Any hockey fans out there? I've been a Wild season ticket holder for a few years, but dropped out this year. Reasons are partly the product, partly other - but, this should be a rough year for Minnesota. New coach, new GM, not a ton of goal scorers.. hopefully Havlat can stay healthy and have a big year.
Although Havlat is gone, Chicago should be solid since they still have that big tipper of theirs.
Keys to me for the Wild:
Decent start - 6 of 7 on the road to begin the year.
Mikko Koivu - needs to become a full-fledged star. Hopefully he stays healthy and this becomes HIS team.
Brent Burns - injured some last year; absolutely stud though. 24 years of age, should do well with the new system.
Pierre-Marc Bouchard - some get down on him at times, but I've always loved PMB.. including the spin-o-rama in the shootout.. which now that I think of it was against Chicago... he can disappear at times, but I'm hoping he gets on a line that clicks and the guy flirts with 70-75 or more points.
Havlat - stay healthy, score goals.
Benoit Pouliot - still not ready to give up on him... but if he doesn't produce this year - eff him. I think he may wind up surprising people.
Maybe Sheppard can step up.. Zidlicky can somehow score 60, Sykora is comeback player of the year, .. but really, I'm just hoping for a 3rd place finish in the division (out of the playoffs, though -- Vancouver and Calgary are tough, EDM, COL and MIN are all looking ugly) and a lot of Boogey and John Scott- delivered beatdowns.
