See more of the story

Introduction: If you were hoping to see the Wild bring a tighter brand of hockey into the 2022-23 season, Thursday's opener was a disappointment. In losing 7-3 to the Rangers at Xcel Energy Center, Minnesota was outclassed in an up-and-down game. The lack of defensive acumen was a concern — but perhaps more so was the play of veteran goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Advanced numbers suggest the Wild could have won that game with adequate goaltending instead of suffering a blowout loss.

6:00: Star Tribune Vikings beat writer Ben Goessling joins host Michael Rand to dissect a few aspects of the Vikings heading into Sunday's game at Miami. Among them: Why have the Vikings had such good health this season, are there ways they can improve their depth, and how sustainable is the improved play of Garrett Bradbury?

30:00: Carlos Correa tells a newspaper in Puerto Rico that he is opting out of his Twins contract — not a surprise, but making the decision closer to official.

Listen and subscribe to the Daily Delivery:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeartRadio

The podcast archive is here.

Questions? Comments? Long-winded diatribes about nothing in particular? E-mail me at michael.rand@startribune.com. Follow me on Twitter @RandBall and Star Tribune sports @StribSports