The core of this Minnesota Wild team has been impressively competitive during the Zach Parise-Ryan Suter dead cap hit era, hitting the 100-point mark twice and making the playoffs three times in the past four seasons.

But it’s remained a struggle to become a serious contender and clear that first-round hurdle for the first time since 2015.

You talk to players and staff, and this past season’s playoff loss to the Vegas Golden Knights felt different. Understandably so: they were a Gustav Nyquist offside call away from taking a commanding lead with a Game 5 victory. They did feel closer. But until they find a way to break through, that’ll ring hollow to patient fans.

This coming season, there’s the added pressure of convincing not just fans but also star Kirill Kaprizov that he can win here. President of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin will likely start to feel more pressure if this season ends the way the last one did.

Where do they stand heading in? Here’s a 360-degree look at the state of the franchise with training camp approaching.

Biggest on-ice questionWill the young guys deliver?

We’ve heard about the touted Wild prospect pool for the past several years, and for good reason. But this season is where you’re really going to see a good chunk of those guys have a chance to step into roles on the NHL team.

How they do, how quickly they grow, will go a long way in determining whether Minnesota can emerge from a pretty daunting Western Conference playoff bubble. You could see a handful of rookies/young players in big roles, from Zeev Buium and Danila Yurov to Liam Ohgren, David Jiricek and Jesper Wallstedt. Eventually, teams need those guys to hit and provide support to core their stars.

Biggest off-ice questionWhen will Kaprizov sign?

This question will hang over everything until it’s answered.

The Wild clearly want to keep Kaprizov and will do everything they can to do so. Kaprizov and the team are expected to meet in person when he arrives in Minnesota ahead of training camp. Ultimately, it’s up to Kaprizov if he wants to stay and if this is a place he feels he can win. The decision, however, will go a long way in shaping the direction of the franchise, especially if the Wild have to consider the impossible decision of whether to trade Kaprizov if he doesn’t plan to re-sign.

Depth chart analysisCenter

Joel Eriksson Ek
Marco Rossi
Danila Yurov
Ryan Hartman
Nico Sturm
Vinnie Hinostroza

Guerin said at the end of the season that his No. 1 priority is addressing the center position behind Eriksson Ek, their shutdown center who also anchored the top line with Kaprizov and Matt Boldy during the playoffs.

The problem is the free-agency and trade markets were pretty soft, lacking many opportunities to upgrade. The Wild did sign Sturm, who should help with face-offs and the penalty kill, but they also traded away some depth in Freddy Gaudreau. Yurov, the team’s top forward prospect, should provide a boost, but it might not be immediate. If Hartman plays like he did in the playoffs, that makes this group a bit thicker.

As far as other prospects go, Riley Heidt, Hunter Haight and Charlie Stramel are coming, though none of them profile as guaranteed top-six guys.

Left wing

Kirill Kaprizov
Marcus Foligno
Marcus Johansson
Liam Ohgren
Yakov Trenin

The Wild have arguably the best left winger in the game in Kaprizov, which sets the table for everything. Boldy also has the ability to play the left side, and he might do so with Vladimir Tarasenko better on the right side. And Foligno is coming off one of his best seasons, showing how he can perform when healthy.

Ohgren is a bit of a wild-card here. He had a strong year in the AHL and some glimpses during his NHL call-ups. It’ll be up to him in camp to show he’s ready for a regular role and what that looks like. Trenin had a disappointing first year of his contract after being last year’s big free-agent signing, but he looked like the menacing forechecker Guerin wanted in the playoffs.

Right wing

Matt Boldy
Mats Zuccarello
Vladimir Tarasenko
Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Boldy had a terrific postseason, forming a dynamic duo on a line with Kaprizov. It was his best playoff performance yet and very well could give him the momentum to jump-start this season. He’s a budding star and potential U.S. Olympian this February in Milan.

Zuccarello, 38, still has plenty of game, using his hockey IQ and creativity to remain a strong playmaker late into his career. Whether this is his final year in the NHL remains to be seen, but he could be reunited with Kaprizov, at least to start camp.

The Wild are hoping a fresh start sparks a reboot in Tarasenko, a two-time Cup champ and long-time sniper who had just 11 goals in 80 games for Detroit last season.

