See
more of the story
The mantra for Minnesota sports, fans lament, is often "wait until next year."
Well, I'm not asking you to do that today.
Instead, I'm asking you to wait two years for the Wild to really have the chance to take off.
In the meantime, the Wild should be competent. But by 2025, they have a chance to be very good — and what they do in the draft on Wednesday and Thursday will play a role in just how good they will be.
My guest on Tuesday's Daily Delivery podcast was Star Tribune Wild beat writer Sarah McLellan, and we talked through how the Wild might approach the first round of the NHL Draft (Wednesday) and subsequent rounds (Thursday). We also discussed the constraints the team will operate under in the short-term, in part because of the buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.
Last year was the start of the painful three-year span in which the Parise and Suter buyouts weighed heavily against the Wild's salary cap. They counted $12.7 million combined last year. This year and next year, it jumps to $14.7 million per season in dead money — almost 18% of the Wild's entire salary cap during the 2023-24 season, for example.
They were still able to field a playoff team last year despite the harsh cap ramifications, and they could do so again for the next two years. But GM Bill Guerin's master plan seems to be building toward 2025 and beyond.
In that season and three more after that, the Parise and Suter buyouts will drop to just $1.7 million against the cap. And the Wild's deep prospect pool should be contributing at a significant level.
Guerin made 10 picks in the top two rounds of the first three Wild drafts he presided over from 2020-22. The Wild has three more picks in the top two rounds this year — No. 21 overall in the first round and two more later in the second round.
This year's picks will bolster what is already considered one of the best minor league systems in the entire NHL. Some of them could even be ready to help by the 2025 season. Matt Boldy, for instance, was chosen in the first round of the 2019 draft. He debuted two seasons later and made an immediate impact.
Those prospects will be low-cost players who should help the Wild stay competitive in the next couple years. If enough of them turn into NHL regulars — and a few of them stars — by 2025 and beyond, fans might no longer have to say "wait until next year."
Here are four more things to know today:
*The Timberwolves did themselves few favors in the draft during the Kevin Garnett era, with the Joe Smith fiasco being the main cause. But they also got almost nothing from second-round picks back in the day. I noted on Tuesday's podcast that NBA teams (the Wolves included) seem to take that round much more seriously now.
*Wednesday's Daily Delivery guest is former Twins catcher A.J. Pierzynski. You'll want to make sure to give it a listen.
*In a theoretical Karl-Anthony Towns trade floated by ESPN, the Wolves would get Julius Randle and three first-round picks from the Knicks.
*Want some uplifting news? Try this.
