Minnesota Wild: 2 Biggest Surprises Of The Season So Far

Every NHL team has now played 20 games this season, so we are starting to get a better understanding of what to expect from them moving forward. There have been certain players who have been big surprises thus far and it feels fair to shine a light on them. In this series, we will be looking at two from each team who certainly can be classified as that.

In this one, we will be focusing on the Minnesota Wild. Many players have been off to excellent starts with them this season, but these two have been far better than anyone would have predicted.

Ryan Hartman: In 51 games last season with the Wild, Ryan Hartman had 22 points in 51 games. Now, he has 13 goals and just as many points in just 26 games. With that, he also has a ridiculous league-leading plus-23 rating. The 27-year-old appears to be having a legitimate break out campaign. The Wild have to be ecstatic that they just locked him up to a three-year, $5.1 million contract ($1.7 million AAV), too. If he keeps this kind of play up from here, it will be one of the best contracts in the league.

Dmitry Kulikov: During the summer, the Wild signed defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to a two-year contract. So far, that decision is paying off nicely, as the 31-year-old has three goals and 12 points in 25 games. To put things into better perspective, the defensive defenseman had just four assists in 48 games between the New Jersey Devils and Edmonton Oilers last season. He also has already passed his point totals from the last five seasons so early on this campaign. Overall, he deserves love for that.

Check out our last piece on the Dallas Stars. In our next installment, we will be looking at the Tampa Bay Lightning.