Subscribe
Follow Us
Matt Boldy had a breakout campaign for the Minnesota Wild in 2022-23, but after struggling mightily in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, general manager Bill Guerin did not take it easy on the youngster.
“In talking to a guy like Boldy, his style of play in the playoffs doesn't…he's got to change certain things in his game,” Guerin said, according to The Athletic's Michael Russo.
“It is a different game in the playoffs. It's just different. And I think a lot of people get frustrated with that in hockey, but I think it's one of the things that makes hockey great is that it is a whole different ballgame. You look at the goals that are scored, they're hard goals. You've just got to get your nose dirty. For him, that's something that he's got to work on.”
Certainly harsh criticism from a general manager to one of his best players, but Boldy thought the criticism was deserved.
“Still not good enough,” Boldy said when asked how his playoff season compared to 2022, per Russo. “To be honest, I don't think I played well. That's my opinion. It just wasn't what it needed to be, and obviously it sucks. It's not what you want to have happen, feeling like you let teammates down and stuff like that. But it's another thing to learn from, and we don't want to let it happen again.”
Article Continues Below
The 22-year-old finished the season with 31 goals and 63 points in 81 games, but was only able to manage three assists in a six-game loss to the Dallas Stars in Round 1.
The frustration has been building in Minnesota for years; it's a team that, no matter how talented, just can't seem to find success in the postseason.
Since entering the NHL as an expansion franchise in 2001, the team has only been to the Western Conference Finals once, and that was back in 2003. Overall, the team has won just four playoff series in 13 appearances, and hasn't advanced past Round 1 since 2015.
Matt Boldy and the entire Minnesota Wild team need to be better next season, or wholesale changes could be coming.
