BOLD PREDICTIONS: Boldy’s 40-Goal EXPLOSION Imminent | Is a 100-Point Season WITHIN Reach? #mnwild

BOLD PREDICTIONS: Boldy’s 40-Goal EXPLOSION Imminent | Is a 100-Point Season WITHIN Reach? #mnwild

On today’s episode of Lockdown Wild, Puck drops on the 2025 2026 season. Tonight, we’re dropping some bold takes as well. Hey, this is Matt Baldy and you’re listening to Locked on Wild. Hey, this is Marcus Fino and you’re listening to Locked on Wild. You’re Locked On, your daily podcast on the Minnesota Wild, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. What’s happening everybody? Welcome in to another episode of Lockdown Wild, your daily Minnesota Wild podcast, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network. We are your team each and every day. We thank you for making Lockdown Wild your first listen each and every day as well. Make sure you subscribe on YouTube and your favorite podcast platforms and follow us on social media so you don’t miss out on any new episodes or any new content throughout the week. Today’s episode of Locked Down Wild is brought to you by FanDuel. Download the FanDuel app now by visiting FanDuel.com and win $300 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins. On today’s episode of Lockdown Wild, Jay Homouth joins us as we take a look at some of the steam around the Minnesota Wild from a national perspective. See if it tracks, see if it’s off base, and we’ll talk bold takes here uh for today’s show as well. My name is Seth Toppel, host of Lockown Wild, host of Seth on Sports, bringing you credentialed Minnesota Wild coverage once again here in 2025, 2026. And we’re joined by one of the regulars once again here on Locked on Wild, Jay Homuth, making his return to the show, which can only mean one thing. We are just about ready to uh drop the puck here tonight, Jay. So, let’s get your thoughts on kind of where we’re at with this team. Uh what the Wild did in the offseason, what they didn’t do. Uh where are you at for the Minnesota Wild here as we uh get set to start the season? Um, you know, it’s kind of at the same spot I am every year. Uh, I mean, especially we’ve been used to this, uh, cap handcuff the last couple years. So, obviously a bunch freed up. Uh, we added Terra Senko. We got a bunch of young guys that are going to be playing at the start of the year. But, it’s I’m just hoping that you you you bank those points early like we did last year. like um I remember last year our it was beginning January, we had a pretty convincing home win against the Flyers. Uh we were talking um I I joked I said, “What if the Wild finished 500 and missed the playoffs?” And you were like, “They banked way too many points. They’re not going to miss the playoffs.” That point on they went just about 500 and almost missed the playoffs. But what they did at the start of the year obviously helped them at the end of the year, so you can afford to slip. Obviously, you don’t want to, but I just want to see the team I really want to see the young guys play confident and like I said, bank those points and help yourself later in the year in case any injuries happen, which knock on wood, it’s the Minnesota Wild, we know what happens. And you might already know what started with Nico Sturm and Zukarella, Broaddin, which Brodine doesn’t sound like it’ll be too long, but um season expectations just I expect every year to get better as we progress out of this cap handcuff situation that we were in. And no doubt we should be a playoff team this year. Yeah. I I just can’t with the players that are on this team, assuming that they play a majority of the games this year, I I just can’t really find a scenario in which they don’t make the playoffs. Like Philip Gustoson would have to massively backslide for them to uh to struggle in the goalending department. There’s too much too much talent defensively. You’d have to massively backslide there. Uh, offensively, you know, as as much as we bemoone the the secondary scoring, the top end scoring for this team is pretty dang good. And those guys would have to massively backslide as well. And I just I just don’t see all of those happening at once. You know, it’s a give and take. You could have the offense do a little better this year. Maybe the defense takes a little step back, but I just don’t see all three happening at once. Now, as far as the injuries go, I’m glad you brought that up because uh we should make sure to give updates on where everybody is at. Obviously, we know Matt Sarella is on injury reserve. His timetable is 7 to 8 weeks. Jonas Broaddin got through practice yesterday in full. He had the uh the full regular jersey on, so no contact restrictions or anything like that. So, he’s pretty close. Uh the one that was a surprise was the announcement that Nico Sturm is going to be out for, as Michael Russo put it, a considerable amount of time uh with a uh a back injury. So that’s a concern, but again, it’s one thing to replace the players below Carrill Capri