Managers Will Go Wild For Minnesota’s Fantasy Potential

Club: Minnesota Wild
Fantasy Impact Rating: Hot

Superstars: Marian Gaborik
Big Producers: Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Brent Burns, Andrew Brunette, Marek Zidlicky
Mid-Level Flyers: Marc-Andre Bergeron, Eric Belanger
Rookies/Prospects: Benoit Pouliot, Colton Gillies, Corey Locke, Anton Khudobin
Sleepers: Antti Miettinen, Mikko Koivu
Avoid the Hype: None

Analysis:
It would be best to start from the very top. Marian Gaborik is a superstar without a doubt. Last year he played nearly every game and put up 83 points. Not bad. It certainly is a testament to his skill, but the luster of a potential 100 point player also comes with a price to pay. Gaborik will go down at least once this season. It WILL happen. He’s worth a first round pick if you have a shot at him, but please understand the headaches that may come along with Gabby, and plan your draft accordingly.

One of the unique things about the Wild, in terms of fantasy potential, is that there is an opportunity for 3 defenders to produce 40+ points or more this season. Brent Burns emerged as a solid fantasy option at defense last year, and should carry over his efforts to 2008-2009. Expect similar point productions out of Burns this year as he seems to be the team’s top defender heading in training camp. Marc-Andre Bergeron was brought in from Anaheim and can provide the Wild with a blistering slap shot from the point and offers a great mind for running a power play. He’ll be coming off a fairly mediocre season, so expect him to fly under the radar in most drafts. If your league runs an extra defender or two, he might be a nice dpeth option until we can gauge his position in the lineup a little better. And when all is said and done, and you still find that neither of those players tickles your fancy, you can always rely on Marek Zidlicky for a little production. Zidlicky has proven himself as consistent producer from the blue line over the past several seasons and could round out the top pairing on the power play with Burns.

The Wild have decided to bring back an old friend in Andrew Brunette to anchor their left side on the first line. Brunette has been a very consistent producer over his career and although he is getting up there in age, his 83 point season in Colorado a few seasons back dismisses any inclinations of age being an issue. It would be safe to assume that 60 points would be easily attainable for the veteran left winger; a solid number two for any team.

The Wild also offer a couple of sleepers that could pay dividends if you play your cards right. The more well known of the two is Mikko Koivu. This will be Koivu’s third season with Minnesota and he’ll have the opportunity to be the Wild’s top line center this season. He will most likely be passed up by managers because of his point production totals from last season, however, their loss is your gain. If you can nab Koivu somewhere in the early middle rounds as a 2nd, or possibly 3rd center option, consider that a steal. As a conservative estimate, he should hit the 50 point mark this season. However, with a veteran like Brunette to his left, and a superstar like Gaborik to his right, he might have all the right tools to top out around 70-75 points. Antti Miettinen is the lesser known of the two sleepers, which could benefit you in the later rounds of your draft. Miettinen came over from Dallas this past off-season and will be playing in good company along side of Eric Belanger and Pierre-Marc Bouchard. Miettinen really turned it on down the stretch and into the playoffs last season and could easily reach the 45-50 point mark for the upcoming season.

Benoit Pouliot, Colton Gillies and Corey Locke will be the names to keep in mind as you approach the last few rounds of your draft this season. A player that would probably have the greatest chance to start the season with the Wild is Benoit Pouliot. Pouliot played 11 games in Minnesota last season and is one of their most highly touted prospects. He could be compared to a Sean Avery or Daniel Carcillo for his ability to score, as well as drop the gloves. Keep an eye on him heading into your draft day to better gauge his chances of playing up this season. Colton Gillies may be a year away from joining the Wild, but should be considered in any dynasty format. He has the potential to be a dominant power forward once he breaks into the NHL. It’s worth mentioning Corey Locke on this list because of a certain statistic that would catch anyone’s eye. In 2002-2003, Locke played hockey for the Ottawa 67s. In the 66 games that he played in that season, he tallied 63 goals and 88 assists for 151 points, a +46 rating, and 83 penalty minutes. Locke has dominated the competition at just about every level below the NHL. If he is given a shot to play this year, keep a close, close eye on his production. He may be a player you want to pull the trigger on right away once you see him in a Wild uniform.

Goaltending:
Situation: Competitive
Grade: B
1. Niklas Backstrom
2. Josh Harding

Minnesota’s goaltending situation is a bit of an oddity at times. The Wild have two very comparable goaltenders in Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding. While Backstrom will start the season as the team’s starter, coach Jacques Lemaire has shown us that he’s not afraid to platoon these tenders to get the job done. If you decide to try and use Backstrom as your number one tender, you may want to throw Harding on your team in later rounds just to ensure that you get the start if it looks like it could become a guessing game. For those in dynasty leagues, there is an up and coming goalie to keep your eye on. Anton Khudobin has a gold medal under his belt with Team Russia and could be in contender for the Wild starting position in a couple of years.

Fantasy Hockey Team Breakdowns List