The Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche were two teams on a collision course last season. It was either going to be the Wild or the Dallas Stars that the Avs would meet in the second round of the playoffs.
Indeed, it was the Wild. And it was a disappointing ending for the Wild. Most of us thought the series would be much tougher for Colorado. However, the Wild seemingly ran out of gas against the powerhouse Avalanche.
While some pundits believe that the Wild will make another strong run this upcoming season, there’s reason to believe Minnesota could run into a complex situation.
Despite solid moves to shore up the lineup, GM Bill Guerin faces a major hurdle. Quinn Hughes will be entering the final year of his current contract. And that’s the major uncertainty that could cloud the team’s season.
Of course, some could say that the Avalanche face the same situation with Cale Makar. But there’s a massive difference. Makar is a lifelong Avalanche. And it’s highly unlikely, to say the least, that Makar will want to jump ship.
There isn’t enough money in the world, or at least we think, that could entice Makar to leave. And even if a team out there wanted to sell its soul to the dark side, the optics of bolting Colorado would not look good.
So, there’s no real concern there, at least for now.
The same can’t be said about Hughes. The chatter since his exodus out of Vancouver has been that Hughes wants to play with his brothers. And Quinn Hughes’ brothers play in New Jersey.
Now, I’m not advocating that Hughes will sign in New Jersey. But there’s that shadow hanging over the Wild. That’s why this season could be a tough one for Minnesota.
Avalanche must move in for the kill
The situation here is that the Avalanche cannot let the Wild off the hook. It’s evident that Minnesota will face a distraction until Hughes signs or leaves. It will be something that could hover over the team’s narrative throughout the season.
It’s not that the Wild will suddenly be a bad team. But there could be a chink in their armor that Colorado can chip away at.
Even if it’s a small edge, it’s something the Avalanche have to take advantage of. And the Avs must move in for the kill.
It’s pretty much that simple.
Let’s see how things unfold between Minnesota and Colorado. Avs fans shouldn’t be surprised to see a less-than-stellar performance from the Wild this season.
This isn’t a situation about discounting the Wild. It’s about capitalizing on a weakness that could pay off in droves.
Add us as a preferred source on Google