On today's episode of Locked on Wild, we begin our 2023-24 Player Report Cards at the top with Kirill Kaprizov. We discuss his slow start, and absolutely torrid finish that put him among the 10 best players in the NHL over the final 62 games of the season. We look at where this season stacked up compared to Kaprizov's previous seasons, and why this year may have been some of his best work considering just how much he carried the team down the stretch. We hand out grades in key areas: Offense: 5/5 Defense: 3.5/5 Special Teams: 5/5 And we give Kirill an A for his efforts this season. We also tak ..read more

On today's episode of Locked on Wild, Alex Micheletti joins as we start by recapping an eventful weekend in the NHL with two Game 7s and what the Wild can pull from both games. We discuss the youth playing meaningful roles in Dallas with Logan Stankoven and Wyatt Johnston being heroes for Dallas throughout round one. We move to the possibility that the Wild add a free agent to their top six, and why going after a name like David Perron is something the team should just pass on. We finish the episode by talking about the possibility that Riley Heidt makes the team out of training camp, further ..read more

On today's episode of Locked on Wild, we discuss the doomsday scenario if Kirill Kaprizov elects to not re-sign with the Wild currently several players away from legitimate contention. We look at previous mega trades, such as Matthew Tkachuk, Jack Eichel and more to see which trade return would benefit the Wild the most. We discuss the timeline for the Tkachuk trade, as well as revisit some comments from Flames GM Brad Treliving. We discuss the importance of making the next two years count, and why Bill Guerin can't waste any time or his job may be at stake. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: L ..read more

On today's episode of Locked on Wild, we take a look at the final team rankings of the 2023-24 season for the Minnesota Wild. We find a team in the bottom third in offense, goaltending and penalty kill, so it should be no surprise that the Wild missed out on the postseason. We look at the number of top half teams in all of those categories that made the playoffs, and discuss the exceptions. In short, the Wild have work to do in every category to get themselves to a playoff caliber team first, and a legitimate contender after that. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: Locked On Wild Follow/Subscri ..read more

On today's episode of Locked on Wild, we react to the news that Brock Faber has officially been named as a Calder Trophy finalist, along with Connor Bedard and Luke Hughes. We look at the case for both Bedard and Faber, by looking at their statistics and ranks among other NHL rookies, and look at other factors, such as responsibilities and durability as well. As nice as it would be for Faber to win, and he has  a more well rounded case to win, Bedard has the edge in the stats that matter.  Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: Locked On Wild Follow/Subscribe Anywhere: linktr.ee/LockedOnW ..read more

On today's episode of Locked on Wild, Alex Micheletti joins to discuss the impending news that Danila Yurov will be staying in the KHL for one more year. We look at the reasons behind this decision, how it impacts Yurov's ELC when he signs it and why even if Marcus Johansson does have a bounce back year, the Wild cannot be fooled into an extension again. Yurov sets up to take Johansson's roster spot in 2025-26. We also discuss Dean Evason being in the running for the Ottawa Senators head coaching gig. We look at the other candidates and why Evason seems like a good fit. We finish by discussing ..read more

On today's episode of Locked on Wild, Isha Jahromi  of the Sota Pod joins to look at a few things of note across the Stanley Cup Playoffs. We start with Dallas-Vegas and look at the impact Mark Stone has had on the Golden Knights lineup. We look at the little things, such as blocking shots that the Golden Knights have done well to jump out to a 2-0 lead in the series. We also discuss the mentality that Stone brings to Vegas, and why "do whatever it takes to win" is something the Wild need to get back to. We discuss Bruins-Maple Leafs and the comparisons that can be made to Wild-Stars from ..read more

On today's episode of Locked on Wild, Jay Homuth joins us to look at secondary scoring for the Wild, a major source of concern for the 2023-24 season. We compare stats line by line throughout the division, and also look at the numbers outside of great seasons from Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek. We look at a simple tweak for the second line and a simple number that could lead to more production from that line. We also campaign for both Liam Ohgren and Danila Yurov to occupy that spot full time next season! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: Locked On Wild Follow/Subscribe Anyw ..read more

On today's episode of Locked on Wild, Alex Micheletti joins to recap the first weekend of the NHL Playoffs. We look at the awesome home atmospheres, especially in Winnipeg and Vancouver and why the Wild need to defend their home ice vigorously going forward. We discuss why they need to not only win at home, but early starts and early leads at home are vital to keep the crowd in it. We look at the list of former Wild players currently in the playoffs and debate whether that full roster of players could beat the current Minnesota Wild roster. We finish by playing "Deal or No Deal" with Wild play ..read more

On today's episode of Locked on Wild, Jonny Lazarus of the Daily Faceoff joins to preview round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. We go series by series and get Jonny's thoughts on which team comes out on top. We also discuss which player can single handedly change their team's fortunes with a dominant performance! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: Locked On Wild Follow/Subscribe Anywhere: linktr.ee/LockedOnWild Follow Locked On NHL: linktr.ee/lockedonNHL Join our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/ZAB6yyck Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Monopoly GO! - Get in the game and join your frie ..read more