off, Julen, Matt Baldi, Marco Rossi. It’s one thing to replace the guys below that group. until they start to lose those players, I still feel like they have enough in the system to be able to fill those holes until those players come back and still be relatively okay. Yeah, I there’s it it’s the it’s the bottom six that obviously is going to be the Achilles heel for this team. Um, you look at the defense, I think Zeve will be fine. I think he’s going to have a couple games for seasoning. Uh David uh year, I think he’ll be all right. And then I like what we did to our opening with the pairs. You’re not putting your check and boy on the same line. You’re going to put them with a season vet just in case, you know, it gets a little rocket start sometimes. Um but like we were talking about earlier, is your Rob gonna play tomorrow? Is he going to play tomorrow? Uh I guess necessarily didn’t flash in camp. I guess they were giving Height the best camp. Uh so is he ready? Um got Joe Hansen coming back for 800,000 bucks. Uh it’s just how’s the bottom six going to do? Because you look at the teams that go far. They have that that deep I mean it’s the word we talk about every year. Depth or is the depth? Who has the best depth? Um, and we, as we saw last year, you can only get so far stacking that top line with talent, putting Baldi and Capri off on that line. They can get you two goals a game, but it’s it gets rough for a whole 82 game season. Um, so it’s it’s like you said, it’s all going to depend on like who comes after them. Is this going to be the season that we finally see a slight improvement in special teams or am I going to be repeatedly tapping the sign in case of special teams collapse, break the glass? It’s been the one thing. It’s been the uh the unicorn or the Sasquatch that Wild coaches have not been able to catch. They have not been able to get definitive proof that it’s fixed for like five years. And we It’s one thing It’s one thing to go into the playoffs with a mediocre power play. You can’t have a bad penalty kill. You You cannot have a bad penalty kill in the postseason. Well, you know, around July 1st, we thought we solved our issues there by signing Nico Sturm and then, you know, he’s going to be out for a considerable amount of time. So, uh I do think that first face off is important. Um, and like we have too much talent on on our roster for the power play not to be good and now you’re adding Zeve in there and as he gets more comfortable, which in the preseason he looked way more comfortable manning that power play than he did last year in the postseason. Um, he kind of looked like his college self except he’s a little smarter now. He knows that he can’t get away with it as much as he did in college. But I think the power play will be fine. I could almost guarantee I’d put I’d put some of my word into it that it would probably finish top 15 in the league for the power play. But the penalty kill um I know that they’re going to be trying out a new a newer style of strategy that a lot of teams are doing right now. Putting one of your scorers on the penalty kill. Uh Matt Baldi’s going to get looks there. They I know late last season it was just taking a look at Capri off there because you know in Edmonton uh Conor McDavid’s on the penalty kill. So uh I don’t know. I think that first face off is important. Um but I don’t I don’t know. It’s every year I mean the la like you said the last five years that penalty kill and and the worst thing about the penalty kill is you you’ll watch the game you’ll be at the game. you’ll listen to the game and a minute and 52 seconds of the penalty is done. Yeah. And then with 4 seconds left in the power play, the team will score. And it just that’s a back breaker. Like you just spent the two minutes defending it. Uh Gus got some good saves, blocked some shots, and then with three seconds left, you give that goal up and it just that just kills the team. So I just think finishing strong on the kill and winning that first faceoff. But I don’t know. Did the coaches finally find it? I I really hope so. We’ll find out tonight. So, John Hines said he spent the offseason looking at it again. Um I I use the 90% rule because I think I I think you’re dead on like 90% of what they need to be doing, they’re doing. It just emphasizes how important that other 10% is. And a lot of times that’s that first face off or it’s those few millimeters difference between getting a puck out of the zone and like sticking your your stick out to try to get the puck and then you’re out of position and your opponent has two players that have a beat on the puck. Like it it’s just the little stuff like that that is just frankly annoying that it seems like it always gets picked apart. But, um, you got to be good for the full 2 minutes. You can’t be good for a minute 35 and just say, “Well, we did our part.” Um, cuz if you let up for even a second, you’re going to get scored on. We We’ve We’ve seen it. We’ve seen it for