The Minnesota Wild are set to open training camp with a 48-player group reporting to TRIA Rink on Sept. 17, and the roster gives an early look at how the 2026-27 season could start to take shape.
There are 25 forwards, 16 defensemen and seven goaltenders on the list, with plenty of familiar names mixed in with several new faces and younger players hoping to break through.
In net, Filip Gustavsson is listed on the camp roster, but he is expected to begin the season on injured reserve and stay out until November. That puts Jesper Wallstedt and offseason addition Calvin Pickard in position as the two NHL goaltenders entering camp. Filip Ruzicka, Riley Mercer, Chase Wutzke and William Rousseau are also in the mix, with Peter Thome serving as the emergency backup goaltender.
Minnesota’s forward group includes its established core, with Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, Ryan Hartman, Michael McCarron and Marcus Foligno all reporting. The Wild also added Blake Coleman, while Bobby Brink and Nick Foligno are among the mid-season additions on the roster. The camp invite list also gives another opportunity for younger forwards such as Danila Yurov, Charlie Stramel, Hunter Haight and Riley Heidt.
On the blue line, Quinn Hughes stands out among a group that also includes Brock Faber, Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon and Zach Bogosian. Younger defensemen like Daemon Hunt, Carson Lambos, Viking Gustafsson-Nyberg, Jack Peart and David Spacek will be trying to make their case during camp.
Minnesota’s preseason schedule begins Sept. 19 against the Chicago Blackhawks at Grand Casino Arena. The Wild will then head to Chicago for a rematch on Sept. 21, play the Dallas Stars on the road Sept. 23, and wrap up the preseason Sept. 25 against Dallas at Grand Casino Arena.
Here is the Wild’s full 2026-27 training camp roster:
Forwards (25): Bobby Brink, Matt Boldy, Yakov Trenin, Joel Eriksson Ek, Charlie Stramel, Marcus Foligno, Mason Shaw, Tyler Pitlick, Blake Coleman, Danila Yurov, Dylan Gambrell, Jagger Joshua, Justin Kirkland, Hunter Haight, Ryan Hartman, Michael McCarron, Maxim Shabanov, Riley Heidt, Rieger Lorenz, Rasmus Kumpulainen, Nick Foligno, Kayden Lemire, Caedan Bankier, Nico Sturm and Kirill Kaprizov.
Defensemen (16): Olli Määttä, Viking Gustafsson Nyberg, Brock Faber, Ben Dexheimer, Zach Bogosian, Jonas Brodin, Matt Kiersted, Jack Peart, Quinn Hughes, Jared Spurgeon, Daemon Hunt, Carson Lambos, Roman Schmidt, Stevie Leskovar, David Spacek and Mike Koster.
Goaltenders (7): Jesper Wallstedt, Calvin Pickard, Filip Gustavsson, Filip Ruzicka, Riley Mercer, Chase Wutzke and William Rousseau.
Peter Thome will also be in camp as the Wild’s emergency backup goaltender.
In Other News...
Bill Guerin May Not Be Done Shaking Up The Wild Yet
Quinn Hughes is already sounding upbeat about the Wilds outlook for the upcoming season, and his confidence lines up with the sense around the team that Bill Guerin may not be finished altering the roster. Minnesota has spent the offseason trying to position itself for a stronger push, and the idea of one more meaningful move has only added to the conversation about where this group is headed.
Dylan Larkins trade request in Detroit has only fueled the wider speculation about what kind of player could shake loose, even though no direct link has been made to Minnesota. For now, the Wild are still in the stage of possibilities rather than confirmed moves, but Guerins reputation suggests the story could still take another turn before the roster is set. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Patience Gets Tested As Dylan Larkin Rumors Heat Up
The Dylan Larkin chatter has lingered all summer, and it only picked up again after Quinn Hughes went out of his way to praise the Red Wings captain at the NHL Player Media Tour. For Minnesota, the appeal is obvious. Larkin brings leadership, speed and the kind of two-way presence that can change the tone of a lineup, which is why the Wild have been tied to him as they look for ways to keep climbing in a crowded Western Conference.
But interest has not been the same thing as progress. Larkin asked for a trade in June and still remains in Detroit, where the front office situation has slowed the conversation while the Red Wings search for a new general manager. For the Wild, the hurdles are familiar ones in any big-name pursuit: finding the right compensation, making the salary cap work and waiting out a process that still seems far from resolution. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Veterans Are Entering A Season That Could Get Uncomfortable
The early edges of a season can look a lot different once the games start piling up, and that is part of what makes this stretch interesting for the Wild. A few familiar names are carrying some real uncertainty into the year, with Jared Spurgeons recent point totals trending down as age and injuries continue to factor into how often he can tilt the ice, while Filip Gustavsson enters after hip surgery with his health and form still impossible to pin down with much confidence.
Yakov Trenin adds another layer to the conversation because his value has been tied so closely to a heavy physical game, and seasons built on that kind of output do not always repeat cleanly. None of this means Minnesota should expect a collapse, but it does suggest the margin for error could tighten quickly if those veterans drift back from last seasons levels, leaving the Wild to balance what they hope these players still provide against the possibility that the numbers start moving the other way. [Read more 🡒]
