3 Wild With The Most To Prove In 2023-24

The Minnesota Wild are still hoping to be a highly competitive team despite allocating a ton of cap space to past buyouts. The team is pretty bare and they are managing the best they can. That being said, there are some players that will have to step up or turn it around after last season and prove they deserve their spot in the lineup. Let's take a look.

Marcus Foligno

For his entire career, Marcus Foligno has always been a third/fourth line power forward type of player that is strong defensively. He will always play the body and has been able to produce a bit offensively. But 2021-22 changed for him as he set career highs in goals (23) and points (42), 10 more goals and 16 more points than his previous career highs. This created an expectation that he just couldn't reach last season. The team is still counting on more production from him because they've seen it. The Wild don't have cap space to work with and need him to do it all like he did two seasons ago.

Ryan Hartman

Like Foligno, Ryan Hartman had a great career year in 2021-22, but wasn't able to replicate it. He missed 23 games, but more than that, his goals and point pace dropped significantly. He is a former first round pick, so it was about time he did break out. The Wild thought they found a gem at a cheap price to hold them over for a few years at center, but it didn't last. He will be trying to find the spark he had two seasons ago and will get the chance on the top line because the Wild don't have any other choice.

Calen Addison

The Wild added some defensemen during the 2022-23 season and it took playing time away from Calen Addison, in particular, on the power play. He seems to be passed by Brock Faber already and Addison doesn't have a contract for this season yet. Whatever deal he and the Wild decide on, he will have to prove that he is worth a bigger role on the team and worth keeping around. He only had 29 points last season after more was expected of him.