years. You’re talking Gustaf Nyquis millimeters, too, right? That’s the new form of measurement we got. Touche. Yeah, it is. It is that fine of a detail um that it seems like just is not not getting to the finish line for uh for the Wild in these instances. We’re going to take a look. I have scoured the internet as far as national reaction goes to what the Wild are going to do this year. So, we’re going to take a look at um what some of the national writers and experts are saying, including John Tordella, evidently being the biggest Wild fan on the earth. We’ll uh we’ll tell you all about that as we uh continue today’s episode of Lockown Wild after this. Today’s episode of Lockown Wild is brought to you by FanDuel. Folks, the NFL season is here and FanDuel has an offer you don’t want to miss. Right now, new customers can bet just $5 and get $300 in bonus bets if you win. That’s right. Pick a bet, put down five bucks, and if it hits, you’ll unlock $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. With the Minnesota Vikings on a buy this week, I would throw everything that I have on the Minnesota Wild tonight against the St. Louis Blues. Pick him to win outright and once that $5 bet cashes, then you can place the rest on some futures bets. Whether it be the Minnesota Wild to win the Central, the Minnesota Wild to get to the Stanley Cup final, or even Matt Baldy to win the Heart Trophy, which is plus 50,000 right now. I’m telling you, you cash in on that, you’ll thank me. So, what are you waiting for? Visit fanuel.com to download the FanDuel app today and get started. Welcome back to today’s episode of Lockdown Wild. Once again, we thank you for making Lockdown Wild your first listen each and every day. Again, make sure to like and subscribe on YouTube and your favorite podcast platform so you don’t miss out on any new episodes. The road to 4K on YouTube is officially underway. We have skyrocketed since uh well frankly since Capri off signed. Uh the numbers continue to go up and up. Let’s get to 4K by the end of the year. Uh Jay, apparently John Tordella is the biggest Minnesota Wild fan on the planet outside of the state of Minnesota. Let me allow me to read you his predictions for this season. ESPN pulled every person that they have that covers hockey. Every person for division winners for award winners. And let me read you this. In the Central Division, John Tordella and PK Suban picked the Wilds to win the Central Division. They were the only two that did. 13 picked the Aves. 11 picked the stars. As far as the awards go, listen to this. The Minnesota Wild did not get picked to win the Stanley Cup, by the way, which that doesn’t bother me. Heart trophy winners. The following people picked Carell Capri off, Shawn Allen, Ryan Clark, PK Suban, John Tordella all picked Carl Capri off to win the heart trophy. He had the third most selections. Conor McDavid had the most with 12. Shocker. Then Nathan McKinnon with five. Capri off with four. But this is the biggest shocker of all. the Art Ross Trophy, which is the points leader in the NHL. John Tortoella is drinking the Kool-Aid this year, folks. He picked Carrill Capri off to win the Art Ross Trophy, but he wasn’t alone. Steve Levy also picked Carroll Capri off to win the Art Ross Trophy this year. So, I think we got to I think we got to just ask ourselves here. Are any of these on are any of these any of these predictions by the ESPN crew? Do any of them have merit? Think of all the things that have to go well in order to win the Art Ross. That feels like a little bit of a tall order to me, but honestly, if Carrill plays like he did at the beginning of the season last year, heart trophy is definitely in reach. Yeah, I the heart trophy, I was telling you that I could see that. But the Art Ross is reserved for Conor McDavid or Nikita Coutro. I think those are like you go back the last nine years and I guarantee you they’re probably in their seven of those nine years. And I’m not even looking at stats right now. That’s just um but you know those are some big names and coverage. I mean you know we like to bash on ESPN. So you know how how fruitful are those opinions? But Steve Levy uh picking Capri Sab to win the art and uh Tors I mean yeah like you said is he gonna stay healthy? are his linemates gonna stay healthy? And you know, in Minnesota, we’re used to that never happening. So, to us hearing that sounds crazy, but I can see the heart. Uh like most valuable player in the league to his team, that’s Capri off because if you take Capri off from his team, I mean, you saw what happened last year. Uh just fell down a cliff and just barely got into the playoffs. Um yeah, I agree. I mean, I wouldn’t go out on a limb and say the Wild are going to win the Stanley Cup. Um, they could compete in the Central. I think Utah’s going to be way better this year. They just, even in their Arizona days, they were slowly climbing up. Um, and then prediction wise, uh, if, uh, another thing too, if someone