THE The Minnesota Wild are off to a great start in 2024-25. Filip Gustavsson has been brilliant in the post, Kirill Kaprizov is playing like a true high-level NHL player, and the Wild are 7-1-2 and just four points behind the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the central division.

Considering Minnesota missed the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs – the first time that had happened for the franchise in five years – it’s been an extremely encouraging start to the campaign in Saint Paul. Led by Gustavsson and Kaprizov, the Wild have won six of their last seven games and appear to be a real playoff threat in the Western Conference.

What’s even more encouraging is that seven of Minnesota’s first ten games have been away from home. They’ve won five times away from home, and that busy road schedule will start to work in their favor as the year goes on. With star power and a few players taking a step forward, it’s realistic to believe the Wild can maintain this high level of play throughout the season. But the offensive depth must improve if this team wants to be considered one of the best teams in the National Hockey League.

Wild are off to a fantastic start to 2024-25

The Wild are coming off an impressive 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night; Kaprizov continued his leading tear in the NHL scoring two goals and adding an assist, while Gustavsson made 28 saves in the triumph.

“Yeah, it’s a great win, but I feel like we’re not playing our (best) hockey in the first period,” Kaprizov said afterward, per Jessi Pierce of NHL.com. “Maybe it was because it was a long trip and something like that. But I feel like we played better in the second and third periods, and Gus made some huge saves and some blocked shots and we got our goals.

Kaprizov was the focal point early on, and in 2024-25 he has become one of the best players in the NHL.

Wild star players carry all the weight

Kaprizov has been ridiculous through 10 games, leading the league with 21 points and showing no signs of slowing down. He’s built a legitimate case for the Hart Trophy early on, and the Wild will go as far as the Russian takes them.

“It’s the way he plays, the way he competes, his willingness to play on both sides of the puck,” Wild head coach John Hynes said of his best player, according to Pierce . “He’s 5-on-6, right, so he’s got some of those goals. But you don’t just throw him out there because you want to score him an empty-net goal. He showed he was committed to playing both sides of the puck at 5-on-5 and he was very good in those situations. I think that’s what makes it special.

The bench boss continued: “We’re talking about a one-trick pony, it’s not a one-trick pony. He’s obviously a very talented edge player and offensive player, but his commitment to playing for the team and his commitment to doing the necessary things when he doesn’t have the puck is what really impresses me.

Alongside Kaprizov, the roster’s star power shone through; Matt Boldy (12 points) and Mats Zuccarello (11 points) are playing at a pace better than a point per game early on. Sophomore Marco Rossi had nine points, while Joel Eriksson Ek had seven points in eight games.

And the defense is also in good shape, even with Jared Spurgeon continues to battle the injury bug. Brock Faber was excellent on the first pair, adding six points while playing more than any other Wild skater. Jake Middleton also had a remarkable start on the blue line, leading the unit with two goals and eight points in 10 games.

But despite Minnesota’s undeniable power and strong defensive play in 2024-25, offensive depth still looks like it could be an issue as the campaign progresses. And that’s the Wild’s fatal flaw this season: a glaring lack of deep production.

Wild’s fatal flaw is his lack of depth

The Wild could be successful without the significant contributions of Marcus Johansson, Marcus Foligno, Yakov Trenin and Marat Khusnutdinov, but they could still use some help from these players. Johansson and Foligno regressed last season, and neither provided the confidence needed for a bounce-back campaign in 2024-25.

Johansson is the only one of these players in the top six, and even with exposure to Boldy and Eriksson Ek, he is having a rough offensive campaign. He managed just one goal and three points in nine games. Foligno was equally futile, managing just three points despite having a game in hand.

And the rest of the advanced core didn’t do much; Trenin only has one point; Khusnutdinov, two. The latter is still acclimating to North America, but the former hasn’t quite turned out as advertised after spending most of his career with the Nashville Predators. Jakub Lauko and Frederick Gaudreau were solid with four points each, but overall the depth was lacking.

Will this be something general manager Bill Guerin attempts to address at the trade deadline? This will be difficult given that major buyouts of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise are still planned, but it’s possible he tries to add another scorer to improve the team’s depth.

As things stand, Kaprizov has no trouble carrying the team, while it appears Boldy is taking another step forward. Zuccarello and Eriksson Ek also continue to produce, and this is expected to continue. Add in the way Gustavsson has played between the pipes, and that could be enough to keep the Wild atop the Central Division all season long.

But the Wild have struggled mightily in the playoffs over the past decade, and a lack of depth has often been a problem for this club. It is difficult to predict whether this list will be changed before the trade deadline; Either way, it will be interesting to see if this flaw proves fatal for Minnesota in 2024-25.