The Minnesota Wild’s regular season is right around the corner, and with that comes predictions, expectations, and a list of questions. As training camp continues, the main topic on everyone’s mind is who will make the final roster with so few spots open. Of course, the discussions also include goaltending, line combinations, and special teams.
In this article, we’ll examine some of the questions the Wild will face at the beginning of the season. These will range from goaltending to consistency to everything in between. First up will be goaltending because that’s easily the biggest question and something discussed in nearly every article about the season.
1: Are the Wild Going to Use Three Goaltenders?
Simply put, yes, they are, but just for the beginning of the season. They want to give Marc-André Fleury, Filip Gustavsson, and Jesper Wallstedt a chance to show what they can do. While Fleury and Gustavsson will likely be the main two goaltenders throughout the season, that doesn’t mean Wallstedt hasn’t earned a chance.
However, the biggest problem with three goaltenders is the Wild’s current cap space, which is very small at $756,410, according to PuckPedia. Currently, that’s not enough to bring up anyone in case of injury, which will change once the regular season starts, but not without help by sending someone like Wallstedt back to the Iowa Wild in the American Hockey League.
Also, as head coach John Hynes pointed out on the first day of training camp, they want Wallstedt to be playing, whether in the NHL or AHL. He needs to play games, and whatever situation is best at that time will be where he lands. He’s a young goaltender who is still gaining experience, so being in the AHL will not be detrimental to him. Hynes also used the word “fluid” to describe their goaltending, which is the best way to describe it because it’s always changing.
2: Will Ryan Hartman Keep His Temper in Check?
Everyone who’s seen Ryan Hartman play knows his game has a bit of fire to it, and he runs pretty hot, but that’s what makes him hard to play against. The problem is when he lets it boil over and ends up in the penalty box or worse, as it did at the end of last season, when he had to watch from the sidelines due to a suspension.
However, Hartman has proved he can keep himself in check and still play a hard game, so when Hynes was…
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