Recent content from Sarah McLellan
Wild fourth-round pick tells GM 'you got the steal of the draft'
Finnish teenager Aron Kiviharju was once considered a first-rounder, and wants to prove the scouts wrong.
Wild coach Hynes won't be starting from scratch
After being thrown in after last season started, John Hynes will have time to prepare for 2024-25.
Wild first-rounder Yurov set to spend another year in Russia
A breakthrough season that included winning the KHL's Gagarin Cup postponed Danila Yurov's transition to North America.
Wild first-rounder Charlie Stramel vows to get back on track
The Rosemount native had a rough season at Wisconsin and was left off the U.S. junior national team.
First female coach offers new view at Wild development camp
Days after the Kraken hired the NHL's first female assistant coach, guest coach Claire Jenkins Coffman strives to be a trailblazer for the Wild.
Wild's top prospect isn't really a prospect anymore
Liam Ohgren has already made his NHL debut and scored a goal.
Wild defenseman Declan Chisholm agrees to one-year, $1 million contract
Claimed off waivers from the Jets, restricted free agent Declan Chisholm got a chance with the Wild, averaging almost 17 minutes over 29 games.
The Bike Rider: Middleton gets good news on cross-country journey
Wild defenseman Jake Middleton got a long-term contract extension, and signed at a diner in Montana.
Middleton gets contract extension from Wild
Veteran defenseman Jake Middleton was once the last pick in the NHL draft.
Wild sign Trenin to four-year, $14M deal, reuniting him with Hynes
Eight others signed two-way contracts, including NHL veterans Travis Boyd and Devin Shore.
Wild fill assistant coaching vacancy, adding Capuano to Hynes' staff
Jack Capuano served as an associate coach for Ottawa the past five seasons before taking a similar role with the Wild.
Wild eye up middle six depth, internal growth ahead of free agency
With $6 million in cap space, Wild boss Bill Guerin has some options to bolster the team's preferred identity.
With six picks in 2024 draft, Wild load up on defensemen
Four of the five skaters drafted are blueliners, and the Wild feel they got excellent value after their second and third picks dropped down the board due to injury.
Wild draft Denver defenseman Zeev Buium with 12th overall pick
The Wild moved up one spot to draft a player who won a national championship at Xcel Energy Center in April.
Meet the Wild's six 2024 draft picks
Five skaters, headed by first-rounder Zeev Buium out of Denver, and one goalie joined the Wild's prospect pool at the draft in Las Vegas.
Wild boss revels in chance to pick from the best as Team USA GM in 4 Nations Face-Off
The first six players on the American roster were announced Friday in advance of the February tournament intended to replace the NHL All-Star Game.
Faber finishes second in Calder voting
The NHL award for best rookie went to Chicago's Connor Bedard, but Faber stayed humble in the spotlight.
Five players the Wild could take with the 13th pick
Will a top prospect drop a bit? Is there an under-the-radar skater who could move up? The NHL draft is Friday and Saturday in Las Vegas.
The case for Wild's Faber as NHL Rookie of the Year
Wild defenseman Brock Faber is up against Chicago's Connor Bedard for the Calder Trophy.
Wild have eyes on future as NHL draft takes place Friday
With little consensus behind No. 1, Minnesota is likely to see what top prospect falls to them at No. 13.
Meet Minnesota's newest first family of hockey: the Plantes
There will be a familiar name called in the NHL draft, and UMD is happy to have two new rising stars on board.
Wild trade Adam Beckman to Devils for Graeme Clarke in swap of restricted free agents
Wild, Devils swap restricted free agents Beckman, Clarke
Longtime assistant coach Darby Hendrickson dismissed by Wild
Hendrickson played for the Wild, then was on the coaching staff for 14 seasons.
Wild stay put at No. 13 in NHL draft lottery; Sharks get No. 1 pick
San Jose slotted first overall after finishing with the worst record in the league (19-54-9) and having the best odds (18.5%) of winning the lottery. Boston University's Macklin Celebrini is likely to be the No. 1 overall selection in the June 28-29 draft.
Wild's Faber among three finalists for top NHL rookie award
In his first full season with the Wild, former Gophers star Brock Faber was among the league leaders in ice time per game and scored 47 points.
Wild roster 2024-25: Who stays, who goes after playoff failure?
The Wild's salary cap problems will have an impact of how quickly the team can recover from their failure to make the playoffs. Hockey writer Sarah McLellan looks at who could be gone and why.
