Minnesota Wild Blew a Whole Summer Without Fixing Their Biggest Weakness at Center

The Minnesota Wild came out of last season feeling pretty good about themselves. They finally had Quinn Hughes. They won a playoff round for the first time in 11 years. And even though the Presidents’ Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche sent them packing in five games during Round 2, it felt like progress. Real progress.

That was then. This summer, general manager Bill Guerin has done some puzzling stuff.

Losing Zuccarello and Johansson hurts more than it should

Marcus Johansson signed in Sweden. Mats Zuccarello took a one year deal with the Los Angeles Kings for just $1 million. Two European forwards who mattered. Zuccarello especially. He had 54 points in 59 games last season while basically living on Kirill Kaprizov’s line. They had chemistry you can’t just recreate. At 38, sure, he’s older. But a million bucks for a guy who still produces at nearly a point per game? That’s a steal. And the Wild let him walk.

Guerin did bring in Blake Coleman from the Flames, but it cost them defenseman Jake Middleton. Coleman is a solid two way player and a two time Stanley Cup winner. But he’s 34 and his offensive numbers have slipped. He put up 39 points two seasons ago and 35 last year. Johansson and Zuccarello combined for more than that in terms of offensive creation. On paper, Minnesota’s forward group took a step back.

The center problem is still there and it’s loud

Here’s the real issue though. The Wild have needed an elite top six center for years. Joel Eriksson Ek is great. He does everything. Plays tough minutes, scores, hits. He’s one of the best two way centers in the league. But after him? It’s thin. Danila Yurov had a decent rookie year with 27 points. Ryan Hartman is a lower lineup guy. Michael McCarron just got a long term deal but he’s a fourth line center at best.

There were options. Vincent Trocheck was on the trade market but Guerin couldn’t make a deal with the Rangers. Trocheck ended up in Utah. Dylan Larkin has been rumored as a target but nothing materialized. Training camp opens in about six weeks and the Wild are essentially running the same group back up the middle. That is a problem.

And it’s not just a roster problem. It’s a Hughes problem. Kirby Hughes has one year left on his contract. He hasn’t signed an extension yet. The Wild gave up a lot to get him from Vancouver. If they can’t prove they’re serious about winning now, that situation could get ugly fast.

The Wild still have a strong defense, star power up front with Kaprizov and Hughes, and Jesper Wallstedt in net. But watching the same weakness go unaddressed all summer feels like a missed window. They’re asking an almost identical group to produce a completely different result. That’s a bet on internal growth that might not pay off.