It’s Valentine’s Day, so it’s time to look at the Minnesota Wild roster and see what players have caught fans’ eyes this season. Of course, there are the fan favorites who have been since they hit the ice the first time, like Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Jared Spurgeon, and Jonas Brodin.
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Last season, the player who captured fans’ hearts was Jake Middleton, whose personality is enough to make anyone smile. Next was Mason Shaw, whose dedication to his play would earn any fan’s respect. Filip Gustavsson was the final player on the list, who surprised everyone with his outstanding play, while Marco Rossi earned an honorable mention and struggled last season to make it onto the roster. Fans didn’t have much time to fall in love with Rossi’s play, but in 2023-24, that all changed, and he’s the first on the list this season.
Wild Fans Love Marco
Now that Rossi has been put on the roster permanently, fans can see him every night and how much his game has improved. Everyone heard the stories about him staying in Minnesota during the offseason, missing his sister’s wedding to work out and improve his game, and he did just that. His stats have shown that he has more confidence in his game.
He’s played in 52 games this season and scored 14 goals plus 15 assists for 29 points, placing him sixth in points on the Wild’s roster. His finesse skating and puck-handling abilities have made him a fan favorite, and his pest-like attitude is almost a mirror-image of Joel Eriksson Ek. Rossi constantly circles around the net and gets on opponents’ last nerves. Personally, I love his play this season and can’t wait to see where he goes next season.
Wild’s Hometown Faber Wins Hearts
Many thought it was a mistake when the Wild traded Kevin Fiala for Brock Faber and the 19th pick in the 2022 Draft that would become Liam Ohgren. Faber was still in college then, and of course, it isn’t always a certainty who a team will draft. However, when Faber came to the Wild after his college days ended, he surprised many people.
Related: Wild Rookies Faber & Rossi Deserve More National Attention
His ability to fit right into the lineup despite not having time to do so and his veteran-like presence despite being a rookie surprised many fans. He has excellent hockey IQ and always seems to make the right play, and even when he doesn’t, he makes up for his mistakes. He owns his mistakes and always takes the blame upon himself. He’s a mature player for his age and has excellent potential. He’s quickly become one of my favorite players to watch, and he’s a player fans have fallen in love with.
Wild’s Mermis Works Way Up
This last one may still be working his way into fan’s hearts but he’s done a decent job so far. Dakota Mermis was put on the roster after injuries started to mount, and he’s become somewhat of a permanent fixture, especially with Jared Spurgeon out for the season. He’s earned his way and worked hard to get to his position, and fans have noticed. The defense has had its share of hardships this season between injuries and mistakes made by certain players, but having Mermis in the lineup has helped.
He’s still working on refining his game to become a more solid-performing defenseman, but he always puts in 100 percent effort and plays with his head up. With more time in the NHL, he’ll get more experience and rise up the ranks from third pair to possibly second or first eventually. Like Rossi and Faber, Mermis has much potential to grow his game and become a veteran NHLer.
Wild’s Bright Future & Honorable Mention
The Wild are lucky to have players their fans love, and these three are on that list. They have a bright future with these players and many more prospects in the minors. While these three are the new players added to the list, there is one who deserves an honorable mention as fans continue to fall increasingly in love with him.
Marc-André Fleury is that player, and he seems to find new ways to make fans love him more than they already do. He has a winning smile and a heartwarming personality that fits well with his solid goaltending style. It’ll be interesting to see what players make the list next season, and hopefully, the Wild can continue this winning streak they are currently on.
