1 Avoid the injury bug
After injuries pillaged the Wild throughout 2017-18, the group has healed up and staying at full strength might be the most important catalyst for success.
No. 1 defenseman Ryan Suter is ready to return from a severe ankle fracture, and winger Zach Parise is available from the get-go after missing the first half and end of last season.
Only forward Luke Kunin is still sidelined, as he recovers from a torn ACL.
Health is an unpredictable factor, and injuries don't discriminate — testing teams all around the NHL. But if the Wild can keep off the injury list, its chances of being competitive only improve.
2 Start on time
The perils of a slow start should be fresh in the Wild's mind; after a ho-hum 4-4-2 debut last October, the team played catch-up for much of the season and it took a strong second-half to lock down a playoff berth — on April 2.
Falling behind the likes of the Jets and Predators could be a recipe for disaster, and with only four games in the first 11 days of its season, finding its mojo early would only bode well for the Wild.
3 All about special teams
Any advantage — even for just two minutes — becomes magnified in today's ultracompetitive NHL, so the Wild's performance on the power play and penalty kill could sway it up or down the standings.
Both units ranked near the middle-of-the-pack last season but have an opportunity to improve.