does put that Baldi, uh, Baldi bet, make sure they give you a hundred bucks if they hit on that because that Yeah, I need uh I need my finders fee for that. If somebody does actually cash on that, even just a buck, a buck would win you so much, but be fine. Um the uh but yeah, so I don’t know like like ESPN I me personally I pay more attention to the athletic staff. I I really believe that they they do they New York Times and the Athletic do such a great job at covering the sport. Um and you know I could be biased because of my relationship with one of the writers. Uh been known him for a while. Uh it’s kind of like my mentor in my uh writing career. Um but I I think when it comes to checking out predictions, um it could be just trying to get you to click on their profile, you know. So look, I would really if Tors wants a seat at the table, I’m very willing to give it to him. Yeah, he could he could come on he could come join the crew, make him a regular. Very willing to give him the opportunity there. Uh, you mentioned the Athletic. Uh, I want to get to points predictions from Dom Lashen of the Athletic and also JFresh because they literally literally had the same prediction. They both said 93 points for the Minnesota Wild. Um, JFresh also had listed the uh the betting line for the Wild is 96. Fans think about 94 points for the Wilds. The Athletic had 93. Money Puck had 93 um pretty much 93 94 points. So, let’s let’s just finish with this. Um 93 points. You think the Wilds go over or under that this year? 93. Uh I think we get to 100 points this year. Yeah. I I think like like you said when we were looking at I don’t think you would need Gus to fall off a cliff. Yesper to not be ready at all. Um defense would have to slide tremendously and offense would need to slide. I can’t see all that happening. I The offense is there. The creativity within the offense is there and then now you’re adding younger guys. Um, and like they say, Yurov, when he gets his chance, he loves to shoot. Um, Zeve looks way more comfortable running that blue line. Gus is a great goalie. I don’t see a world where we’re we finish in the 80s. And I believe that it’ll be um, we should get over 100 this year, I think. Yeah. And and even, you know, to take it a step further on the young players, as they get more comfortable, assuming they get like the requisite chances, as they get more comfortable, that’s going to help eliminate some of the slide that this team has had from the older players. So, that’s going to cancel each other out. And so, in theory, the offense should be better, defense should maintain, and the goalending does their thing. Yeah. I I feel like 93 points I don’t think it’s too ambitious to get over that this year. Um the Wild were on like a 112 point pace the first two months of the season. So if they can simply not get crazy injured, they should be able to get to 100 points this year. I I think that’s perfectly fine. Well, I mean, yeah, you look at pace, Justin Brazo is on 164 goal pace right now. So fair, very fair point. Um, just wanted to throw some salt into I mean there’s not really a wound from losing Justin Brazil, but I mean besides the trade giving up two players for whatever he was. I mean I love the Brazers bit, but you know, we can’t um and so yeah, I don’t I think I think this team is usually pretty We don’t ever fluctuate up, down, up, down. Like when we’re doing good, you’re just we’re doing good. And as soon as something goes bad, you’re doing bad. There’s never like a We’ve never had a season in recent memory where it’s just you win four games, you lose three. You win five, you lose four. You win two, you lose one. You You know what I’m saying? It’s always if we’re winning, we’re winning. If we’re losing, we’re losing. So if we can maintain a good pace and stay afloat, uh everyone everyone’s failures kind of cancel out with some success, uh like it should be there there should be no worry. Like it’s we’re not covering a team that has made the playoffs once in the last seven years and may oh maybe this is finally the year we go to the playoffs. Like I think the expectation now in Minnesota is you go to the playoffs now. Do you advance past this that first round? I don’t know. I mean that our expectation is we just go to the playoffs. We don’t hope for anything after that. So I don’t I think we we’ve set a stand not we, but the players and the front office and the general manager, Billy, he’s set they’ve set a standard that I mean we shouldn’t even be here talking about what if we don’t make the playoffs. I think it’s all it’s already preset in the season. like this is what we’re going to do. And then come April, like I already know Billy’s an aggressive guy. He’s already got a plan for the deadline on who he wants to get for the playoff push. We haven’t even played a game yet. He’s preparing for the playoff push. So like there’s Yeah, I think we should be good. Yeah, just just tell just tells just talk to Tors. He’s he’s