The Minnesota Wild couldn't have asked for a better start to the 2023-24 campaign. In the season opener, the team shut out the defending Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers, and looked excellent doing it. Filip Gustavsson made 41 saves, the Wild won 2-0, and it looked like this team would easily return to the postseason next April.
But, as we know, it was a small sample size. The Toronto Maple Leafs hung seven goals on the Swedish netminder days later, and everything went downhill for Minnesota. At the end of November, the record was 5-10-4, and general manager Bill Guerin had seen enough. He made Dean Evason the first coach fired this season, replacing him with longtime NHL coach John Hynes.
Under the new bench boss, it's been a completely different story for the Wild. The team has won seven of 10 games since Nov. 29, giving the fans hope and returning the squad to a more respectable 12-13-14 record through Monday. This team is playing good hockey again, and although a playoff spot is still a ways away, there is belief this team can get there.
While nowhere near a Stanley Cup contender right now, the Wild are starting to churn out positive game scripts every night, and that has turned the season around. And with February's NHL All-Star Game in Toronto looming, there are a few players on this team worthy of the honor. As every team in the league sends at least one player to the festivities, a Wild player will be heading to Toronto in two months time.
With the Christmas break just days away, it's time to discuss Minnesota's best options for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game.
Mats Zuccarello is the obvious choice
Mats Zuccarello just seems to keep getting better with age. The 36-year-old is leading the Wild with 28 points in 28 games, and his 22 assists in that span is in the upper echelon of the National Hockey League. He continues to produce for this team after signing a five-year, $30 million contract in July of 2019 after a long stretch with the New York Rangers.
Zuccarello has been Mr. Consistency, recording over 65 points in each of the last two seasons and seeming poised to do so again in 2023-24. He's been phenomenal on a line with Kirill Kaprizov over the last few seasons, and has been a big reason the Wild have advanced to the playoffs for each of the last four seasons (with him on the team).
Besides his point-per-game pace, Zuccarello has never been selected to an NHL All-Star Game. In 2012, he was given the honor in the American Hockey League All-Star festivities, but it's well past time for the veteran to get a chance in the major leagues. With Kaprizov in the midst of a down year, Zucc is the obvious choice to represent the Wild next February.
Filip Gustavsson a dark horse?
Yes, Gustavsson's season has been messy. But the Swede has been absolutely exceptional in his last eight starts. He's won six of them, given up just 13 goals in that span, and has been playing like a true superstar goalie to help keep his team stay competitive in the Central Division. Although there are growing pains, and Gusty still has the odd bad start, it looks like he's put the early campaign woes behind him.
Gustavsson may not yet be an All-Star contender, but if he can keep up this hot stretch for another five starts or so, there's a legitimate opportunity for him to be selected. It's unlikely, but the NHL loves new faces, and like Zuccarello, Gustavsson has never been an All-Star. He's going to have some tough competition from guys like Connor Hellebuyck, Alexandar Georgiev and Juuse Saros in the Central Division, but crazier things have happened.
Joel Eriksson Ek unlikely to be selected despite great start
Considering that Zuccarello is leading the team in points and has never been an All-Star Game, he seems to be the likeliest choice. But if for some reason he isn't selected, and with Gustavsson competing with a few elite goalies, another option could be Joel Eriksson Ek.
After a breakout season in 2022-23, in which the Swede reached the 60-point plateau for the first time, Eriksson Ek is off to another hot start with 14 goals and 21 points in 29 games. His goal count leads the team by a mile, and he's also been a rock defensively and on draws. He's emerging into one of the Wild's most important players, and the former No. 20 overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft has a decent chance.
Regardless of who gets picked this year, it almost certainly won't be Kirill Kaprizov in back-to-back seasons. That's partly because of the Russian's struggles this season, and partly due to the NHL looking to get different players involved on a year to year basis. So, barring an unforeseen occurrence, there will be a new representative for the Minnesota Wild — and very likely a first-time All-Star — in Toronto next February.
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