpassing the 60-point plateau for the fourth season in his career, he’s tied Marian Gaborik for most in franchise history.
I still can’t believe he’s going to be a $17 million player, but damn, he’s good. 

Notes: 

  • Quinn Hughes has 11 points on this current seven-game point and assist streak. That ties a franchise record for longest assist streak with Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Suter. 
  • NHL Stats also reports that his 25 assists in 23 Wild games tied him with Paul Coffey and Sergei Zubov as the fastest blueliners to record 25 helpers with a new franchise. 
  • But after their games Thursday, it was not Hughes who stood at the top of the d-man points pyramid, but Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard, of course. 
  • Bouchard has 11 points in his four-game point streak. He also has 11 career points vs MIN. 
  • Before Thursday’s games were played, the Oilers were second in the NHL in High Danger Chances since Dec. 31, according to Natural Stat Trick. You’ll never guess who was first. The Vancouver Canucks, who have averaged the fewest goals per game in that span. 
  • Ryan Hartman played in his 700th career game Thursday. 
  • Trent Frederic’s goalless drought is now 30 games, the third longest stretch of his career. However, his line with Curtis Lazar and Mattias Janmark was dominant last game and they appear to have chemistry.
  • The Wild powerplay scored one of their two attempts vs Calgary. They are knocking on the door of top-5 man advantages in the league.
  • This is just an odd one-game roadie for the Wild. They’ll return home to play the Habs on Monday night, then back on the road on Wednesday to Nashville. 
  • Meanwhile, this is the seventh straight home game for the Oilers. They’ve got 4-2 on the homestand. 
  • This ends the Oilers-Wild season series. Can the Oilers dare to win their fourth in a row on their first attempt? 
Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and has been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, he also collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues.

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