23 Minnesota Wild

For well-traveled center Cliff Ronning, who was acquired by the Wild in a draft-day trade with the Kings, the appeal of playing in the Twin Cities was apparent early this preseason. "There are 18,000 people for exhibition games—the place is always sold-out," Ronning says of the Xcel Energy Center. "Everybody in the state must own a pair of ice skates."

The love-fest between the hockey-mad populace and its slowly improving third-year expansion team—the Wild sold out all of its home games in its first two seasons—will continue. So too will the Wild's program of gradually assembling the pieces of a long-term contender, which means a postseason berth isn't in the cards in 2002-03. "I've never been the type of coach to say before the season that we've got to make the playoffs," says Jacques Lemaire, who has a 51-74-25-14 record with the Wild. "We have to play well, we have to improve, and at a certain time we'll feel we have a team to make the playoffs."

In the interim, adding veterans like the 37-year-old Ronning (19 goals, 35 assists) provides strength down the middle and improves the team's offense—the Wild's 2.38 goals per game ranked 25th in the league. However, the focal point of the present and future is 20-year-old right wing Marian Gaborik, an explosive scorer and skilled stickhandler who had a team-high 30 goals plus 37 assists last season. "He has the potential to hit the 40-to 50-goal mark," Ronning says. "He has the breakaway speed of Pavel Bure and the knack for making the best play, like Alexander Mogilny." Gaborik will likely skate alongside center Sergei Zholtok, while Ronning and left wing Andrew Brunette (21 goals, team-high 48 assists) should give the Wild a second scoring line.

Minnesota also anticipates a bounce-back year from goalie Manny Fernandez, 28, who regressed in 2001-02 (3.05 goals-against average, .892 save percentage) after a strong effort in the Wild's inaugural year (2.24, .920). "Manny would admit his play was not consistent," says assistant G.M. Tom Thompson, "but he's a sound goalie, and the results will be there."

For now, however, Minnesota isn't results-obsessed. All it wants is steady progress, a modest goal that appears to be in reach.

[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]