Like the Jets, Stars, and Avalanche, the Wild were a playoff team thanks to a strong start. Through their first 30 games, they went 20-6-4 for 44 points. On Dec. 15, only the Winnipeg Jets were ahead of them in the standings.

By early March, the Wild were 34-22-4 (72 points), tied with the Avalanche for third in the division. Before the deadline, they acquired David Jiříček (late November), Gustav Nyquist, and Justin Brazeau — not big-game hunting, but enough to make the team better.

They finished 45-30-7 (97 points), claiming the first wild card, or the seventh-seed. From Dec. 16 onward, the Wild were 25-24-7, and their poor play nearly cost them a spot as the Flames made it interesting; a 3-2 overtime win over the Ducks in Game 82 sealed it.

In Round 1 against the Golden Knights, the teams split the first two games, and the Wild led 2-1 at one point. In a pivotal Game 5, Ryan Hartman scored with 75 seconds left, but it was called back for offside. In overtime, Brett Howden scored the winner. Back in St. Paul for Game 6, Vegas won another hard-fought game, 3-2, sending the Wild home in the first round again.

Making the playoffs hasn’t been the issue for this middling Minnesota franchise. Since 2012-13, the Wild have missed only twice, but they haven’t escaped the first round since 2014-15 (swept by Chicago), with their last second-round win coming in 2013-14 (lost in six to Chicago). Historically, the franchise has been middling, reaching the Western Conference Final just once, in 2003 (swept). That said, the core looks like its headed in the right direction.

Kirill Kaprizov is a true superstar, scoring 25 goals and 56 points in 41 games last season after three straight 40-goal years before 2024-25. Matt Boldy led the team with 27 goals and 73 points. Marco Rossi posted 24 goals and 60 points in 82 games and inked a three-year, $5 million AAV deal. On defence, Brock Faber had 10 goals and 29 points in 78 games.

They have some productive veteran forwards as well. Mats Zuccarello scored 19 goals and 54 points in 69 games, Marcus Johansson scored 11 goals and 34 points in 72 games, Joel Eriksson Ek scored 14 goals and 29 points in 46 games, Marcus Foligno scored 14 goals and 29 points in 77 games, and Ryan Hartman scored 11 goals and 26 points.

Their blend of young talent and veterans also extends to the blue line. On top of Faber, the Wild have young talents in Jiříček and Zeev Buium. Veterans on the backend are Jared Spurgeon, Zach Bogosian, Jonas Brodin, and Jacob Middleton. In net, the Wild will likely run a tandem of Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt.

The Wild were busy this off-season. On June 26, they traded Frédérick Gaudreau to Seattle for a pick, freeing cap space. They also made several smaller deals, acquiring Cameron Butler from Columbus for Brendan Gaunce, along with Chase Priskie and a draft pick for Declan Chisholm. On June 30, they added two-time Stanley Cup champion Vladimir Tarasenko from Detroit for cap considerations.

They were quieter in free agency. Nico Sturm signed a two-year deal at $2 million annually, and they signed former Oil farmhands Tyler Pitlick and Ben Gleason for AHL depth.

Gaudreau, who scored a8 goals and 37 points in 82 games, is the main departure. Future Hall of Fame goalie Marc-André Fleury retired, and Nyquist signed with the Jets.

The Wild have a strong core, with a nice blend of young players, players in their prime, and veterans. That bodes well for their postseason chances, but the Wild are in a stacked division that features Stanley Cup contenders in the Jets, Avalanche, and Stars, while the St. Louis Blues and Utah Mammoth are playoff contenders.

Right now, Minnesota’s goal should be to get into the second round and actually win a game. If they can have another hot start like they did last season and stay healthy, they’ll put themselves in a good position to do just that.

The biggest thing to watch for moving forward is Kaprizov, who’s set to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2025-26 season. The 28-year-old winger is looking to get paid more than Leon Draisaitl on his next deal.