obviously got something that he sees that uh sports thanks for winning the cup. So I I’m serious. I’m going to email I’m going to email the powers that be and see if I can uh can make that happen because I just I want to hear I want to hear the rationale. Like I I love it. I support it. I just want to hear I just want to hear what he what what Tors is think what what his what he sees. You know what he sees. That’ll be That’ll be a trio show if Tors ever gets on here because I’m going to be on that one. I got you. I got you. I’ve gota Yeah, I’ve got a You know, sometimes it’s fun like, “Oh, Felo, let me join.” No, but if Tors is on this show, it’s gonna be three boxes, you know. We I got to hear what he’s got to say. Absolutely. Um he’s an interesting guy. He is an interesting cat to uh to say the least. But uh let’s let’s do this. I saw a bold prediction from the four-letter network for the Wild this year. So, I want to talk about that. I’ve got a couple bold predictions. I’m sure you’ve got a couple of bold predictions. So, let’s talk about some bold predictions for the season. Let’s see. Let’s have some fun with it. See what sticks, what doesn’t. We’ll finish today’s episode of Lockdown Wild right after this. final segment of today’s episode of Lockown Wild. Once again, we thank you for making Lockown Wild your first listen each and every day. Again, make sure to like and subscribe on YouTube so you don’t miss out on any new episodes throughout the week. Jay, I saw ESPN did a bold predictions for every single team in the NHL. their prediction for the Minnesota Wild this year. I kind of like this one. Uh Zeve Boyam outscores Brock Faber. Do you agree? Um yeah, I I think that’s I think that’s not as bold a prediction as what I would think is a bold prediction. Um, obviously you look at him, Z Boyham is just I wouldn’t say miles more skilled than Brock is, but you could definitely tell there’s an offensive mindset when it comes to Zeve. Um, and the thing that’s going to help Zeve the most is he’s maning the first power play. That’s where you’re going to get a lot of your points. So Brock’s not going to get that chance. Brock’s not even on the second power play. That’s Jared’s spot. So, uh, that I don’t think that one’s too crazy to to to disagree with. Um, now assistwise maybe, but I don’t I don’t know. I think I think Zeve will be Zeve will probably clear Brock in points, but that should that shouldn’t be a testament to Brock. Brock is an outstanding defenseman, defensive defenseman, too. So where where Zeve is better than Brock in offense, Brock is miles better than Zeve in defensive prowess. So I I I do see Zeve outscoring him, but that shouldn’t say anything about Brock. Brock’s an outstanding defender. Yeah, on the on the spicy scale, that’s probably like a two or a three out of five. I don’t even Yeah, you’re talking about a guy who’s who put up many many many points in the NCAA. is going to lead the power play in his first full season. Mind you, a power play with Capri off, Rossi, E, Terasenko, Baldi. So that all he’s really got to do is just pass to Capri off and see what he does. Probably going to get a secondary assist at minimum. So, um, yeah, that that one’s not really that hot. That one’s not that bold of a take in my opinion. And that’s that’s ESPN for you. So, here’s a here’s a play here’s a play off of that. So Brock Faber his first season he had I believe the number was 48 points. How’s this for bold prediction? 50 points for Zeve boy in his rookie season. Full 82 games staying on the power play. I I’d say over. I mean you look at at least 30 assists, 30 40 assists and you know he’s going to score. He’s the kid’s gonna want to shoot. The kids gonna want to shoot. He I mean, you saw him. He likes to drive the play behind the net sometimes. So, he’s going to be he’s going to do he’s going to shoot a lot. So, I can see I can see 10 goals from Zeve this year. 40 assists. Um and even walking down in in the in the in the slot on the power play. So, I don’t I think he could get over 50. Um, a 40goal 85 point season for Matt Baldi. If Baldi has 40 goals this year, he will be close to 100 points in my opinion. There’s too much talent in that top six. Yeah. to have that type of season where I mean you call it the ball hog season where you have 40 goals and 20 assists, but I feel like there’s too much talent in that top six. If he’s putting up 40, he’s also dishing out at least 50. So, um, but I don’t and I’m not sitting here saying I don’t see I see Baldi’s going to get 40 this year. I really believe that. Um, and what comes with 40, I think, is close to 100 point season. And he’s just like, Baldi’s not even to where he can be yet. That’s the best part about Baldi. Like, he just slowly gets better and better and better every single season. And when this team needed him to be the number one guy last year, he stepped up and he was that superstar that we or that 1B superstar that we needed. Um, I’ll never forget that goal against