Yep. You read the title right. The Wild will win the Stanley Cup this year. The Wild is currently 34-12-5, which is good for 1st in the Western Conference and 2nd overall in the NHL, only behind the Washington Capitals. The Wild are a young team, led by an experienced coach in Bruce Boudreau, who last coached the Anaheim Ducks. Boudreau, who has coached almost 400 games, brings leadership and accountability to a Wild squad that has lacked both under the former administration of Mike Yeo, who is now head coach of the St. Louis Blues.
The Wild also has many factors going for them, including speed and goaltending. Those factors separate the good teams from the elite teams, showing that an elite team can hold on to its fire throughout the playoffs.
Devan Dubnyk, the Wild’s goaltender, has perhaps become one of the most underrated stars in the NHL. Dubnyk, 30, was acquired in 2015 from the Phoenix (now Arizona) Coyotes in exchange for a 2015 3rd round pick that ended up being Brendan Warren, who is currently a forward at the University of Michigan. That trade undoubtedly shaped the Wild franchise, as goaltending was an issue with the constant unsustainability of Niklas Backstrom and the health of Josh Harding, who retired after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Dubnyk is one of the top goalies in the league, posting a .932 save percentage and only having 1.99 goals against average (GAA).
The team needs to stay on this streak as their second-half of the schedule is tougher and more physically grueling than the first half of the season. They also need to stay healthy to maintain their stamina for the second half of the season. If the Wild continue their hot streak, they will undoubtedly make the playoffs as a top five, if not three seed in the playoffs.
The Wild may face formidable opponents throughout the Western Conference Playoffs, but shouldn’t have any trouble getting to the Stanley Cup. The Wild will likely face the NHL’s hottest team, the Washington Capitals, who have yet to bring their first Stanley Cup to our nation’s capital.
Washington, a dynamic young team similarly to the playing style of the Wild, have a captivating star in Alexander Ovechkin, who is perhaps one of the best players to ever play for Washington. The Wild, however, will defeat Washington through goaltending and stamina, as their divisional opponents help prepare them for this monumental win.
All in all, it’ll be nice having the Wild bring home a Stanley Cup. Go Wild!