It was an absolute barn burner against the San Jose Sharks. Neither goaltender could stop a beachball, but no Minnesota Wild fan cared about that. All that mattered was that Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek were back on the ice, and of course, the added bonus of them scoring a combined seven points. The instant impact that these two players had in their return begs the question, are the Wild now a playoff threat?
Minnesota currently has three games remaining in their regular season, and as of right now, they sit in the first wildcard spot (due to having a game in hand compared to the St. Louis Blues). The Wild also have a fairly easier remaining schedule compared to the Blues, and will likely find themselves atop the Blues in the standings. This would give the Wild the pleasure of most likely playing against the Vegas Golden Knights in round one of the NHL playoffs.
Vegas is not a team that wants to disappoint again, after being bounced in the first round last year by the Dallas Stars. They have been nothing short of great this season, and have been overshadowed by the central behemoths. That said, Minnesota, isn’t going to roll over and die either. They have playoff demons of their own (seven consecutive first-round exits) and will use that as motivation come playoff time. Regardless of who their opponent is, it’s going to be an uphill battle after Minnesota slid far in the standings without Kaprizov.
The Wild are finally fully healthy offensively after Kaprizov went down in December with a lower-body injury. Eriksson Ek is also back after missing 21 games with a lower-body injury of his own. Now, they are both back in the lineup, and the Wild’s offense is looking much more formidable. This will hopefully allow trade deadline acquisition Gustav Nyquist to slide into a more consistent and limited role that will maximize his value in the lineup.
There is one other player not mentioned above who could join Minnesota. Zeev Buium, the left-handed defenseman from Denver could be a legitimate game-changer on Minnesota’s blue line. It’s not confirmed that he will play immediately, but boy could he do some damage if the Wild let him into the lineup. An incredible talent, with true game-changing offensive abilities.
The Wild are just about as healthy as a team can be, and there is a real possibility that they can return to their early season form. On December 1, Minnesota was the number-one team in the league, and Kaprizov looked like a legitimate Hart finalist. They had a 16-4-4 record, and the future was bright. A whole lot of injuries and inconsistencies derailed their hopes of competing for the Western Conference, but their threat as a playoff team may be returning. If the Wild can capture the magic they had the first two and a half months of the season, whoever they play come playoff time should be scared.
The team gains back their best defensive and offensive forward in one fell swoop. Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek, while playing different roles, are both extremely important to their team’s success. Kaprizov offers offensive prowess that only a few guys can capture, and his playmaking ability levels up his entire line. Meanwhile, Eriksson Ek is a consistent Selke nominee who adds the necessary depth and defense to the center group.
On top of all this, Filip Gustavsson is finding his form at the right time. He has almost singlehandedly got Minnesota through their slump. He was lights out in March, despite consistent goal support. Now, all he has to do is put it all together in the playoffs. Even though Minnesota just got two of their most important guys back, Gustavsson will still be heavily leaned on come playoff time.
All in all, Wild fans should be glad that Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek are back. Neither of them appeared to have skipped a beat and will provide an instant positive impact to this team. While it might be too soon to get their hopes up about the playoffs, the future is bright in the state of hockey.
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