2023 Fantasy Hockey Team Previews: Minnesota Wild
The 2023 DailyFaceoff Fantasy Hockey Projections has projected stats for over 650 skaters and goalies.
The Fantasy Hockey Team Previews have all the projections for that team and mini-bios for all the Re-Draft and Dynasty relevant skaters and goalies. We will release the previews from September 5th through September 14th.
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In addition to the Fantasy Hockey Previews, Daily Faceoff is previewing all 32 NHL teams for 2022-23, with a new in-depth breakdown dropping every weekday! Click here to find every preview in one place.
Skaters
Kirill Kaprizov
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 81.4 | 44.6 | 52.2 | 96.8 | 19.0 | 37.1 | 13.2 | 13.5 | 26.7 | 274.7 | 16.2% | 19.5 | 4.9 | 29.8 | 65.0 |
In the summer, there was concern that Kaprizov may be stranded in Russia due to controversy over fake military IDs. However, Kaprizov is back in Minnesota and is ready for training camp. Last season, Kaprizov was fifth in the NHL in points (105) and goals (47). It was a terrific season, and he solidified himself as a first-round fantasy talent. Given his elite shot volume, he could see a dip in personal shooting percentage and still reach 40 goals in 2022-23. He is one of a dozen players with a legitimate shot at 100-plus points this season, so take him with confidence in the middle-to-late first round.
Matt Boldy
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 77.0 | 23.9 | 35.1 | 59.5 | 11.0 | 20.3 | 5.9 | 11.3 | 17.2 | 196.5 | 12.1% | 16.5 | 14.9 | 41.6 | 50.7 |
Boldy came up from the AHL in early January and made an immediate impact. The 2019 No.12 overall pick had 14 points (7G / 7A) in his first 13 games and never looked back. He rarely went multiple games without registering a point and finished with 39 points (15G / 24A). The main concern for Boldy is losing Kevin Fiala in the offseason. The two were rarely separated (85 percent of Boldy’s 5v5 ice time), and Boldy’s line struggled when they were. To counteract the loss of Fiala, Boldy may play with rookie sensation Marco Rossi. The 2020 No.9 overall pick dominated at the AHL level last year and could form an outstanding middle-6 duo with Boldy.
Mats Zuccarello
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 73.5 | 20.1 | 47.5 | 67.6 | 9.7 | 23.9 | 5.7 | 15.5 | 21.2 | 153.8 | 13.1% | 18.7 | 21.6 | 35.8 | 32.3 |
Zuccarello spent 87 percent of his 5v5 ice-time with Kaprizov and posted career-bests in assists (55) and points (79), a rarity for a 34-year-old. Zuccarello was an excellent waiver wire addition last year, but you’ll need to spend a mid-round pick on him this year. His lack of goal production is a concern, but he has a very stable floor. Since Kaprizov arrived in Minnesota, Zuccarello has been over a point per game–averaging 26 goals and 58 assists (84 points) per 82 games.
Ryan Hartman
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 80.3 | 24.7 | 28.1 | 52.8 | 13.8 | 82.1 | 1.5 | 5.5 | 7.1 | 204.6 | 12.1% | 18.2 | 448.4 | 54.5 | 78.4 |
Hartman spent 71 percent of his 5v5 ice-time with Kaprizov last season, which led to him destroying his previous career highs across the board. He scored 34 goals with 31 assists (65 points) and increased his shot volume from 7.0 to 9.6 Shots/60. That should at least help him maintain a 25-goal pace moving forward. As long as he’s playing on the top line with Kaprizov, he’s worth rostering. If he loses that gig to either Rossi or Joel Eriksson Ek, he’s droppable.
Joel Eriksson Ek
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 78.4 | 25.8 | 23.7 | 49.5 | 11.6 | 30.5 | 8.3 | 5.3 | 13.6 | 206.8 | 12.5% | 18.6 | 670.5 | 48.8 | 139.7 |
Eriksson Ek built upon an impressive COVID-shortened season by topping 20 goals (26) and 20 assists (23) for the first time in his career. Eriksson Ek played massive minutes (18:35 ATOI), but the Wild often use him more in a defensive role, which limits his offensive upside. With Rossi now in Minnesota, that could be taken another step further in 2022-23. Another 20-20 season should be expected, and if he ends up on a line with Kaprizov, he will become a must-own.
Jared Spurgeon
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 74.7 | 11.5 | 29.3 | 40.8 | 12.4 | 14.9 | 3.1 | 12.3 | 15.4 | 133.9 | 8.6% | 22.1 | 0.0 | 111.2 | 63.6 |
Spurgeon is the defenseman to own in Minnesota. While he’s not heavily utilized at 5v5, he quarterbacks the top power-play unit and is coming off of a career-best 14 power-play points. Unfortunately, injuries derailed what would have been a career year for Spurgeon in 2022 and have forced him to miss 13 percent of the games over the last three seasons. However, should he stay healthy, he’s a good bet for 10-to-15 goals and 30-plus assists. That lands him as a solid No.3 fantasy defenseman.
