The Wild's transition from Paul Fenton to new General Manager Bill Guerin is complete, but now the real work begins. The question becomes this: What can Guerin do so late in the offseason to change the Wild's trajectory next year?
First take: Michael Rand
In terms of roster construction, the answer is "not much." Barring a major trade — which seems unlikely as Guerin evaluates the Wild's personnel — things are pretty well set. So any improvements or changes figure to be internal. To that end, chemistry and analytics could be the Wild's best bets.
If players were unhappy last year under Fenton's watch, Guerin might be able to squeeze more out of this roster by setting a different tone. And if he is serious about an "all-in" approach to analytics, as he said in his introductory news conference, perhaps there are new combinations or player roles to consider.
Aside from that? Good luck. It could be a long year.
Wild reporter Sarah McLellan: A patient transition by Guerin also makes sense because there's still plenty to learn about the current roster.
The group poised to begin this season isn't the same one that faded to close out 2018-19. Free-agent additions Mats Zuccarello and Ryan Hartman will give the lineup a different look. Captain Mikko Koivu and defenseman Matt Dumba are returning from injury to fill key roles.
And forwards who were acquired in trades last season (Victor Rask, Ryan Donato and Kevin Fiala) are no longer newbies adapting on the fly. Clearly, the team has a gap to bridge to get back to the playoffs after missing out for the first time in seven years. But there is an opportunity for improvement from the incumbents.
