The Minnesota Wild failed to make the National Hockey League playoffs last spring for the first time since 2012, and general manager Paul Fenton took the fall for it. In one season, he either made bad trades involving popular players such as Nico Niederriter and Charlie Coyle to playoff-bound teams, or none at all. Jason Zucker remains in Minnesota in spite of Fenton's best efforts to trade him.
It took until after the NHL Draft and free agency (for which the Wild were non-factors) for team owner Craig Leipold to realize his mistake and fired Fenton after one season. He was replaced by Bill Guerin, a former player who had been assistant general manager for the Pittsburgh Penguins and general manager for the Penguins' minor league affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA.
Guerin inherits a team that has had no real roster changes since Fenton left. Matt Dumba and Mikko Koivu are both back from injuries that kept them from playing much of last season.. Jared Spurgeon (who just signed a seven-year contract extension), Ryan Donato and Mats Zuccarello are ready to contribute. But the goaltending is a question mark with Devan Dubnyk and Alex Stalock trying to do what Minnesota's defense can't.
Coach Bruce Boudreau is in the last year of his contract, and on his third general manager. What he has to do is clear: Get the Wild in the playoffs, and maybe go past the first round. Or else Guerin can start housecleaning. That process might take years. The NHL's Central Division is so tough that they might have a difficult time staying out of mediocrity. Look for a second year of an early spring exit.
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Our Top 8 teams from each conference:
WEST: Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, Winnipeg Jets, San Jose Sharks, Nashville Predators.
EAST: Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins. Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning.
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