Dallas where it was just a bouncing puck and he just baseball swung at it, falling to his knees. I don’t know how he got that off. Um, that’s when I kind of just looked at the TV and was like, he’s the guy. Like, that’s the guy right there. That’s Matthew Baldi. Um, so I think yeah, 40 40 and 85. I could see that finally being the year for Matt Baldi. Okay, here’s another one. Now, this is average. And this kind of leads into my my this is a two-part. The topline combo of Capri off Baldi Rossi is so good this year that they do not get separated when Matt Sarelloo comes back. And the only reason that they would get separated is because of injury because that combination averages 30 goals and 70 points this year. averages. I don’t see how they couldn’t, you know, like I just look at it’s not like that they’ve been at the same spot. Like the every player has gotten so much better every year, including Capriov as he’s gotten older. Um, granted he hasn’t gotten that full season, but if you look at his pace last season to start the year, you look at where Rossi was a year ago, two years ago, you look at where Baldi was a year ago, two years ago, there hasn’t been a season where it’s just like, oh, did he even take a step back? Did he take a step forward? It just seems like they’re only going up. So, I just if if you follow the trend, I don’t see how that couldn’t be an average. Like I Capri Savv’s only getting better getting into his real tough prime years. Rossi’s coming in now off that contract. Um Baldi’s Baldi’s outstanding. He’s a great hockey player and he had a great camp. So I I’m excited to see him. Uh there should be no no reason why they can’t if they don’t get broken up. Um I’ve got another one and I think you’re going to like this one. A rookie forward scores 15 goals this year, but it’s not Danilov or Liam Ogrren. Hunter Hate plays his way into the lineup and scores 15 goals this year. That’s going to be entirely on the coaching staff. Yeah, that that will be I don’t know what their plan is. And again, if if Yurov pops and Ogrren pops once they get around Thanksgiving, get a little deeper into the season and there’s just no room on the ice for him, I I don’t see how that could happen. But if he gets the chance and you know if he gets a six, eight, 10 game span up here and he gets if he pots three or four of them and that’s enough to keep him here, I could definitely see a full 82 game slate where Hunter Height gets 15. But I don’t think he’ll get I don’t even think he’ll get 60 up here this year. I just I think Ogen is talented enough to progress as the season goes on in a positive way. And Eurovv kid loves to shoot the puck. I’m just like he just loves to shoot the puck and he and he he gets chances to shoot it too. And as he gets comfortable, he’s going to be playing with Terasenko and Ericson um most likely. So, it’s going to be up to the coaches with the opportunities they give him. And kind of on I don’t think Hunter Height, it’s not up to him, sadly. I mean, he had a great camp, but there’s just it’s a it’s a deep team, quote unquote. It’s a deep team. So, I you got to just take advantage of your chance when you get it. But, I I do think with 82 games, I think I believe he could get 15. It’s crazy that that is the spiciest one that I’ve thrown out so far. But this is just kind of like if you follow just the development path of the of the guys like Rossi and Baldi, that’s just the ne next step in their progression. And if they hit it, that’s going to go a long way for this team to uh to be better than they were last year and to be more of a threat than they’ve been in previous seasons. But yeah, it’s it’s 100% on what the coaching staff wants to use, who they want to use, where they want to use them, and that’s not anything any of those guys has uh it’s not anything that they can do anything about. Um, final one, and you just tell me if this is too hot or not. Uh, the Minnesota Wild finished second in the division because Colorado is, I think, going to be much healthier this year. Dallas and Winnipeg have not dealt with the injury issues that the Wild and the ABS have. Winnipeg’s second line is already a mess. Dallas has no room to do anything if they suffer injuries. So, I think the Wild and the AS I could end up being the healthiest two the healthier of those four, which would lead to them being the highest up in the standings. Yeah. Uh that that’s not I don’t think that was too hot. Um you know, Colorado, the only thing that I think that could kind of be a bump in the road there is everybody on that whole team and in the whole front office and the whole city of Denver knows that uh Marty Naked Houses does not want to play there. he doesn’t intend on staying there long term and you could say what you want about them being pros and not caring that that slowly trickles into the locker room. Uh, and a scenario could be once you get to around Thanksgiving, um, once you get a little deeper into the season, it starts