It’s the month of February and Valentine’s Day just passed which means it’s time to look at the three players who’ve worked their way into the hearts of Minnesota Wild fans this season. These were players that weren’t necessarily on the team last season or they joined the roster after the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline.
Players like Kirill Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello, Marc-André Fleury, Jared Spurgeon, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Matt Dumba have all been in fans’ hearts since they started playing for the Wild but others have had to earn it. Those players were Jake Middleton, Mason Shaw, Filip Gustavsson, and possibly an honorable mention as well.
Wild’s Beloved “Midsy”
Jake Middleton didn’t have to work too hard to earn the love of fans after being traded to the Wild from the San Jose Sharks at the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline. His laid-back, go-with-the-flow personality has made him difficult not to like and that classic handle-bar mustache is one to remember. His personality makes him a great candidate for interviews and after almost a whole year of listening to him, no one’s been disappointed.
While Middleton’s off-ice characteristics make him seem like a normal everyday person, in reality, he is an NHL player and his play has earned him just as much love as his personality. He’s not a top defender like Brodin or Spurgeon and he doesn’t put up as many points, but his consistent, disciplined style of play works well in the defensive core. He’s not afraid to block a shot or try skating deep in the offensive zone either.
Lately, Middleton has taken a big step in his game both offensively and defensively. He’s been doing the right thing every time and getting his stick involved just enough to tip opponent passes and break up plays. Most of the time his great play goes unnoticed because it’s what’s expected, but his recent play has also earned him an even bigger spot in the hearts of Wild fans.
Wild’s Gritty Shaw
There’s almost no better success story than a player who’s had to work their way from the bottom up and overcome injuries along the way. Shaw is that player and has finally made his way to the NHL after a very long road. Before his debut, he had to heal from not one but three ACL tears and after the last one, it wasn’t clear if he’d ever get to join the Wild.
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Fast forward to now and Shaw has not only healed from those injuries but is making a name for himself as an integral part of the Wild’s fourth line. His hard work at the beginning of the season earned him a permanent spot in the lineup and while he’s hit a few rough spots, he’s still working on his game.
Shaw’s physicality fits well on the fourth line where he’s typically alongside Connor Dewar, Brandon Duhaime, or Ryan Reaves. He’s also done extremely well when he has been deployed on the penalty kill, as he and Dewar in particular have made a great pairing. Even more importantly, he’s been in and out of the lineup over the last month or so but has kept his head up and played hard every chance he’s gotten. Hopefully, he’ll continue that heads-up style of play and earn himself more ice time in the future.
Wild’s Goaltending Surprise
After the Wild re-signed Fleury to a new contract over the summer, there was some discord with Cam Talbot who was then traded. The Wild got Filip Gustavsson in the trade and at the time it seemed like a bad deal for them. However, as of late he has proven everyone wrong and shown he can step up and play lights out when needed.
Gustavsson’s calm demeanor and ability to make game-saving saves like his counterpart, Fleury, has given fans a reason to fall in love with him. His most recent success was being in net for the Wild’s big win over the New Jersey Devils, as without his play, there was no way they would’ve won that game and had a chance to turn their season around.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens at the end of this season since the Wild will have to decide to keep or let go of Gustavsson. Fans may only have a short time left to cheer for him while he’s wearing a Wild sweater and hopefully, he can shake off this recent loss to the Florida Panthers and help his team secure some more wins.
Wild’s Honorable Mention
While Middleton, Shaw, and Gustavsson found their way into fans’ hearts this season, an honorable mention goes to Marco Rossi. He didn’t get a lot of time to show what he’s made of before being sent down to the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League but fans quickly fell in love with him. He’s quick on his feet and a great puck handler and fans can’t wait to see him back in the NHL.
It’s unclear if Rossi will be brought back up at any point this season but if the Wild’s offense keeps struggling, they may have no choice. Regardless, they are starting to spiral again and they need to figure out what their issues are and fix them. Time is running out and hopefully, they can still resurrect their season with these beloved players.
