Forwards

On offense, the biggest addition was Parise, but the Wild have a very strong top-six. The Wild will still be led by captain Mikko Koviu, who had a solid season despite only playing 55 games last year. Devin Setoguchi will have be a bigger part of the offense and he may get more chances this year as the focus being put on Koivu and Parise may leave extra time for Setoguchi to return to the 30-goal season he had four seasons ago in San Jose. Mikael Granlund will be making his NHL debut this year after spending the last couple of years in Finland after being drafted in 2010. Granlund could easily be a finalist for the Calder Trophy and has a point-per-game average in the AHL this season. Matt Cullen will be an optimal third line center as his leadership and skill will be a huge advantage down the middle.

Defense

Just as the forwards start with Parise, Suter will lead the defense for Minnesota. Suter will be the veteran on a very young Wild defense. Tom Gilbert, who came over in the trade for Nick Schultz, will be the second most senior defenseman on the team. It will be important for Gilbert to take the next step in Minnesota, one of which many seem to think he didn't take in Edmonton. The players who may benefit most from Suter are Jared Spurgeon and Marco Scandella. Spurgeon will be in his second full season in the NHL and has had impressive numbers so far in his short time. Scandella will be in his third pro-season after splitting time the last two between Minnesota and Houston. Both Spurgeon and Scandella are offensive players who could benefit from learning under Suter.

Goalies

Two guys who will help the young defense of Minnesota will be the experience of the goaltending tandem behind them. Niklas Backstrom is one of the most underrated goalies in the league and will continue to put up strong numbers. Plus, Backstrom is in the last year of a multi-year deal, which may be a catalyst behind an even better season. Behind Backstrom is Josh Harding, who could be a starting goalie if he was on another team. Harding was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis over the off-season has been training regularly during the lockout and expects to be back once the regular-season starts. Harding is one of the most humble and courageous members of the NHL. His charity work with breast cancer awareness and helping out families of the Minnesota bridge disaster in 2007 has raised thousands of dollars. If there is anyone to root for this season, it's Josh Harding.

Projected Outcome

If the Minnesota Wild can spread the offensive around, they'll be a very tough team to beat. The Wild has evolved into a pretty dangerous group, thanks in large part to the additions of Parise and Granlund. They should be able to make their way well into post-season play, but ultimately it'll come down to Backstrom's performance. If the veteran netminder can stay on his head all season, Minnesota could be in for an interesting ride come spring.

3 Players to Watch
 

	Dany Heatley One player that could have a huge influence this year for the Wild is Dany Heatley, but will this be his last season in Minnesota? With the amnesty buyout and the salary cap being lowered to $64.3 million next season, the Wild will have to drop some cap space, and it may start with Heatley's $7.5 million hit. Regardless, he will need to improve on last season's performance as he only scored 24 times in 82 games, which was his worst total in a full season.
	Pierre-Marc Bouchard Bouchard will be a key contributor to the offense if he can avoid another concussion. Bouchard chipped in with 22 points in 37 games in the short period of time that he came back last season.
	Mikael Granlund He's waiting a long time to crack the NHL squad, and it's finally time to shine. Granlund will be the Wild's second-line center this season, and they're expecting big things from him. While the opposition will try to stop the team's first line, Granlund might be in line for a big season.

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