The Minnesota Wild finally know what the road ahead looks like, and it comes with a couple of early traps that could matter a lot.
The team unveiled its 2026-27 schedule on Thursday, giving fans plenty to circle on the calendar. But for the Wild themselves, the first stretch is the part that jumps off the page: according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo, Minnesota opens its new 84-game slate with 10 of its first 14 games on the road and 20 of its first 30 away from home.
That alone would be enough to make the start of the season tricky. Add in the fact that Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 AM in Edmonton pointed out the Wild will only face seven opponents on the second night of a back-to-back, and Minnesota’s schedule suddenly looks less forgiving than most.
For a team with Stanley Cup ambitions, the talent should be there to handle the grind. But the combination of heavy travel and fresh opponents means the Wild’s own issues will be under a brighter spotlight early on.
Goaltending is the biggest one.
Jesper Wallstedt appears set to be back in Minnesota after ending the offseason with some uncertainty, but Filip Gustavsson is expected to miss the start of the year after hip surgery at the end of last season. That puts immediate pressure on the Wild’s depth in goal.
Minnesota brought in veteran Calvin Pickard to back up Wallstedt, but his recent résumé is limited. Over the past three seasons, he has appeared in just 75 games, going 39-23-4 with a 2.84 goals-against average and an .896 save percentage.
If Wallstedt carries over the form he showed late last season, the Wild can probably manage while Gustavsson recovers. Still, doing that on the road is a tougher assignment, especially with trips to Buffalo, Tampa, Florida, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Utah on the early itinerary.
There’s also the Vancouver trip, which comes with its own wrinkle: Quinn Hughes is back for the first time since December’s blockbuster trade, making that matchup more difficult than it might otherwise look.
And then there’s the broader league-wide imbalance. Minnesota’s seven games against teams on the second half of a back-to-back are among the fewest in the NHL. Only the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets have fewer.
By comparison, Montreal has the most next season with 19 such games, while 20 of the league’s 32 teams sit between 10 and 15. That group includes several Central Division opponents, with the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks at 15, and the Colorado Avalanche and Nashville Predators at 12.
That setup could make it harder for the Wild to create space in a Central Division that looks stronger. It also raises the stakes for Wallstedt, who may need to hit the ground running if Minnesota wants to avoid getting squeezed early.
The schedule does offer one clear reward for all that early travel: nine home games in St. Paul in December. But before the Wild can settle in, they’ll have to survive the opening stretch - and those two schedule hurdles could end up shaping their season.
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Danila Yurovs rookie season gave the Wild something they can actually build on. In 73 games, he put up 12 goals and 15 assists while showing he could survive beyond sheltered minutes, and Minnesota kept finding ways to move him up the lineup as injuries created openings. His game fits the kind of role the Wild have wanted to test: speed, aggression on the puck and a willingness to go to the net.
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What makes Laine such an interesting possibility is the kind of deal he might need to land. The sense around the league is that any team considering him would likely be looking at a low-salary, short-term, prove-it arrangement, which keeps the door open for clubs still hunting offense without wanting to overcommit. The Wild are not alone in that conversation, with the Rangers also in the mix, and the bigger question is whether Minnesota eventually decides this is the sort of swing worth taking. [Read more 🡒]