Regular Season Finish: 9th in Western Conference
Minnesota Wild finished two points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference in 2008-09, despite allowing the fewest goals in the Conference and missing the services of superstar Marian Gaborik for basically the whole season. The Wild made a number of significant changes in 2009, including the removal of head coach Jacques Lemaire and GM Doug Risebrough. The injury-prone Gaborik was also on the way out, as he signed a large contract with the New York Rangers, despite playing only 17 games last season. These three changes basically re-defined the whole franchise, as Risebrough and Lemaire have been the only GM and coach in franchise history, while Gaborik has been the franchise player since its inception.
With Gaborik, the Wild needed a new player to help standout center Mikko Koivu rebuild the young team. The answer fell into their lap with winger Martin Havlat departing Chicago on less than amicable terms. The Wild quickly snapped up the Blackhawks’ leading scorer from last season, signing him to a six year deal worth a total of $30 million. This left the Wild with little room for additional acquisitions, although they were rumored to be in the running to sign Mikko’s older brother Saku, after he left Montreal.
The Wild did add another veteran defenseman to help stabilize their solid defensive corps. Greg Zanon was signed after a number of solid seasons in Nashville. The physical defenseman recorded 153 hits and led the Predators with 237 blocked shots last season, and will be a welcome addition to the Wild. With Zanon bolstering their blueline and Havlat providing a more durable and reliable scoring presence than the injury-prone Gaborik, Minnesota will be looking to make a return to the playoffs in 2009-10.