Wild reflect on disappointing season: 'I don't want to be in this spot'
Injuries and inconsistent play, not to mention salary cap woes, kept the Wild out of the playoffs as they ponder what needs to change.
Wild rumblings: Gustavsson wants to return, Faber played despite broken ribs
Coach John Hynes will lead the U.S. world championship team in May, which could include Matt Boldy.
Wild fall to Kraken in final game: 'Disappointing. Just like our season.'
Kirill Kaprizov scored his 46th goal of the season, but it was another loss in a wave of many that ultimately ended without a trip to the playoffs. The focus now shifts to the NHL draft.
Kirill Kaprizov has a shot at career high in goals in season finale
Kirill Kaprizov is three goals shy of his career high, among other individual milestones in play for the regular-season finale.
Who'll be back? Wild's goalie situation taking shape for next year.
Will the netminder of the future be ready? And what about the two veterans? One of those questions was answered Wednesday morning.
Wild sign goalie Fleury to contract extension for 2024-25 season
The 39-year-old future Hall of Famer joined the Wild during the 2022 season in a trade-deadline deal with Chicago and played his 1,000th game this season.
Wild's defense had all kinds of problems — and one breakout star
Brock Faber's emergence as an all-purpose specialist should make the former Gophers standout a Rookie of the Year finalist and a big part of the Wild's future.
Gaudreau returns as a new parent for Wild, who top Kings
"Our hearts have been exploded in the best way possible," Frederick Gaudreau said after leaving the team to be with his wife, Kjersten, for the birth of their son.
Wild visit Kings for their season's penultimate game
The Wild finish their road trip with a shot at revenge against Los Angeles.
Wild's scoring was top heavy, but balance wasn't there
Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy did most of the heavy lifting among the forwards.
Wild rout Sharks 6-2 behind mish-mash lineup of veterans and prospects
Liam Ohgren scored his first goal, Jesper Wallstedt made 27 saves and Kirill Kaprizov scored twice to give him 44 goals on the season.
What went wrong for the Wild this season? A little bit of everything.
The Wild's chief Central Division foes were faster, stronger and more skilled. As a result, the season comes to an end without a trip to the playoffs.
Despite loss in Vegas, 'Dream come true' for Wild's Ohgren
The rookie from Sweden made his NHL debut Friday night as a disappointing Wild season draws to a close.
Wallstedt to make third NHL start as Wild visit Sharks
Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt will make his third NHL start looking to follow his 24-save shutout of Chicago last weekend.
Liam Ohgren will make NHL debut for Wild tonight vs. Vegas
The Golden Knights are still fighting for a playoff spot but have been playing poorly in recent games.
Being a spoiler is best Wild can do in season's final games
A steep tumble over the last few weeks has left the Wild out of the NHL postseason for only the second time in the last 12 years.
Wild eliminated from playoff chase after thrashing by Avalanche
The Wild finally ran out of chances to salvage their season by losing again to Colorado. Kirill Kaprizov kept scoring, but little else went well for Minnesota.
Prank war between Fleury, ex-Wild teammate Duhaime reaches truce
It started with quips about Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury being advanced in age and ended with former teammate and current Avalanche forward Brandon Duhaime's car missing tires and buried in dirt.
With Kaprizov on a role, Wild try to find any success against Avs
The Wild's record against Central Division teams is a major reason why they likely won't make the playoffs.
Russian rookie learns Wild's rules — including an odd one about Kaprizov
What to wear, soccer contests, who eats first, what happens after games. It's been an education in the rules, both written and unwritten, for Marat Khusnutdinov
Wallstedt makes Wild history in shutout victory over Chicago
Rookie Jesper Wallstedt had a rough NHL debut a few months ago and was motivated by it. He set two new Wild standards in Sunday's 4-0 win.
Wild lose to Jets again 4-2 despite Kaprizov's two goals
Winnipeg finished off a four-game sweep for the season series vs. the Wild, who are 10 points back of a playoff spot.
Wild call up Jesper Wallstedt to start Sunday in Chicago
The Wild begin a five-game road trip with six games to go in the regular season. Wallstedt, 21, will get another shot in net after a lopsided debut.
Wild at Blackhawks preview: Five-game road trip kicks off with Bedard rematch
The Bedard-led Chicago offense will test a Wild team on the second half of a back-to-back.
