Brock Faber’s return could reshape Minnesota’s offense
Brock Faber may return to the Minnesota Wild’s lineup Saturday night against the Boston Bruins, and his impact could extend well beyond stabilizing a battered blue line.
Faber has missed the past seven weeks with a fractured skull. His comeback would lift a Minnesota team that has managed several defensive injuries, but it could also address one of the Wild’s biggest weaknesses: too much of their scoring has come from too few players.
The Wild entered Thursday leading the Central Division with 30 points and a 13-3-4 record since Faber’s injury. That run has been especially impressive with much of it coming on the road. Still, Minnesota ranked 14th in the league with 3.25 goals per game, a sign that the team has relied more on defending than overwhelming opponents offensively.
Jesper Wallstedt’s breakout as Minnesota’s No. 1 goaltender has helped fuel that approach. So has coach Hynes’s decision to place Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek together on the top line.
That trio has produced 30 of Minnesota’s 65 goals this season. Add Quinn Hughes’ seven goals to the total, and four players have accounted for 36 of the Wild’s 65 goals - 55.3 percent of the team’s scoring.
Maxim Shabanov, who has eight goals, and Danila Yurov have provided support. But Minnesota has struggled to generate enough offense elsewhere. Bobby Brink has not found a scoring touch, Marcus Foligno and Nick Foligno have been sidelined by injuries, and Ryan Hartman has looked lost amid a contract year and trade rumors.
A potential trade for Dylan Larkin could give the Wild another answer, though that move does not appear imminent as the Detroit Red Wings wait for the best offer possible. Until that deal or another one materializes, Faber’s return becomes an important internal solution.
Faber’s offensive production took a major step forward last season. He scored 15 goals and recorded 51 points in 80 games, then added four goals and 10 points during Minnesota’s 11-game playoff run.
His offense picked up after Hughes made his Minnesota debut on Dec. 14. Hughes scored nine goals and 36 points over his final 48 games, giving the Wild another dangerous threat from the back end.
Hughes has continued to produce this season, with six goals and 27 points through his first 20 games. With Faber back beside him, Hughes could have more freedom to take offensive chances rather than carrying as much responsibility on the defensive side.
Faber’s ability to influence the game should not be limited to one defensive pairing or one group of forwards. He will certainly spend time with Kaprizov, Boldy, Eriksson Ek and Hughes, while his return also gives Minnesota the option of deploying him with different forward combinations.
His workload could make that versatility especially valuable. Faber averaged 24:41 of ice time per game last season, second on the Wild, and that figure rose to 29:44 during the playoffs. He will be on the ice frequently, regardless of which line is in front of him.
Hughes leads Minnesota this season with an average of 28:11 entering Thursday. Jonas Brodin is next at 22:34, just ahead of Kaprizov at 21:29 and Boldy at 21:27.
If Faber can maintain the offensive breakout he displayed late last season, the Wild may not have to wait long for him to begin driving play. More production from the blue line could create chances for Minnesota’s top line while easing the burden on the other three lines.
That would give a team off to a fast start a better chance to add scoring depth without losing the defensive identity that has carried it through Faber’s absence.
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