Matt Dumba
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 73.4 | 9.0 | 22.0 | 31.0 | 3.7 | 52.8 | 1.6 | 5.7 | 7.3 | 147.0 | 6.1% | 22.8 | 0.0 | 104.4 | 120.9 |
From 2016-to-2019, Dumba averaged 14 goals and 26 assists (40 points) per 82 games. However, he could not maintain the 8.5 SH% from those four seasons, dipping to 5.1 SH% over the last three seasons and failing to reach double-digit goals. In addition, his power-play usage has declined each of the previous four seasons, making him a No.4 fantasy defenseman in banger leagues only.
Marco Rossi
| GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| 74.0 | 12.4 | 22.5 | 34.9 | 3.3 | 32.8 | 2.9 | 4.6 | 7.5 | 126.9 | 9.8% | 13.3 | 133.7 | 33.6 | 57.6 |
Rossi only played five games during the 2021 season due to myocarditis but returned to full health in 2022 and joined the Iowa Wild (AHL). In his first season, the Austrian centre tied for the team lead in points with 53 (18G / 35A) in 63 games. Last season he only played two NHL games, but he’s expected to be a full-time NHLer in 2022-23. Rossi is a top-10 betting favourite to win Rookie of the Year and has a chance to land a prominent role on a line with Boldy and another scoring winger. While he’s a terrific dynasty league option, he’s a waiver wire player to keep an eye on early in the season in re-draft leagues.
Goalies
Marc-Andre Fleury
| GS | W | L | T/O | SV% | GAA | SO |
| 53.0 | 30.8 | 16.1 | 6.1 | 0.915 | 2.63 | 4.5 |
In March, the Wild acquired Fleury from the Blackhawks and signed him to a two-year contract extension in July. That didn’t sit well with Cam Talbot’s camp, so they shipped him to Ottawa for Filip Gustavsson, who will be Fleury’s backup this season. After arriving in Minnesota, Fleury went 9-2-0 with a 2.74 GAAA and .910 SV% in 11 games. In total, he started 56 games in 2022 and has averaged 56 starts per season over the last four years, proving he can still handle a heavy workload, even into his late-30s. The Wild ranked sixth in all situations xGA/60 (2.73) last season, which should help Fleury become a top-10 fantasy starter in 2023.
Filip Gustavsson
| GS | W | L | T/O | SV% | GAA | SO |
| 29.0 | 16.3 | 9.2 | 3.5 | 0.908 | 2.85 | 1.0 |
Gustavsson joins the Wild after going 5-12-1 with a 3.55 GAA and .892 SV% in 18 appearances (16 starts) in 2022. For his career, he’s 10-13-3 with a 3.12 GAA and .905 SV%. In 2023, he’ll benefit from moving from a bottom-10 defensive team to a top-10 defensive unit, which should help him move his SV% back closer to .910. He’s a capable backup who will probably only see a maximum of 30 starts and will be a great streaming option throughout the season.
Remaining Wild Projections
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | PTS | (+/-) | PIM | PPG | PPA | PPP | SOG | S% | ATOI | FOW | BLK | HIT |
| Jonas Brodin | D | 78.4 | 6.8 | 25.1 | 32.0 | 7.1 | 24.6 | 0.9 | 4.1 | 5.0 | 127.8 | 5.4% | 23.0 | 0.0 | 133.0 | 52.6 |
| Marcus Foligno | LW/RW | 77.3 | 21.1 | 21.5 | 42.6 | 16.6 | 87.3 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 5.6 | 101.0 | 20.9% | 16.0 | 10.4 | 40.5 | 224.6 |
| Alex Goligoski | D | 79.0 | 2.9 | 23.4 | 26.3 | 10.5 | 27.8 | 0.3 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 85.9 | 3.4% | 18.6 | 0.0 | 109.0 | 73.7 |
| Frederick Gaudreau | C/RW | 75.5 | 12.5 | 25.1 | 37.5 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 118.2 | 10.5% | 15.4 | 432.1 | 39.2 | 47.7 |
| Jordan Greenway | LW | 75.5 | 10.5 | 23.7 | 34.2 | 11.9 | 67.8 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 117.2 | 9.0% | 14.6 | 22.1 | 38.9 | 140.2 |
| Jacob Middleton | D | 77.1 | 4.1 | 12.4 | 17.0 | 5.5 | 106.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 86.0 | 4.8% | 18.3 | 0.0 | 129.8 | 131.4 |
| Tyson Jost | C/LW | 80.1 | 8.8 | 13.1 | 21.9 | 6.2 | 30.5 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 109.1 | 8.1% | 12.5 | 166.1 | 31.0 | 60.7 |
| Brandon Duhaime | LW/RW | 80.5 | 7.4 | 11.4 | 18.8 | 0.5 | 103.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 98.2 | 7.5% | 11.1 | 8.6 | 21.3 | 200.1 |
| Connor Dewar | C/LW | 69.5 | 6.4 | 9.3 | 15.7 | -2.9 | 38.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 88.5 | 7.2% | 10.3 | 128.3 | 41.2 | 99.9 |