What makes the Minnesota Wild dangerous?
The Minnesota Wild became the third team from the Western Conference to earn a spot in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with some wondering if this team has what it takes to finally make a run, despite having plateaued recently.
There are a number of star players on the team that can carry the load – Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Brock Faber – as well as the marquee addition of Quinn Hughes earlier this season. On top of that, the Wild have a significant amount of grit and sandpaper that can make them a pain to play against. Brothers Marcus and Nick Foligno are on the same team together, Jonas Brodin and the ever-present Joel Eriksson Ek make this team a unique blend of skill and toughness. They can be ferocious on the puck, with even some of the more skilled players willing to lay the body to make a play.
On Friday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Wild TV color analyst Ryan Carter joined Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton to discuss what makes the Wild a truly dangerous squad.
Ryan Carter: It’s like a hard skill. It’s a team that plays hard, like Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. They’re guys that aren’t afraid to get on the forecheck. They’re not just rush players going east and west crossing the blue line. They play a heavy game. I think you look at the top guy they trust down the middle, Eriksson Ek, he’s not your traditional one centerman.
This team kind of has this mentality and of being a forecheck, being below the goal line, kind of team. So, that has to be present for them to be at their best. I think part of the reason that they’ve kind of been mediocre, if we want to use that word or maybe not their best as of late, is because they’ve kind of been locked in since January 1, where it’s Colorado [No.] 1 in the Central, Dallas 2, Minnesota 3. So, it’s not like they’ve had nothing to play for, but they’ve known where they slot in and where they fit, and I think a lot of it is preparation for a, ‘We’re making the playoffs.’
They knew that was going to be the case, and it’s kind of making sure that they’re healthy, ready to go at that time. I think the coach is probably thinking to himself, like, ‘Hey, you know, you’re playing with fire. If you think you can just turn it on in the final two games of the year and be ready to go.’ So, I think there’s been some urgency as of late, trying to get that structure, that kind of identity back to their game a little bit.
You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…