The Wild are just about to start their season, but it's what happens at the end that'll define their success.
Such is the reality for a team that keeps making the playoffs before bowing out after one round; the Wild have dropped their last eight series.
They can't snap that streak right now, but they can take steps to set themselves up for a different finish beginning Thursday against Florida at Xcel Energy Center.
Stay healthy
This may seem like a no-brainer, especially considering what happened in the playoffs last season.
The Wild weren't at full strength, and it's fair to wonder if they could have prevented a series loss in six games to Dallas if Joel Eriksson Ek didn't break his leg, Ryan Hartman wasn't skating on a bad knee, Marcus Foligno didn't have a hernia issue, etc. — not to mention the impact Kirill Kaprizov might have had if he wasn't nursing a leg injury the previous month.
But the Wild's salary cap situation is putting even more emphasis on their manpower.
They're starting with the minimum at every position after captain Jared Spurgeon got hurt in the preseason, and the Wild will likely have to be very judicious with call-ups because of how little cap space they have; as it stands now, they don't have enough room to recall certain players from the minors.
Having everybody available would not only avoid the bind of playing a game down a skater before getting emergency relief, but it can also help the Wild enhance the spending power of what cap space they do have so that later in the season they have more roster flexibility.
Improve the details
Special teams and faceoffs keep letting the team down come playoff time, and the road to redemption runs through the regular season.
All the team's centers were given the directive during their exit meetings to work on faceoffs during the summer, but everyone's been put on notice.
"Rarely is the puck snapped straight back," coach Dean Evason said. "It's a team thing. You gotta get in there. You gotta be on your toes. You gotta be ready, and you gotta win that battle for that puck."
As for the penalty kill and power play, both were focuses at training camp — especially the power play, with new assistant coach Jason King at the helm.
The preseason yielded a mixed bag, the Wild going 4-for-23 in six games, but signs of King's priorities were apparent, including quick shots, puck recovery and inside pressure.
"You gotta try to generate some type of momentum," King said. "You gotta keep it or go get it."
Make a statement
The best players need to live up to their billing, but what happens around those leaders matters.
Calen Addison is important as the power-play quarterback, but he's even more critical to the team if he's also a reliable defender. Foligno gives the Wild's lineup much-needed balance as the two-way standout he was two seasons ago, and how Filip Gustavsson plays after signing a three-year, $11.25 million contract indicative of last season's prowess will be telling.
Although just 21, Brock Faber has the potential to influence games.
The former Gopher and Maple Grove native is in a prominent role alongside Jonas Brodin, a nod to the maturity Faber has already showcased.
"I feel like I'm ready for it," he said.
As for fellow rookie Marco Rossi, just think how much the offense would benefit from a breakout performance by the first-round pick, who also made the team out of camp last year before returning to Iowa in the American Hockey League.
"I feel way more comfortable," Rossi said. "I feel confident and ready to go."
