Minnesota Hockey Journal

record with 42 goals before Kaprizov shat- tered that with 47. And finally, Walz—the heartbeat of the early Wild era. The fastest center in team history excelled in Jacques Lemaire's system, becoming a defensive pillar, a transition threat and an elite penalty killer. His relentlessness defined the franchise's identity in its first decade. He could play in a scoring or checking role. RIGHT WINGS In 2000, a simple coin f lip by deputy com- missioner Bill Daly changed the course of Wild history. Minnesota won the toss and opted for the No. 3 pick in the NHL Entry Draft rather than the first pick in the expansion draft. Gaborik fell right to 'em. Gaborik remains the Wild's all-time lead- ing goal scorer despite leaving 16 years ago. His speed, f lair and elite finishing ability made him the franchise's first true star. Boldy ranks second. The 24-year-old has already emerged as a foundational piece, capable of scoring in multiple ways and consistently strong late in games. Coming off a 73-point season and viewed inter- nally as a future 50-goal, 50-assist threat, Boldy 's $7 million cap hit stands as one of the organization's best-value contracts. Third is Zuccarello, whose production and chemistry with Kaprizov have been central to the Wild's recent success. His 55 assists in 2021-22 are the second-highest single-season total in franchise history, and his 242 assists rank fourth overall. Beyond numbers, his presence helped Kaprizov adjust and thrive. Fiala rounds out the group. Acquired for Mikael Granlund, Fiala delivered dynamic, high-end offense and was arguably the team's most electrifying player before Kaprizov's arrival. His 33 goals and 85 points in 2021-22 stand as one of the best offensive seasons in team history before his trade to Los Angeles for Faber and a first- rounder that became Liam Ohgren. DEFENSEMEN This group fittingly starts with Spurgeon and Brodin, the two longest-tenured Wild players and foundational pillars of the blue line. Spurgeon's rise remains one of the great Wild success stories: invited to camp in 2010 as an unsigned sixth-round pick of the Islanders, he has since logged 962 games, delivered 420 points—the most by a defenseman in franchise history—and earned the captaincy. Brodin, the smooth-skating Swede, has been Minnesota's premier shutdow n defenseman for nearly a decade. He's one of the few blue-liners capable of keeping stride w ith Connor McDav id and remains one of the most quietly elite defenders in the leag ue. Dumba, Brodin's longtime partner and close friend, also makes the list. The 2012 No. 7 pick spent his first 10 seasons in Minnesota, bringing energ y, physicality and offense from the back end. He scored 10 or more goals in four straight seasons from 2015-16 through 2018-19. Suter's tenure ended with the same buyout that parted the team from Parise, but his arrival in 2012 changed the organi- zation. For nine seasons, he logged heav y minutes, stabilized the back end and pro- duced 314 assists—the most by a defense- man in Wild history. Faber represents the franchise's future. The Maple Grove native and former Gophers captain burst onto the scene before the 2023 playoffs, became a Calder Trophy finalist as a rookie and immedi- ately led the Wild in minutes. He's poised to be a two-time Olympian this February in Milan. Rounding out the group is Burns. Though his Norris-caliber years came later in San Jose, he spent seven seasons in Minnesota after being drafted 20th in 2003. Beginning his career as a for ward before shifting to defense, Burns show- cased the skill, horsepower and personal- ity that foreshadowed the star he would become. GOALIES Backstrom, an undrafted European free agent, is still Minnesota's all-time leader in wins with 194. The only goalie in NHL history to win his first three games in relief, he eventually overtook Manny Fernandez for the No. 1 job and held it for years. Off the ice, Backstrom was one of the funniest 29 J A N / F E B 2 0 2 6 | M H J ON L I N E . C O M Brent Burns was selected 20th overall by the Wild in the 2003 NHL Draft. Bob Naegele Jr., the man who brought the NHL back to Minnesota.

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