The Wild Got It Wrong in 2012. They Must Get it Right in 2021.

It was a tough summer in the state of hockey, but it was perhaps the moment that was long needed and borderline overdue. Minnesota Wild’s Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, the two stud American hockey players (both from Minnesota, to boot), were given the news they would be getting the final four years of their 13-year, $98 million contracts bought out. This almost feels like a divorce after a marriage that both sides tried to make work for a very long time but the nadir finally reared itself in a time of great turmoil. The turmoil being the pandemic and the Wild’s sudden resurgence with a new superstar at the helm. The fallout hasn’t fully settled yet from Parise and Suter’s departure, but this marks a new era in Wild history. One where they just do not make the same mistakes they made with Parise and Suter. 

It would be wrong to blame Parise and Suter for the problems they unintentionally caused Minnesota over their tenure. When you have two players signed to that cap hit, for such a prolonged period of time, you’re going to struggle to fit in all the pieces that would create a championship contender. The ironic part about that is Parise and Suter were both brought in for that exact reason, to make the Wild a contender. What ended up happening was a moderate success. Playoff berths, but usually first or second-round exits that ultimately made those contracts stick out like sore thumbs. To make it worse, Parise dropped off monumentally after 2012; he never got back to the form he had with the New Jersey Devils when they went to the Cup Final that year. Suter was serviceable but years of playing physically caused him to decline rapidly as the years wore by. Because of these contracts, more role players exited the Wild faster than needed. Some left in free agency, some like Jason Zucker were ultimately flipped in trades to clear cap space. But when you get blessed with defenders like Matt Dumba and Jared Spurgeon, you can’t lose them for nothing. It wasn’t Parise and Suter’s fault ex-GM Chuck Fletcher mismanaged the roster and led to the Wild falling off like they did in 2017, but when the going got tough, the Minnesota duo was the whipping boy for the media and sometimes the fans. It was tough to watch rivals like the Blackhawks and Blues win Stanley Cups. The State of Hockey is still searching for that elusive Stanley Cup...

Now, the Wild finally have something they haven't felt in a long time...actual hope. It comes in the form Joel Eriksson Ek, signed to an 8-year, $42 million contract this summer, and at age 24, he has become a focal point of the new Wild. Another in Kevin Fiala, acquired from Nashville in the Mikael Granlund trade, who also got a nice 1-year contract after arbitration, to keep them in the fold. But then there lies the cotton burr in the fold. Kirill Kaprizov came over from Russia and tore up the NHL en route to a Calder Trophy winner for Rookie of the Year. He proved he is an elite talent: 27 goals, 51 points in 55 games played. Outrageous production for a first-year NHLer. Yet, the man known as The Thrill is not sure if he wants to stay in North America. He longs for his home country, but he isn't backing out entirely. His agent wants a 4-year deal, but GM Bill Guerin wants long-term stability. He's looking for Kirill to sign for 8 years, with a lot of guaranteed money, but Kaprizov just doesn't know if he wants to stay around. The Wild were a great regular season team in 2021, but they were outclassed by their expansion counterparts in Vegas in the first round of the playoffs, even though it went the full 7 games. Kaprizov might be questioning whether the Wild has the team to actually win a Stanley Cup, or maybe he really just wants to play in Russia. Some guys love the KHL, the culture, and it is his home. Whatever it is, this is where Minnesota cannot mess up. However, the Wild were still able to ink their stud rookie to a 5-year, $45 million contract. The time is now for Minnesota to prove they are true Stanley Cup contenders.

Since Eriksson Ek and Kaprizov to these deals show the Wild are looking serious, but on the ice, they must play like they are serious. Dean Evanson's coaching has definitely been bought into by management and the players alike, but to avoid mistakes of the past, with Suter and Parise, the Wild have to get over these hurdles. Even making a Western Conference Final would be seen as true growth, but another first-round exit will signify nothing has truly changed. The Wild got it wrong in 2012; they must get it right in 2021.