When discussing the most important players on a hockey team, the conversation often turns into a debate about who the best players are. While there’s certainly overlap, those aren’t always the same thing.
Importance is about responsibility. It’s about who the Wild can least afford to lose, who has to take the next step, who has to stay healthy, and who must perform at the level expected of their role.
With that in mind, here is my list of the six most important Minnesota Wild players heading into the season.
6. Jesper Wallstedt / Filip Gustavsson
I’m cheating right away. Normally, I wouldn’t group two players together, but Minnesota’s season may ultimately be defined by its goaltending tandem.
Last season, the Wild finished with a team save percentage of .903 and a goals-against average of 2.87, both among the better marks in the NHL.
The expectation this year is no different. In fact, you could argue Jesper Wallstedt is the more important player of the two, at least early in the season. With Filip Gustavsson expected to begin the year on injured reserve following offseason surgery, Wallstedt may be tasked with carrying a heavier workload than originally anticipated. That’s a lot to ask from a young goaltender.
Eventually, the Wild will need both goalies rolling. Minnesota isn’t built to win 7-5 every night. Their identity still begins with structure, team defense, and reliable goaltending. If Wallstedt struggles or Gustavsson isn’t himself upon returning, the entire roster feels the impact.
For the Wild to contend, this tandem needs to once again perform like one of the league’s best 1-2 punches.
5. Matt Boldy
In my opinion, we need to stop calling Matt Boldy a young emerging star and simply acknowledge he’s a star.
You can make a legitimate argument that Boldy is already right there with Kaprizov as Minnesota’s best forward on a nightly basis.
He plays in every situation. Power play, penalty kill, late-game defensive situations, offensive zone draws, overtime. The coaching staff trusts him everywhere.
What makes Boldy special isn’t just the goal scoring. He’s also an elite playmaker. His vision routinely creates chances that most players don’t see. He protects the puck as well as anyone in the league, wins battles along the wall, and is one of the most responsible defensive forwards on the roster.
The Wild don’t need Boldy to take some massive leap. They simply need Matt Boldy to keep being Matt Boldy.
4. Danila Yurov
There’s probably nobody on this list facing more pressure to take the next step.
Yurov’s rookie season showed plenty to like defensively, but the offensive production still needs to come. In 73 games last season, Yurov finished with 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points. A respectable rookie season. However, that’s not enough for where Minnesota hopes he eventually fits in the lineup.
Whether he ultimately plays center or wing, the Wild need top-six offense. They drafted him in the first round because of the offensive upside he displayed in Russia. Before arriving in Minnesota, Yurov posted 49 points in 62 KHL games as a 20-year-old before following it up with another productive season overseas.
The defensive habits are already there. Now comes the hard part. Can he create offense consistently against NHL competition?
If the answer is yes, the Wild’s forward group suddenly looks much deeper. If not, Minnesota may find itself searching for offensive answers again.
3. Kirill Kaprizov
You knew he was going to be here. Any list involving Wild forwards starts with Kaprizov somewhere near the top.
Since arriving during the 2020-21 season, he’s been the best player in the organization. Every time he touches the puck, something dangerous can happen.
But this season comes with a different challenge. For the first time in his NHL career, Kaprizov enters the season without Mats Zuccarello attached to his hip.
I’ve argued on several occasions that the two became too reliant on one another. The chemistry was undeniable, but there were also plenty of nights where the offense became somewhat predictable. Too many forced cross-ice passes. Too many attempts to connect through traffic. Too many turnovers trying to force a play that wasn’t there.
Kaprizov’s numbers last season were still strong, but it felt like there were fewer games where he simply grabbed the steering wheel and took over. With a massive new contract in place, expectations won’t be getting any lower. The Wild need their superstar to play like a superstar.
2. Joel Eriksson Ek
Honestly, if you wanted to put Eriksson Ek at No. 1, I wouldn’t argue very hard. No player leaves a bigger hole in Minnesota’s lineup when he’s unavailable. The playoffs made that painfully obvious.
Eriksson Ek isn’t a traditional superstar center compared to some of the elite names around the NHL, but he’s unquestionably the best center currently on Minnesota’s roster. He takes the toughest matchups. He kills penalties, he plays net front on the power play, takes more draws than anyone on the roster, he provides physicality, he scores. He does pretty much everything.
Last season he recorded 19 goals and 32 assists for 51 points in 70 games while continuing to handle the most difficult defensive assignments the opponent throws at him.
The Wild can survive injuries almost anywhere else in the lineup. When Eriksson Ek is out, the entire roster construction changes. That’s how valuable he is.
1. Quinn Hughes
This was the easiest choice on the list, in my humble honest. The Wild still need a top-line center. That hasn’t changed. But acquiring Quinn Hughes fundamentally changed the trajectory of this franchise.
Before Hughes arrived, Minnesota’s defense corps produced offense at one of the lowest rates in the league. After his arrival, the blue line became a legitimate offensive weapon and helped transform how the entire team attacked.
Everything starts with him. The breakout, the transition game, the power play, the puck movement, the offensive zone possession. Few players in hockey impact every phase of the game the way Hughes does. His presence immediately elevated the talent level of the roster and changed how opponents have to defend Minnesota. It’s difficult to overstate his importance.
The Wild have talented players. They have depth players. They even have star players.
But Quinn Hughes is the player that makes everything fit together. That’s why, in my opinion, he’s the most important player on the Minnesota Wild heading into this season.
My Ranking
- Quinn Hughes
- Joel Eriksson Ek
- Kirill Kaprizov
- Danila Yurov
- Matt Boldy
- Jesper Wallstedt / Filip Gustavsson
And honestly, if the Wild get quality seasons from all players mentioned, they might finally have a roster capable of making some real noise in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Marcus Foligno is an honorable mention imo. Not so much for the regular season but him getting baited into dumb penalties during the playoffs has been a killer at times in the past.