Last year, the Minnesota Wild had one of the strongest regular season finishes in the league. The team went from being down and out after the first half of the season, to clinching a wild card to the playoffs with a couple games to go. The Wild defeated the St. Louis Blues comfortably but were subsequently knocked out by arch rival Chicago Blackhawks in the second round.

Although many fans were discouraged after falling to the Blackhawks yet again, the way the Wild concluded the season gave the fans something to be enthusiastic about this year. One such fan is Sophomore Brad Williams, a native Minnesotan with experience playing high school hockey.

“The Wild have a strong and young core of players that I expect to be even better than they were last year. They should be an exciting team to watch this year. Unfortunately, the Wild play in the most competitive division in hockey. With the Blackhawks, Blues, Stars, Jets, and Predators all in our division making the playoffs will be a huge accomplishment,” Williams said.

The notion that the Western Conference is stronger than the Eastern is widely accepted among hockey fans. With the last four Stanley Cup champions coming from the west, it would take something out of the ordinary for the Wild to make it all the way to the finals.

Senior Krystal Baumann is another Wild fan at Gustavus. As Baumann possess background playing varsity hockey for the Gusties, she realizes the importance of having one of your best players between the posts.

“I think we have a shot at the playoffs. Now that we have a goalie that we can trust, we will play more confidently as a team. We have a lot of young guys who bring a new dynamic to our team and help with our goal scoring. Our great leadership and the structure that we already have will support our young guys to adapt and make us into quality cup contenders,” Krystal Baumann said.

The goaltender who is intended to do it for the Wild is Devan Dubnyk. No less than two years ago, the 6’6’’ Canadian was sent to play in the AHL as the Nashville Predators didn’t see him as a part of their roster. The Wild saw potential and picked him up and after a strong finish last year he was awarded a 6-year $26 million contract. Although the deal raised many eyebrows among Wild fans, especially considering Dubnyk’s age, Baumann believes that the signing was inevitable, and that it was necessary to form some sort of stability.

“I don’t think the Wild had too much of an option other than to sign Dubnyk to that contract. He saved our season last year and we know he has the skill to continue with that same consistency, so I think it was a good move,” Baumann said.

Baumann’s opinion is shared by Sophomore Matt Rastetter. Although Rastetter plays golf at Gustavus he grew up watching hockey at the University of Minnesota which deeply rooted the sport as one of his favorites.

“After watching the Wild early on in the season the goaltending has been very up and down. If Dubnyk can return to the same form he was in last year I think the Wild will have a very good opportunity to win the cup. If Dubnyk returns to form, then the investment will be worth it. I guess only time will tell, but he is a central part of the team and it’s a move they needed to make,” Rastetter said.

The Wild currently stand third in the Western Conference, behind the St. Louis Blues and this year’s surprise team the Dallas Stars. The team will play last years Stanley Cup finalists Tampa Bay Lightning on Sat. 7 at 7 p.m.