they’re doing good or even if they’re doing bad and if a teammate, fourth liner, Kelly finds out or he just not even finds out, just if he senses that, you know, Marty’s not skating as hard as he was when he got here last year to the edge or corners or something like that, like that can really take a toll in a locker room like, “Oh, you don’t even want to be here.” So, a healthy locker room is just as important as a healthy debt chart. So, um I I hope they get that. Well, I mean, I don’t really care what they got going on in Colorado, but for everyone’s sake, uh like that’s something you want to figure out. Um before it could become a distraction. Um any team with Nate Dog on it has a chance to do great things. Nathan McKinnon is a special hockey player. Uh the Wild, it’s going to be up to I mean that was what we were talking about before Capri extended is do you do you want to go into this season with the team knowing that he turned down an offer to become the richest man in the NHL? Like that it’s kind of a a punch in the throat to his teammates like you that much money you don’t even want to stay here with us. Um but turns out it just was another million bucks. Um, but uh, so I think if as long as the injuries stay free, like you said, Dallas, I mean, Jim Nil, he knows what he’s doing, but they they ain’t got a lot of room to play with if something goes down injury-wise. And, you know, Jamie Ben already had that lung issue in the preseason. Um, Winnipeg, I think they were flu last year. Uh, I didn’t un I didn’t understand looking at paper how they did so good. Um, Utah is the team that um I think is going to be really on the rise this year. They they could they could I guess my hot take would be Utah finishing top three in the Central. Um, and they don’t even have I don’t even I don’t know how much Caleb Day Caleb Day No is going to play this year. I don’t think he’s going to. But when he comes to the league or when he’s a mainstay, I was so mad when Utah got him. I did not want him in the Central. Um I I like what Utah’s doing. Um it started in Arizona, though. Can’t forget that that team that that that rise started in Arizona. I just they ran out of time to execute it there. Uh which is a shame. And then the rest of the Central I don’t think St. Louis I mean St. Louis got sort of better. I think this their two big season sign offseason signings was Pastor and Buchad. I think they got a little deeper down the middle. Um I nothing really about them kind of pops. They’ll probably middle of the pack. Chicago, they’re young, they’re fun, but I don’t I don’t know. I mean, they could they could they’re a trap game all year for sure. Like you can’t take Chicago lightly anymore, but I don’t see them competing. Um, yeah. So, and then Nashville, whatever it’s Nashville, they winning in the offseason doesn’t always help you win the regular season. So, all those big signings last year, dead last for Nashville and the Central this year is my prediction. Yeah, I don’t see I almost forgot about them as I was going through the Central teams. Watch, we’re gonna we’re going to come back and this is going to bite us in the back. Uh, they’re gonna probably get second in the Central or something and I’m gonna think about this, but yeah, I don’t see I don’t see anything going on well in Nashville. Yeah. Well, we will uh get a good taste as to what is going to happen this season when the Wilds get it started tonight against St. Louis. That’s our episode for today. Listeners, again, make sure to like and subscribe so you don’t miss out on any new episodes throughout the week. Drop any of your bold predictions for the season in the comments. And uh let’s let’s just see where everybody’s at as far as uh good or bad. Doesn’t have to be good stuff. Uh if you’ve got any bold predictions for how the season plays out, drop them. We’ll rate them and we’ll add the spiciest to uh the show tomorrow, which will be a recap of what we saw against the Blues. Uh hopefully the Wilder 1 and0. We’ll find out. Uh make sure again to follow us each and every day of the week. We’ve got new episodes for you every Monday through Friday as part of the Locked On podcast network.

The Minnesota Wild gear up for the 2025-2026 NHL season with bold predictions and high expectations. Kirill Kaprizov emerges as a Hart Trophy favorite, with ESPN analysts John Tortorella and P.K. Subban picking the Wild to win the Central Division. Matt Boldy eyes a potential 40-goal, 85-point season, while rookie defenseman Zeev Buium aims to outperform Brock Faber offensively.

Host Seth Toupal and guest Jay Homuth dissect national perspectives, injury updates, and special teams improvements. Will the Wild’s top line of Kaprizov, Boldy, and Rossi average 30 goals and 70 points each? Can Hunter Haight secure a spot and net 15 goals? Uncover the Wild’s path to 100 points and playoff success in this in-depth analysis of Minnesota’s upcoming season.

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