Wild vs. Jets preview: Winnipeg's forward depth will test Wild
Winnipeg has won all three meetings this season heading into Saturday's matinee.
Wild nominate Rossi for NHL's Masterton Award
Rossi is having a strong rookie season after recovering from myocarditis.
Playoff dream takes another hit in Wild's loss to Avalanche
The 5-2 defeat dropped the Wild two more points from the final playoff spot on a night with a lot of shots but little success to show for them.
Shaw caps latest comeback by finally scoring for Wild
Young forward Mason Shaw has battled back from four major knee operations — and showing off his scoring touch came at just the right time for the Wild.
Wild-Avs game preview: Colorado has high-scoring MacKinnon
The Wild's playoff hopes are rapidly dwindling, but two more points are up for grabs.
Foligno will miss rest of season after surgery for groin injury
Marcus Foligno is the second Wild player to have season-ending surgery: Captain Jared Spurgeon hasn't played since January.
Wild escape Senators' surge for 3-2 win, make headway in wild-card race
Ottawa capitalized on the power play to rally from a 2-0 deficit before Vinni Lettieri scored late to end the Senators' five-game win streak.
Wild first round pick from 2022 arrives, will play in Iowa
Liam Ohgren was the 19th overall pick two years ago and has been skating in Sweden.
Hartman gets 3-game ban for hurling stick near refs after Wild loss
League officials noted that Ryan Hartman returned to the bench after Saturday's loss and threw his stick on the ice while berating the referees.
Wild face another must-win game vs. suddenly hot Senators
Ottawa has won five in a row while the Wild face another must-win game.
Wild lose 2-1 in overtime to Golden Knights, get zero points with goalie pulled
Desperate for two points in the playoff chase, they instead got zero because Jonathan Marchessault scored into an empty net in OT.
Wild vs. Golden Knights preview: Defending champs pose tough challenge
Vegas is on a five-game point streak with wins in its last seven, and the Wild looked uninspired on Thursday despite picking up a victory.
Wild score twice in third period to polish off pesky Sharks 3-1
Goals by Matt Boldy 18 seconds into the third and Ryan Hartman's empty-net goal in the final minute finally earns the victory over last-place San Jose.
Wild get healthy and get a win, but playoff chances are still day-to-day
Eriksson Ek and Brodin returned from injury Thursday, giving the Wild back their best center and top defenseman — but eight points separate the team from the playoffs.
Wild-Sharks game preview: Eriksson Ek, Brodin back in lineup
The Wild are coming off their longest hiatus since the All-Star break, but Thursday's game vs. San Jose offers a great chance to get back up to speed, Sarah McLellan writes.
Math is not Wild's favorite subject right now
Minnesota is a long shot in the NHL playoff race and needs to add up a few victories down the stretch.
Wild sign St. Cloud State defenseman and 2021 Mr. Hockey winner
The Wild signed St. Cloud State defenseman Jack Peart to a three-year, entry-level contract that begins next season.
Wild fall to Blues 5-4 in overtime to lose more ground in playoff hunt
They blew two leads and have the potential to fall further behind with a four-day break coming up.
With four-day break looming, Wild need a win to keep pace
Getting past the Blues on Saturday will be vital for the Wild, who are guaranteed to lose ground in the playoff race next week.
Wild vs. Blues preview: Season series finale is a must-win
The teams are battling for playoff seeding in the Western Conference with time quickly running out.
Big chance, big fail. Wild lose 6-0, miss opportunity in playoff chase.
Beating the Kings would have moved the Wild within one point of the final playoff spot. Instead, they fell behind quickly, yielded two own goals and replaced Marc-Andre Fleury midgame.
Wild defenseman Brodin undergoes MRI, misses Kings game
The extent of Jonas Brodin's absence on a depleted blue line is unclear; Dakota Mermis filled Brodin's lineup spot.
Wild blank Ducks in Gustavsson's return; Brodin injured on hit
A nearly wholesale lineup shuffle occurred after a ho-hum first period and the Wild responded by running away from the lowly Ducks. Victory came at a price, however.
Wild at Kings preview: A pair of unexpected kindred spirits
With both teams on the second night of a back-to-back and harboring a vested interest in the West wild-card race, the Wild should prioritize a structured effort.
Goalie Gustavsson will get off the bench for Wild soon
After watching Marc-Andre Fleury for four straight games, an unusual pattern from what the Wild had done previously, Filip Gustavsson will be back in action.
