The regular season is officially underway for some teams, but the Minnesota Wild are still stuck in the preseason for one more game against the Dallas Stars. The Wild will hope to close their preseason schedule with another win after dropping just one of the six games they’ve completed so far. Their latest win came on Oct. 6 against the Chicago Blackhawks in a 4-1 contest that saw star prospect Marco Rossi slot in on the top line between the dynamic duo of Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello.
Related: 10 Wild Prospects You Need to Watch in 2022-23
If Wild fans weren’t excited about the potential of the ninth-overall pick from the 2020 Draft, they certainly are now. He was easily the best player in the game with a goal and an assist to improve to a team-best eight points (two goals and six assists) in five games played. Whilst Rossi will not be starting the season on that top line, it is a very good sign that the recently turned 21-year-old can perform in such an elevated role already. Once given some time to adjust to NHL-level play it should only be a matter of time before we see him in an elevated role permanently.
Minnesota Wild Projected Lineup
Being the last chance for a tune-up, the Wild will show off their full lineup for the first time, excluding the injured Jordan Greenway and Jon Merrill who are expected to miss the first five to 10 games due to injury.
Kirill Kaprizov – Ryan Hartman – Mats Zuccarello
Tyson Jost – Joel Eriksson Ek – Marcus Foligno
Freddy Gaudreau – Sam Steel – Matt Boldy
Connor Dewar – Marco Rossi – Brandon Duhaime
Alex Goligoski – Jared Spurgeon
Jonas Brodin – Matt Dumba
Jake Middleton – Calen Addison
Marc-Andre Fleury – Filip Gustavsson
With the first line being as strong as it was last year, there was no chance it would be broken up. Tyson Jost will get a well-deserved look at an elevated position on the second line filling in for Greenway, as his offensive talents that were on display in preseason games may help that line become a significant offensive threat on top of being a defensive juggernaut. The depth of players found in the bottom six is crazy as both of those lines are equally as dangerous and equally as likely to provide some very solid secondary scoring.
It appears the test of slotting Jonas Brodin next to Jared Spurgeon on the first defence pairing was not to the coach’s liking, as Alex Goligoski has returned to that top pairing, and Brodin is back beside his long-time partner Matt Dumba. Perhaps the most interesting pairing is Jacob Middleton next to Calen Addison on the third pairing. Middleton brings size and a very solid defensive game next to a smaller, much more offensively inclined Addison. If those two can find a rhythm and learn to cover for each other’s weak points, that pairing could be significant moving forward.
Dallas Stars Projected Lineup
The Stars put their fans through a stressful offseason as they waited for them to sign star Jason Robertson; however, they can now rejoice as he has finally agreed to a four-year extension worth $31 million ($7.75 million yearly cap hit). Unfortunately for them, but perhaps fortunate for the Wild, he is not listed on the roster for tonight’s game.
Luke Glendening – Roope Hintz – Joe Pavelski
Mason Marchment – Tyler Seguin – Denis Gurianov
Jamie Benn – Wyatt Johnston – Riley Damiani
Jacob Peterson – Radek Faksa – Joel Kiviranta
Miro Heiskanen – Jani Hakanpaa
Esa Lindell – Nils Lundkvist
Colin Miller – Joel Hanley
Jake Oettinger – Scott Wedgewood
The Stars are not having an optimal preseason as they have only managed to collect two wins out of their six games completed so far, but they have also been without their star offensive talent for all of those. They will be searching for some offensive flair tonight as they have managed just one goal in each of their past two games, both of which were against the Colorado Avalanche.
Key Players to Watch
Minnesota Wild – Ryan Hartman
If there was ever a player that deserves the position he is in because of his work ethic and drive, it is Ryan Hartman. Hartman had a long road to get the Wild, struggled to find his game in the bottom of the lineup, then put his head down and committed to improving his game as much as he could. His hard work was rewarded with an opportunity to play as a first-line centre between a superstar duo and he has played that role excellently.
Hartman may not be the same caliber of player that Rossi will likely turn out to be, but he is exactly the kind of player that Kaprizov and Zuccarello need on their line to thrive. He keeps his stick down, battles hard for the puck to get it to the playmakers, and is not afraid to take the shot. Any player that puts up 34 goals and 31 assists in a season without missing a single game is not just a passenger on their line, that player is valuable. While there is no doubt Rossi will eventually be an option on the top line, I think fans massively underestimate Hartman and what he brings.
Dallas Stars – Miro Heiskanen
While he may not have the flash that Robertson brings on offence, Miro Heiskanen is just as important to the Stars roster. The now 23-year-old is heading into the second season of an eight-year contract worth $67.6 million ($8.45 million a year cap hit). Heiskanen is projected to be on the top pairing for the Stars after a 2021-22 season that saw him put up 36 points in 70 games while averaging almost 25 minutes of ice time per game. His game has continually improved to the point where he is expected to be a major consideration for the Norris Trophy this year.
“…it’s nice to see Miro Heiskanen jump out as a favorite. He’s in such a good position to succeed in Dallas, where there should be more offense at even strength, and he should get more time on the top power play (since we all know scoring is such an important part of the Norris conversation, right or wrong).”
Shayna Goldman (from ‘NHL 2022-23 awards predictions: McDavid vs. Makar for Hart? Plus the big Patrick Kane trade question,” The Athletic, Oct. 8, 2022)
Tonight’s game should be easily found to watch on Bally Sports North or to listen to on K-FAN 100.3 FM, starting at 5:00 pm CT. This is the last preseason contest before the Wild’s regular-season opener against the New York Rangers on Oct. 13.
Being from the east coast of Canada, I’ve grown up immersed in hockey since before I was old enough to walk. The Minnesota Wild joined the league right as I was trying to find a favourite team and I have been committed to them ever since. I like to take breaks from my day job of writing reports as a Scientist by writing articles about my hockey passion. Follow me on twitter @tysmck15 for my latest.
