The Minnesota Wild are back on the ice tonight in Edmonton, and while Kirill Kaprizov’s return helped fuel Sunday’s 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, another roster boost is also on tap. Nico Sturm is set to return against the 6-1-1 Edmonton Oilers in an 8 p.m. matchup, and injured defensemen Jared Spurgeon and Olli Maatta are close, according to Joe Smith of The Athletic, though neither got the green light Tuesday.
Off the ice, the bigger issue for a lot of fans is still access. Wild+ remains unavailable on DirecTV and Comcast’s Xfinity, and there’s no sign that changes anytime soon. Minnesota’s new local TV home has aired all nine of the team’s regular-season games so far, but the hoped-for deals with the two major providers have not materialized.
Right now, the only options for fans outside local Spectrum (Charter) cable or Fubo are to subscribe to Wild+ through Amazon Prime Video. That costs $19.99 per month or $99.99 for the season.
Early on, the Wild were hoping agreements with DirecTV and Xfinity would be in place before the season or soon after it began. Instead, nine games in, Michael Russo of The Athletic sounds increasingly skeptical that a deal is around the corner. He wrote, “Nope, I’d get Prime or Fubo at this point if you don’t have Spectrum”
On Oct. 2, the Wild pointed the finger at Comcast, saying Xfinity wanted to place Wild+ on a more expensive tier than where regional sports networks have traditionally lived. At the time, the team seemed more optimistic about DirecTV, as if a resolution was close.
That was three weeks ago. And for Minnesota fans who just want to watch the Wild, the message is pretty simple: unless you’re in Spectrum territory, the paywall hasn’t budged. The good news is that a free Amazon Prime membership signup isn’t required; the subscription itself is the only thing that costs money.
In Other News...
Wild Fans Suddenly Have A Real Reason To Watch Dylan Larkin
Dylan Larkin has quietly become one of the most intriguing names in the trade market for Minnesota fans to follow. NHL insider Michael Russo reported that talks involving Larkin and the Red Wings have moved forward, and the Minnesota Wild are among the destinations on the list of teams he would accept, which gives the whole situation real relevance for a club that is always looking to sharpen its roster around the edges.
Russo also said the latest buzz picked up after a recent conference call with Detroit, with multiple sources believing the process is moving toward some kind of resolution. Still, the official line out of the Red Wings remains calm for now, with senior vice president Jim Devellano saying Larkin and the team have reconciled and interim general manager Shawn Horcoff describing things as status quo, so the next move could come fast or simply fade back into the background. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Face A Quinn Hughes Problem They Cant Ignore
Quinn Hughes has become one of the more important names in Minnesota as the season moves on, and not just because of what he does on the blue line. The Wild have been publicly confident they can still keep him around, but the bigger picture is hard to miss: he is getting closer to unrestricted free agency, and there is still no extension in place.
For now, the organization is trying to project patience while the clock keeps ticking. Around the league, early trade chatter has already put Hughes in the middle of the conversation if talks do not gain traction, which is the kind of pressure a team would rather avoid on a player it sees as part of its core. The Wild clearly want this to end with a new contract, but the longer the stalemate lasts, the harder it becomes to ignore every possible outcome. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Still Face One Big Quinn Hughes Question
Contract talks around Quinn Hughes have become one of the most closely watched threads in the league, and the Minnesota Wild are right in the middle of it. The feeling around the team is that Minnesota is prepared to go to the number Hughes wants on a long-term deal, which would mark a major commitment to the star defenseman and signal how aggressively the Wild are willing to chase a core piece.
Even with that kind of interest, the deal is not done, and there is still no agreement in place. Across the league, Nikita Kucherovs negotiations with Tampa Bay remain active as well, with the market shifting after the Leo Carlsson situation and prompting some rethinking on both sides. For Minnesota, the open question is no longer whether the Wild are willing to pay up, but whether Hughes is ready to actually close the door on his next contract. [Read more 🡒]