Minneapolis, MN
With an up and down season continuing, the Wild have found their woes turned around as of late. After a dismal start, the Wild are now in the play-off hunt thanks to a 7-2-1 record over their last 10. This record is a big indication that the team is finally ready to play, and they are resting their hopes on broad shoulders of pending RFA Kent Simpson.
Just last week, Simpson eclipsed the Wins record by goalies in franchise history with his 128th and 129th victories. He has been able to do this in over 2000 less minutes than the previous holder Jani Hurme. He has also tied Hurme with 10 Shutouts and will hold that record with just 1 more.
Kane has come on strong as of late as well. He is 10th on the leaderboard in the points race with 51 points in 50 games. He is on pace to have a career and move up the franchise leader board. He still sits 102 goals behind HoF forward Marian Gaborik, but is only 62 assists shy of taking the lead there (possibly next season). All in, he still sits 164 points short of being the highest scoring Wild player, but with 4 years remaining on his contract, he should get there.
Duncan Keith is another player making his march forward. With already 1100+ games under his belt, he is still 65 games shy of the tops in Games Played. With the rest of this season and, barring a major injury, he should achieve this early next season. He is also 22 PIMs away from being the most penalized player in Franchise history. Not a record you specifically want, but someone has to be at the top of a list somewhere, right?
All in all, the Wild have gotten the wheels straightened and are heading down the right road. With just 30ish games remaining, we will have to see what GM Williamson has in store for the team. Don't expect a lot of shake-ups at the TDL, but some moves may be necessary in the off-season to make room for a new contract for Simpson.
9/10/2019 - 352 words
Minneapolis, MN