Wild 2009-10: Change We Can't Believe In--Yet

Image via Wikipedia

The Minnesota Wild ended their 2009-10 season by cleaning out their lockers and watching the NHL playoffs on TV, instead of being in it.  A season of change--new owner, new general manager, new coach, new players--failed to mask the fact that they are a mediocre team needing a lot more change.

The Wild finished with a 38-36-8 (for overtime loss) record, good for 84 points and 13th place in the Western Conference.  They were never really in playoff contention, with a rotten first month of the season followed by injuries to key personnel such as Pierre-Marc Bouchard and goalie Niklas Backstrom, which forced them to give playing time to the minor leaguers from its Houston affiliate.

There were players that stepped up this season, in the face of injuries and the departure of Marian Gaborik through free agency.  No real scoring leaders, though captain Miiko Koivu and Guillaume Latandresse (coming in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens) did well.

Still, owner Craig Leipold, general manager Chuck Fletcher and coach Todd Richards all seem to agree that the Wild are headed in the right direction, in spite of all the setbacks.  Though Fletcher took plenty of flack for letting Gaborik go, it should be noted that his new team, the New York Rangers, didn't make the playoffs either.

There was some question as to whether all this upheaval surrounding the team, as well as the ongoing recession, would result in fewer folks attending games at the Xcel Energy Center.  Well, there have been 409 consecutive sellouts, so that answers that.

Like we said, the Wild are in need of a lot more changes if they want to make the playoffs next season.  They can't just depend on the draft (which in 2011 will be held in Minnesota) to tide them over.  They need veteran goal scorers who will want to take a pay cut, and who can adapt to Richards' system.  And they need to stay healthy for an entire season.  Is that too much to ask?
***
The Stanley Cup playoffs begin Wednesday, and the two teams that we think will be playing for one of the world's oldest trophies are the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks.