The Minnesota Wild know exactly what kind of grind awaits in the Central Division. Last spring’s playoff push was built in a division that sent five teams to the postseason, and every night against a rival felt like a fight for position. So when one of those rivals takes a hit before the season even starts, Minnesota is going to notice.
That’s where Connor Bedard comes in. The Chicago Blackhawks star left an offseason training session last week with what looked like a shoulder injury, and the concern became official on Wednesday when the team announced that Bedard “underwent successful surgery to repair his left shoulder.”
Chicago said Bedard is expected to make a full recovery, but the reported four-month timeline could keep him out of the opening stretch of the 2026-27 season. For the Wild, that would be a welcome break in a division that rarely offers one.
The Blackhawks weren’t a factor for Minnesota last season, finishing last in the Central with 72 points. But they made a major offseason move by sending the fourth overall pick, a second-round pick and defenseman Louis Crevier to the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Bowen Byram.
With Bedard healthy, Chicago was hoping to take a big step forward. Now that plan may have to wait.
Bedard backed up his status last season with career highs of 30 goals and 75 points in 69 games. He also produced against Minnesota, scoring two goals and six points in four games versus the Wild. Even so, the matchup has gone Minnesota’s way more often than not: the Wild are 9-1-1 in their last 11 games against Chicago since Bedard entered the league.
If Bedard misses the first month, that would hand the Wild an early edge in a division that has been busy all summer. The Colorado Avalanche dealt Valeri Nichushkin to the Columbus Blue Jackets and brought in Jaden Schwartz.
The Dallas Stars moved forward Mavrik Bourque and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin to the Nashville Predators. The Utah Mammoth added Wild free agent target Anders Lee and former trade target Vincent Trocheck.
And the St. Louis Blues landed Mason McTavish from the Anaheim Ducks during last month’s NHL Draft.
That kind of movement raises the pressure on Minnesota’s own roster overhaul. Jason Robertson is still working on a long-term deal with the Stars, and the Wild could still make a swing for a center, with Dylan Larkin as their No. 1 target.
For now, though, the headline is simpler than all the rest: the Central Division has become an arms race, and Bedard’s injury gives the Wild a little breathing room as the season opens.
In Other News...
Wild Keep David Spacek In The Blue Line Pipeline
The Wild have kept another young piece in the organizations defense pipeline, re-signing David paek after he spent most of his time developing with the AHLs Iowa Wild. Drafted by Minnesota in 2022, paek has moved steadily through the system and even reached the NHL level during the 2025-26 season, a sign the club still sees him as part of its long-term blue-line picture.
paeks path has been a little different from the average prospect, with dual ties to the United States and Czechia adding another layer to his background as he continues to climb. A one-year, two-way deal for 2026-27 keeps him in the fold and gives Minnesota another season to evaluate how far his game can go, even if the next step remains a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Internal Depth
The Wild made another quiet but telling move in their organizational build by keeping two more young pieces in the fold for 2026-27. Defenseman David Spacek and forward Caeden Bankier both signed one-year, two-way contracts, the kind of depth deals that usually say as much about a teams internal pipeline as they do about its immediate roster plans. Both are coming off entry-level contracts, and both have spent enough time in the system to give Minnesota a clearer read on what they can be at the next level.
Spacek already has NHL experience with Minnesota and backed it up with a strong AHL season in Iowa, where he set career highs across the board. Bankier, meanwhile, has continued to be a steady secondary scorer for the Iowa Wild, giving the organization another forward who has shown he can contribute without needing the spotlight. For a club that has tried to build sustainable depth, these are the sorts of moves that matter even if they do not grab headlines. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Fans Wont Like Why Matt Boldy Is Back In Rumors
Matt Boldy has become one of the Wilds most valuable pieces, and that is exactly why his name keeps surfacing when other teams start asking about high-end talent. He is coming off a breakthrough season and remains on a long, team-friendly deal, the kind of contract that matters even more as NHL salaries keep climbing and front offices look for ways to get star production without paying full market price.
For Minnesota, the frustration is less about any one rumor than the reality that Boldy is the sort of player rival clubs will keep circling whenever bigger names come into play. The Wild have every reason to view him as part of their core through 2029-30, but that same combination of age, production and cost control also makes him a natural target in trade conversations that may not be going away anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]