Minnesota Wild’s struggles in the faceoff circle and penalty kill are keeping fans anxious as the season approaches. Can Joel Eriksson Ek, Michael McCarron, and Nico Sturm anchor a turnaround at the dot, or will the Wild remain among the NHL’s weakest on faceoffs? Seth Toupal examines how poor performance in the circle impacts special teams, opening the door for more power play opportunities and preventing costly shorthanded goals. The search for improvement intensifies with Michael McCarron and Blake Coleman stepping into larger defensive roles. Special teams remain under the microscope after a rocky penalty kill performance in key playoff moments, while the power play faces new questions following Matt Zuccarello’s departure. With Quinn Hughes, Matt Boldy, and Kirill Kaprizov leading the scoring push, the Wild’s overtime record and lack of regulation wins spark debate: is earning points in extra sessions enough for playoff hopes, or must Minnesota develop a true “putaway” mentality? Photo Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Everydayer Club: If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonwild.supercast.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: Locked On Wild Follow/Subscribe Anywhere: https://linktr.ee/LockedOnWild Follow Locked On NHL: linktr.ee/lockedonNHL Have a Question for the Show or a Topic you want Covered? Email lockedonwild@gmail.com For your next listen, check out the Locked On NHL podcast, where the season never ends providing national expertise with a local perspective. Click HERE to listen now. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Odoo - Today's episode is brought to you by Odoo ( OH - DO ). Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at Odoo Dot Com Slash lockedon. That’s O D O O dot com slash lockedon. FanDuel - Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The biggest stage in world soccer is here, Let There Be Goals on FanDuel. Visit FANDUEL DOT COM to get started now. Gametime - Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
