The Minnesota Wild went into Friday’s preseason finale with a lineup that looked far more like an Opening Night group than a typical exhibition roster. They still came out with just one goal in a 2-1 loss to the Dallas Stars, and that was the part that mattered most.
Minnesota had the puck enough, and it had the shots to show for it. The Wild finished with a 27-18 edge in shots, but that didn’t translate into enough real danger, and it didn’t produce enough finish from a group loaded with established NHL talent.
Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, Quinn Hughes, Marcus Foligno and much of the core expected to drive the regular season were all in the mix. This wasn’t a split-squad look at fringe players trying to make a case. Minnesota used its veterans in a final tune-up against a Central Division opponent and still needed Eriksson Ek’s goal just to avoid being shut out.
Casey DeSmith made the difference for Dallas, stopping 26 of 27 shots. The Wild spent enough time in the offensive zone to pile up attempts, but the gap between shooting and scoring was obvious. The real question is how many of those chances actually forced DeSmith to move side to side, battle traffic, or deal with rebound chaos in a dangerous spot.
Eriksson Ek’s goal showed exactly what Minnesota wants more of once the games count. Boldy and Blake Coleman picked up the assists, and the sequence highlighted the kind of work the Wild need: Boldy creating, Eriksson Ek getting to the crease, and a winger helping keep the puck alive.
That kind of shift can be a blueprint, but it can’t be the whole story. With this many proven scorers on the roster, one productive line isn’t enough.
Dallas did what good teams do in preseason or otherwise: it made its chances matter. Thomas Harley scored the eventual winner late in the second period, and Minnesota never answered despite controlling more of the shot volume.
There were positives for the Wild. Their penalty kill was perfect at 4-for-4, including a difficult 3-on-5 stretch, and Minnesota finished the preseason without giving up a power-play goal. That matters, especially with the regular season about to begin.
Still, the offensive issues were hard to miss. Goaltending and special teams can carry a team for a while, but they can’t cover for a forward group that doesn’t generate enough finish around its stars every night. Minnesota doesn’t need every line scoring constantly, but it does need enough secondary production to keep defenses from loading up on Kaprizov and Boldy.
The Wild closed the exhibition slate 1-2-1, and several veterans had limited game action before Friday’s finale. Timing and chemistry are often late-arriving pieces in September, and Dallas is a tough opponent even in a preseason setting. But this one felt less like a throwaway loss and more like a reminder.
Minnesota had most of its starters, had the shot edge, killed penalties, and still managed only one goal. That won’t define the team’s season, but its ability to turn possession into dangerous chances will say plenty once the games start counting.
In Other News...
Wild Suddenly Face A Bigger Concern Than Fans Expected On Defense
The early days of camp had already been pointing toward a young Minnesota blue line carrying plenty of responsibility, and now there is at least one more layer of uncertainty. Brock Faber was absent from Wild practice ahead of the season opener after taking an injury in the preseason finale, leaving his availability unclear at a time when every healthy defenseman matters.
Minnesota has reasons to be watching the rest of the league too, with Dylan Larkin reportedly widening his trade list to eight teams and making a fit with the Wild look remote. There is also long-term intrigue in prospect Charlie Stramel, who may begin the year in the minors before potentially pushing for NHL time later, but for now the focus is squarely on how the Wild sort out the back end if Faber is not ready. [Read more 🡒]
Wild May Be Hinting At A New Alternate Look
The Wilds mobile app has given fans something to sift through as the clubs uniform schedule starts to take shape. Three jerseys are confirmed, but the app also includes a fourth uniform page that leads to an error message, which is the sort of digital oddity that tends to get attention in a market where every small design clue gets tracked closely.
Even more intriguing, there are 10 games in the 2026-27 schedule that do not appear to be assigned to any of the three known uniforms. That gap has fueled speculation that Minnesota could be preparing a new black alternate look, though the team has not officially said such a jersey exists. For now, it is just enough to keep the possibility alive and Wild fans guessing. [Read more 🡒]
Wild May Finally Find Out What The Islanders Never Saw In Shabanov
Maxim Shabanov arrives in Minnesota with a rsum that suggests there is more here than the brief look he got with the Islanders. After a successful run in the KHL, he signed with New York but never managed to carve out a steady place in the lineup, spending most of his time on the edges of the roster before reaching free agency. For the Wild, the appeal is obvious: a low-risk addition with enough offensive background to make the move worth a closer look.
Now Shabanov gets a fresh start on a one-year contract, and the fit feels a little more intriguing because Minnesota can offer him something New York never really did, a clearer path to meaningful minutes. Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin already noted how hard the adjustment can be when a player is trying to translate that game to the NHL, and the Wild are betting they may be the team that finally finds the version of Shabanov the Islanders never quite uncovered. [Read more 🡒]