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The Minnesota Wild just made the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons, but have yet to progress out of the first round. While they have become a consistent postseason contender, the next step for the franchise is to become a legitimate threat in the playoffs. The Wild made some solid moves in NHL Free Agency, but to really take the next step, they will need breakout performances from a few key players.
The team has seen some players make solid progress in recent years. One great example is in goal, with Filip Gustavsson making major strides in recent years. He was 31-19-6 in 2024-25 with a 2.56 goals against average and a .914 save percentage. This places him in the top 10 in the NHL in all three categories, which helped the Wild make the playoffs.
Matt Boldy also continued his career growth. After scoring 63 points in 2022-23, he would increase that total to 69 points the next year, and then to 73 last season. Kirill Kaprizov also looked like a top winger in the league, even while being limited by injuries. He scored 96 points in 57 games in 2023-24, good for 1.28 points per game. While he played just 41 games in 2024-25, he would increase to 1.37 points per game, which was a career high.
While many players have made consistent progression, the Wild need more skaters to breakout in 2025-26 to make a deeper run in the playoffs.
The Wild get a breakout from the blue line
Zeev Buium believes he is going to make an immediate impact on the Wild. The No. 12 overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft by the franchise has shown to be a standout two-way forward. The Wild did not have a strong two-way presence from the blue line in 2024-25. Jared Spurgeon was the top scorer on the unit, recording just 32 points. Meanwhile, Brock Faber had 29 points via 10 goals and 19 assists.
In his college career, he played 83 total games with the University of Denver. In that time, he lit the lamp 14 times while also adding 74 helpers. That led to him averaging 1.18 points per game in his college career. He is great on the break and passes wonderfully. The blue liner is also an elusive skater with great agility.
While the American is average in size, sitting at just six feet tall and 186 pounds, Buium is a physical defender as well. He showed some of that physical play in the 2025 playoffs, suiting up for four games. If Buium becomes the effective two-way defenseman that is expected of him, it will change the entire look of the Wild.
Danila Yurov makes an immediate impact
Buium will not be the only young star on the Wild in 2025-26. Danila Yurov will be another stud in the upcoming campaign. Unlike Buium, he comes in with professional experience. He was the franchise's second first-round pick in 2024, going No. 24 overall. The forward has spent parts of five seasons playing for Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL.
In that time, the Russian winger has shown playmaking ability. He played in 209 total games, with 41 goals and 47 assists. That is good for .42 points per game. In the past two campaigns, he has increased that to over .55 points per game. He is a physical forward with all the tools necessary to become a top-six forward in the NHL. With his natural skill set and professional experience, he is going to break onto the scene in 2025-26 and become an impactful forward for years to come.
Drama ends for the Wild in breakout fashion
The story of the offseason for the front office has been the drama around the Marco Rossi contract. The drama in Minnesota is now over, with a three-year deal for Rossi getting over the finish line on Friday. The Austrian took the first step to becoming a star in 2024-25, sitting second on the team with 60 points.
Most of the growth in point production was through assist, as he saw his primary assist rate grow, and his IPP, individual point percentage, also increased. The most impressive growth was with his shooting percentage. That improved by over five percentage points from 2023-24 to 2024-25. Still, he took 31 fewer shots, leading to an increase of just three goals.
Now it is time for Rossi to put it all together and break out as a true star forward in the NHL. If he keeps his shooting percentage and expected goal rates at the levels of last season, while returning to his prior shot volume, he would become a consistent 30-plus goal scorer and eclipse 75 points in a campaign. That would have made him the most productive player on the Wild last season. The forward has all the skills necessary to make that jump, but it comes down to consistent play.
In the first 60 games of the season in 2024-25, he had 51 points. He had just nine points in the last 22 games. Rossi cannot fade at the end of the season, and should not do that this year.
The Wild have a perfect combination of youth and experience, which could take them to the next level. Rossi needs to become a star in the league and give the Wild another star forward to join Kaprizov and Boldy. Meanwhile, new additions Yurov and Buium are primed to have excellent NHL rookie seasons. If all of those things happen, Minnesota will no longer be a one-and-done team in the playoffs, but a threat to lift the Stanley Cup.
