For the last 20 years (12 with The Hockey News) Dobber and the team have reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 21st annual review will appear here on DobberHockey throughout the summer. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are what we take into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

Enjoy!

Gone – Sam Steel, Mason Shaw, Ryan Reaves, Matt Dumba, John Klingberg, Oskar Sundqvist, Gustav Nyquist,

Incoming – Patrick Maroon,

Impact of changes – The Wild are hoping for an addition by subtraction here with some internal growth, and hopefully a healthy season from their core. There is room for prospects like Adam Beckman to win a spot, but it would have to take away from one of Connor Dewar, Marco Rossi, or Brandon Duhaime. All that to say, is there isn't a ton of fantasy depth to this lineup, but the top-end remains elite.

The departures of Matt Dumba and John Klingberg leave the top powerplay spot open for Calen Addison to hold onto the reins this year, so he projects as someone to improve over last year's production. Otherwise, the team remains relatively stagnant, meaning a lot of the same can be expected.

Ready for Full Time –

Brock Faber – The 20-year-old defenceman made his initial cameo with the team late last season after coming over in the Kevin Fiala trade the summer prior. He showed well in his limited viewing, and the sense around the team is that he is ready to win a full-time top-four role with the team. There will be some competition, but with his puck-moving instincts and reliable play in his own end, it seems likely that he is ready to take the next step and succeed as an every-day NHL defenceman.

Marco Rossi – The ninth overall selection in the 2020 draft has taken a little more time to ripen than those drafted ahead of him, though it is hard to blame Rossi at this point after he lost what was nearly a full season due to Covid. Rossi will turn 22 before the season starts, and though he hasn't put it all together at the NHL level yet, there is some excellent upside in spite of his smaller frame. He won't be gifted the top-line centre spot to start, but a middle-six role would be good for both him and the team at this stage.

Fantasy Outlook:

As mentioned above, there aren't mange changes in the grand scheme of things. In net Marc-Andre Fleury is another year older, and Filip Gustavsson has a contract to match him. There should be a 50+ start share for Gustavsson this year, and if he can put up similar numbers to last year he will be a top-10 fantasy goalie, while the Wild should make the playoffs once again.

Led by 100-point-player Kirill Kaprizov who is about to pass his breakout threshold, and joined by Mats Zuccarello, and Matt Boldy, there is some skilled offensive talent up front. The breakout of Joel Eriksson Ek right ahead of his 400-game breakout-threshold really helped the second line. The depth behind them is still lacking though, especially if Ryan Hartman and Marcus Foligno struggle as they did last year.

If you want Hits and PIMs, then the aforementioned Hartman and Foligno are the best spot to look. If you don't need offence then Maroon can be considered as well. On defence there aren't a lot of multi-category options, but Jake Middleton would be the best bet for that. Meanwhile, Jared Spurgeon should continue to flirt with the 35- to 40-point-pace unless he supplants Addison on the top power play unit, in which case he would be a 50-point defenceman once again, to add to some solid, if unspectacular, peripherals.  

Grade – B (last year was A-)