The Minnesota Wild have played two games so far this season, opening with a win over the Florida Panthers at home and then falling to the Toronto Maple Leafs on the road. The loss wasn’t the only blow to their morale, Matt Boldy, who scored his first goal of the season earlier in the game, was injured in the third period.
It’s been hard enough for the team already being without their captain and one of their strongest defensive players, Jared Spurgeon. Now, their offense will take a hit with the loss of Boldy. It’ll be interesting to see what route the Wild take in bringing someone up to help either with the defense or if they bring up a forward to help the offense.
Unfortunately, they must choose because they have limited money and roster space. Regardless, their offense will struggle if the rest of their forwards don’t step up. Boldly is a massive piece of their success; they’ll need all the help they can get without him.
Boldy’s Production
Ever since Boldy started in the NHL during the 2021-22 season, he’s been making waves. He joined the lineup partway through the season and never left. He played 47 games and registered 15 goals plus 24 assists for 39 points, with a full-time roster spot guaranteed for 2023-24.
He played 81 games last season and continued to impress with his puck handling and skating ability. He recorded 31 goals and 32 assists for 63 points, which put him in third place among Wild players, just four points behind Mats Zuccarello and 12 points behind Kirill Kaprizov.
Luckily for the Wild, they have several players capable of scoring points; the tricky part is if they can score when needed. Boldy’s part on the special teams can’t be overlooked either. He doesn’t spend much time on the penalty kill, but he’s a force on their power play, and they’ll miss that.
Wild’s Players to Step Up
Before we jump to who could fill Boldy’s spot from outside the roster, we’ll look at who needs to step up from within. Obviously, it would be great for the Wild if Kaprizov could find his scoring stride and carry the team. However, it can’t all fall on Kaprizov’s shoulders as he can only do so much.
Related: Wild’s Weekly Check-In: Faber & Rossi Step Up, Defense Struggles
Players like Zuccarello, Ryan Hartman, Joel Eriksson Ek, and even fourth-liner Brandon Duhaime could step up. Zuccarello, Hartman, and Eriksson Ek have proven they can score goals, but even Duhaime has shown promise when he’s not fighting injury.
The one player who could be a surprise to everyone with his ability to step up is Frédérick Gaudreau. He can score in the shootouts and sparingly throughout the season. He’s a player other teams won’t expect, and it’ll be a perfect time for him to find a scoring streak.
Wild’s Options for Boldy’s Spot
It’s been talked about repeatedly, that the Wild don’t have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to the cap. With Spurgeon’s injury, they brought up Dakota Mermis but haven’t had him play just yet, and while they do have one more roster spot open, they don’t have the cap space to bring someone up. They’d have to have Mermis go back down to free up spending money for a forward to come up.
They have several options if they go that route, but the best would be their newest addition, Jujhar Khaira. He showed a lot of offensive promise during the preseason, but there was no room to keep him on the NHL roster as it was already set before injuries. However, the Wild knew to plan accordingly and have options, limited, but still options. While he’s one of the choices they could go with, so is Vinni Lettieri, who the Wild were excited to sign this offseason.
He’s a seasoned NHL veteran who’s played with several NHL teams before returning to his home state of Minnesota. He’s struggled to succeed over the seasons, but he could be what the Wild need while they wait for Boldy to return. Someone who can bring some stability to the lineup with his experience instead of a brand new rookie that they need to work into the roster. He’s also proven to be successful on the power play which is something the Wild may struggle in without Boldy.
Wild in Tough Spot
The Wild will find out what kind of team they have with two of their strongest players out. Spurgeon is a core defense piece, and they need him back. It’s unclear how long he will be out, which means the Wild’s defense needs to figure out a way to be successful without him or continue to struggle.
The same could be said about Boldy if the Wild can’t find a way to score goals. He’s a big, energetic guy with a gritty side the Wild will miss. Hopefully, it’s a short-term injury, and he’ll be back before any real damage is done.