The Wild made waves
when it was able to sign both Ryan Suter and Zach Parise. Unfortunately, the
lockout continues to delay their debut as teammates.
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| (AP Photo) |
By Tyler Piccotti
The Minnesota Wild franchise has been considered a doormat of
the Western Conference for years. Since reaching the Western Conference Finals
during the 2003 postseason, the team made the playoffs on only two other
occasions. Both of those resulted in first round defeats. The past four years
produced no postseason appearances at all. After suffering its worst season in
years last season, the franchise decided that something needed to be done.
That “something” turned out to be the two marquee signings
of this summer’s free agency period. Hometown hero Zach Parise and former
Nashville defenseman Ryan Suter both decided to take their talents to
Minnesota. Their presence was supposed to help the relatively young squad make
another run towards the postseason. They even had some people believing that
Lord Stanley’s Cup would make its next appearance in the Twin Cities. In short,
they were going to make the Wild relevant again in the West.
Then the lockout happened.
It is now November, and NHL arenas remained draped in
silence. This includes the Xcel Energy Center, the site where the Suter-Parise
renaissance was supposed to rejuvenate a downtrodden hockey team. Instead, fans
and analysts are left to ponder what could have been for the Wild this season.
While it may have been a stretch to label the Wild a Stanley
Cup contender, the team would likely be a playoff caliber squad with Parise and
Suter in the lineup. Niklas Backstrom is one the most underrated goaltenders in
the league. He alone makes the team a tough opponent on a nightly basis. While
Minnesota lacks an offensive superstar on the level of Evgeni Malkin or Steven
Stamkos, it does have some nice pieces. Former Sharks Dany Heatley and Devin
Setoguchi are fairly skilled with the puck. Mikko Koivu has produced on a
yearly basis as well. There are definitely pieces to build around. Even before
this offseason, Minnesota was a tough opponent.
Parise and Suter, however, were going to be the final two
pieces in Minnesota’s playoff puzzle. They were going to carry the team over
the threshold of mediocrity to the promised land of postseason play. After his
first season in New Jersey, Parise had established himself as a yearly thirty-goal
scorer who averaged nearly one point per game. Suter, meanwhile, had built a
reputation as one of the best young defensemen in hockey while playing for the
Predators. They were the perfect duo of offense and defense, skill and
toughness. They were going to make a difference.
Instead, their impact continues to lie dormant amidst the lockout
chaos.
When the NHL does return to action, many eyes will be on the
Wild. Specifically, they will be on Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. For Wild fans, this
is because of their assured impact on the team’s playoff chances. For the rest
of us, it’s because Suter and Parise are two of the most talented players in
all of professional hockey. Whether you root for the Wild or not, there’s no
denying that magic will be made on the Minnesota ice when these two play
together. Until that happens, however, we are left to do nothing but wait and
dream.
Of course, I have a feeling it will be well worth the delay
in the Twin Cities.
