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3 disappointing Minnesota Wild players who are bounce-back candidates for next season feat. Jared Spurgeon
The Minnesota Wild were expected to contend for a playoff spot last season but fell painfully short of the postseason. In particular, some players didn't live up to expectations due to inconsistency or injuries.
However, there’s hope in Minnesota. A new season brings about an opportunity to start over and injuries to heal. So, let’s take a deep dive into three disappointing Minnesota Wild players from last season who are on track for a bounce-back season in 2024-25.
Three disappointing Minnesota Wild players who are bounce-back candidates in 2024-25
#3 Mats Zuccarello
The 36-year-old didn’t quite have a down year last season, but his 2023-24 campaign fell short of expectations after a 79-point 2021-22 season. Unfortunately, Zuccarello has been on a downward trend since then.
In 2022-23, his production declined by over 10 points. Last season, Zuccarello played 69 games, seeing his numbers drop further. While he was nearly a point-per-game player, he went from a plus-21 to a minus-5 in two seasons.
The Minnesota Wild hope that a full, healthy year from Zuccarrello can lead to a 20-plus-goal season, apart from the leadership fans and teammates are accustomed to seeing.
#2 Marcus Foligno
Foligno is another Minnesota Wild veteran who has been on a downward trajectory. After setting a career-high 42 points in 2021-22, his production has been cut in half over the last two seasons.
Specifically, last season, Foligno missed significant time, appearing in only 55 games. But there’s hope that the 32-year-old can stay healthy and rebound after a frustrating season. If he's fully healthy, there’s no reason to doubt that Foligno can reach the 20-goal mark once again.
#1 Jared Spurgeon
Spurgeon had an extremely frustrating 2023-24 campaign. The Wild captain played only 16 games due to hip and back injuries. He missed considerable time up to the beginning of January 2024 before being shut down for the rest of the season.
Nevertheless, there’s cause for optimism with Spurgeon. He underwent surgery to repair the underlying issues, allowing him to fully recover for the upcoming season. Spurgeon projects to return to the Minnesota Wild’s middle defense pairing with Jacob Middleton.
The Wild hope that Spurgeon can play a full season like he did in 2022-23. That year, he scored 11 goals and 34 points while registering a plus-32 rating. If he can stay healthy, the Wild should get a significant boost on the blue line with Spurgeon’s return.
While there’s always a chance that Spurgeon may not fully regain the form he showed before his season-ending injuries last year, there’s no reason to believe the 34-year-old can’t continue playing a key role in the Wild’s pursuit of the postseason.
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