The Colorado Avalanche will have a new division rival looking to challenge for the Stanley Cup this season. Yes, we’re talking about the Minnesota Wild and newcomer to the Central Division, Quinn Hughes.
The deal is certainly something. It’s the biggest trade we’ve seen in a long time. Despite the Wild getting an all-world player, one swallow does not a summer make. As such, no matter how good Hughes is, the Wild will need to come together as a team to challenge for the Cup.
That’s why we can venture out on a limb and say the Wild cannot compare to the Avalanche, even with Quinn Hughes in the fold.
We can automatically call it a draw in terms of blueliners, as Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes are the two best defensemen in the league at the moment. But beyond that, it’s hard to justify the Wild being actually better than the Avalanche.
Let’s start with the most evident difference. The Wild don’t have Nathan MacKinnon. Sure, the Wild have Kirill Kaprizov. But the Russian star is a winger, not a center. Plus, the raw numbers place MacKinnon well above Kaprizov. The Wild star has 18 goals and 34 points in 32 games. Not bad, but MacKinnon is on a monstrous tear with 25 goals and 53 points in 31 games.
Offensively, that’s pretty much where the similarities end. The Wild don’t have the forward depth the Avalanche have. Colorado can roll out four solid lines game in and game out. That’s not something the Wild can say. They have some good scoring forwards like Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek. But could they stack up against Brock Nelson, Artturi Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin, Gabe Landeskog, and Ross Colton? It's tough to envisage the Wild beating the Avalanche head-to-head with their forward group.
Avalanche have NHL’s best defensive core
The Avalanche have been consistently named as the NHL’s best defensive core. The top pairing alone, Makar and Devon Toews, is arguably the NHL’s best pair. It’s tough to find a better defensive defenseman than Toews. And Makar, well, outside of Hughes, it’s tough to find anyone who can match him.
Colorado has also gotten some great contributions this season from other sources. Brent Burns has lived up to everything we thought he would be. Sam Malinski has come into his own, while Josh Manson continues to do Josh Manson things.
The only question mark has been Samuel Girard due to injuries. But when healthy, it’s hard to find a better second-pairing guy than Girard.
As for the Wild, they have a great top-pairing guy in Brock Faber. He’ll likely play with Quinn Hughes. Unless the Wild look to split Hughes and Faber up, the two could make a shocking top pair.
Beyond that, well, the Wild have a solid group. But it doesn’t seem that the Wild would be able to keep up toe-to-toe with the Avalanche. The one thing I would point out is that depth could be an issue for both clubs. Barring injuries, the Wild can’t really compare to the Avalanche defensively.
Wild goalies could give Avalanche a run for their money
The most impressive part of the Wild’s season thus far has been their goaltending. The tandem of Jesper Wallstedt and Filip Gustavsson has really turned it up this season. Wallstedt, in particular, has taken the starting job and run with it.
He’s put up mind-shocking numbers: nine wins in 12 games to go with a 1.95 GAA and .937 SV%. Those numbers are huge. They’re also a big reason why the Wild climbed out of their early-season funk and their way back to the top of the Central Division.
Gustavsson, meanwhile, hasn’t been bad at all. He’s got nine wins to go with a 2.64 GAA and a .907 SV%. Those numbers stack up well with MacKenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood this season.
If there’s any aspect where the Wild could compete with the Avalanche, it’s in the crease. But how much could the Wild hold the Avalanche’s offensive attack? Could the Wild’s defense shut down MacKinnon and Makar?
We’ve seen other teams keep MacKinnon and Makar at bay. But with some many other offensive weapons, it’s tough to see the Wild beating Colorado head-to-head, especially in a playoff series.
The two clubs will meet again on December 21. The first time the two teams met, the Wild pulled out a 3-2 shootout win. Kirill Kaprizov scored twice, with Jesper Wallstedt making 39 saves. It will take that sort of effort for the Wild to have a chance at beating the Avalanche again this season.