Left defense

Jake Middleton
Jonas Brodin
Zeev Buium
Jack Johnson
Carson Lambos

There a couple of veterans atop this list with Middleton and Brodin, the latter of whom is expected to miss a short time to start the season following offseason surgery but is still one of the game’s top left-shot, shutdown defensemen when healthy.

Buium is the Wild’s prized prospect: a Hobey Baker finalist and two-time World Juniors champ who should slide in nicely into their top four. Johnson, brought in on a PTO, provides insurance and could very well make the team if he’s open to any role. Lambos has been knocking on the door, with the 2021 first-round pick serving as AHL Iowa’s top defenseman last year.

Right defense

Brock Faber
Jared Spurgeon
Zach Bogosian
David Jiricek

Faber is the cornerstone defenseman, a potential future captain. Spurgeon, the current captain, bounced back nicely last season after multiple surgeries ended his 2023-24 season prematurely. He’s still a steadying force on the right side.

The curiosity revolves around Jiricek and what he can bring. The 2022 No. 6 pick lacerated his spleen late last season with Iowa but should be good to go at full strength for camp. The Wild gave up a haul for him in their trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets in November, so there’s some pressure there. But Jiricek has been in Minnesota since early August working out for what he considers a huge year, the last in his entry-level deal.

It’ll be interesting to see whether Bogosian’s role is a third-pair right-shot defender or a seventh defenseman if Jiricek clicks.

Brock Faber will hold down the right side of the Wild defense for years to come. (Derek Cain / Getty Images)Pipeline health

The Wild’s prospect pool was ranked No. 2 by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler in February, and a lot of that comes down to Buium and Yurov, not to mention how Jiricek and Wallstedt rebound.

Ohgren looks like an NHL player, even though he’s fighting for a spot in camp. It’ll be interesting to see how Heidt makes the transition to pro hockey from junior and if he can follow in Haight’s path, who had a strong rookie year with AHL Iowa.

Ryder Ritchie and Adam Benak are other names to watch from recent draft classes.

Everyone has an opinion on Minnesota’s system. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman recently ranked it No. 14. If the touted guys end up hitting — Buium, Yurov, Wallstedt, Jiricek — the Wild will be in pretty good shape.

Salary cap watch

The Wild are finally free of the shackles of the dead cap hits levied when Parise and Suter were bought out.

When Guerin didn’t make the expected splash on July 1, largely due to the lack of options out there, he pointed out how this financial flexibility could still be significant when it comes to going after big fish during the season or at the trade deadline. Minnesota has roughly $5.5 million left of cap space, assuming the roster plays out as seen below.

There’s currently just $63 million committed for the 2026-27 season, though that doesn’t include what should be major commitments to Kaprizov and goalie Filip Gustavsson. The cap is slated to be $104 million in 2026-27.

Coaching

John Hynes is heading into his second full season with the Wild after taking over in late November 2023 after Dean Evason’s firing.

Hynes navigated some difficult challenges last season pretty well, especially considering the injuries to Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek and Brodin. The team faded a bit down the stretch before clinching a playoff berth in the final 20 seconds of the regular-season finale.

Players have praised Hynes’ communication and attention to detail. He recently made the trip to spend five-plus hours at Tarasenko’s Florida home to get to know him. Hynes will ultimately be judged on his playoff success with the Wild, and he’s 6-19 in his career in the postseason.

Why to watch

Kaprizov is always worth the price of admission, and watching how young players like Buium and Yurov perform will be give you a good sense of what the team can do in coming years. This is not the flashiest, most exciting team, but they’re typically very hard to play against and certainly have made things interesting.

Final assessment

Guerin said before last season that the Wild have never really been a “serious contender.” And with the team having not won a first-round series in a decade, they won’t be considered one until they get over that hump. They feel close and probably deserved a better fate against Vegas. But this year will be a very important one for everyone in the organization, starting with Kaprizov.

Guerin does — finally — have some cap flexibility, which could allow for big moves before the trade deadline or next summer. There’s a pack of teams in the Western Conference that are very close to each other, and the Wild are capable of getting out of it. The question is, will they?

(Top photo of Kirill Kaprizov: Stephen R. Sylvanie / Imagn Images)