The Minnesota Wild will have a number of young players on their roster this season and a few of them have a chance to be big breakout players. There will be a lot of opportunity with the Wild unable to fill holes during free agency because of a lack of cap space which will give other players more ice time, such as defenseman Brock Faber.
Even the forwards will have some room to work with which will give opportunities to Marco Rossi and fourth-liner Connor Dewar. Both players have a lot of potential and will now have a chance to show what they can do and break out of their shells.
Faber Shows Promise
Matt Dumba may not have found a new team just yet, but it’s likely to happen and the Wild can’t afford him which means they have a top-four spot open, something Faber could fill. He only played two regular season games but he impressed enough to be trusted in the playoffs. He didn’t record any points but he continued to show an amazing level of composure for an NHL rookie who hadn’t even gotten a full season in before jumping to the postseason.
Faber played a tight defensive game with some physicality and didn’t show any signs of nerves. He played like a 31-year-old veteran defenseman rather than a 20-year-old rookie. Last season he didn’t have much time to show what he’s capable of offensively other than two shots on goal during the postseason but one came close to being a goal.
Faber has so much room to grow and it’s clear the talent is there. This season he’ll have the chance to show it off and become even more comfortable in the lineup than he already was. He may have a few hiccups at the beginning since he’s at that awkward time of barely joining the NHL before having a short postseason and now a full offseason before a full NHL season. Usually, players get at least a handful of NHL games in their first season before they even think of being part of the playoffs. His path has been different and it’ll be fun to see how he handles it and shows what he’s truly capable of.
Rossi Can Score
Rossi is an interesting study. He’s an extremely talented player that everyone was expecting to be the next Kirill Kaprizov when he was drafted back in 2020 at ninth overall. He joined the Wild for two games during the 2021-22 season and didn’t have any points but looked promising. He stayed out of the lineup for the rest of that season but earned another chance this past season. He played in 19 games and assisted on one goal for one point and had 13 shots on goal.
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Rossi is following the typical path of most NHL rookies where it takes a few seasons to get adjusted to the NHL. The pressure is on this season as the Wild expect him to take a big step forward and become a fixture on the team. It’s not only expectation however, it’s need as well. They need more scoring and another strong presence down the middle.
Watching Rossi last season, it seemed like he was nearly there, just a step or two back from where he should be. That’s why he’s one of the breakout candidates this season, he has a lot to prove and he wants that permanent roster spot. He will push himself as much as possible to earn it and finally be able to find his game.
Dewar Has More to Prove
The final player on this list is one who had quite the breakout last season but can really show his true potential this season. He’s played two seasons in the NHL, his first was a partial season in 2021-22, and last season he played all but one game. He’s already shown he’s very capable on the penalty kill with three shorthanded goals. At even strength, he had six goals plus 12 assists for 18 points which is decent for a fourth-liner.
Dewar showed a lot of physical talent last season with 124 hits despite his smaller stature at 5-foot-10 and 183 pounds. Clearly, he’s capable in the hit department but he still has room to grow when it comes to offense. He may not be taken seriously by most and that’ll play to his advantage in terms of scoring goals. He has scoring talent but being on the fourth line makes it difficult to utilize.
Dewar, like the other two, will be fun to watch as his game continues to mature and he finds new ways to produce in both hits and scoring. He’ll be strong on the penalty kill again next season but he’s a hungry player and will find ways to score.
Wild’s Roster
The Wild’s roster will look different this season and there will be a lot of young players on the list including these three. They’ll all be looking to prove they’ve earned their roster spots which will give them a lot of potential to be breakout candidates. Hopefully, they’ll live up to their potential and help the Wild be successful in 2023-24.
