{"id":139589,"date":"2023-08-09T09:30:36","date_gmt":"2023-08-09T13:30:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=139589"},"modified":"2023-08-08T19:39:59","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T23:39:59","slug":"alternate-captain-minnesota-wild","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2023\/08\/09\/alternate-captain-minnesota-wild\/","title":{"rendered":"Canidates For An Alternate Captain On The Minnesota Wild"},"content":{"rendered":"

With Matt Dumba departing<\/a> from the Minnesota Wild<\/a> roster, the franchise will need to select a new Alternate Captain. This article will explore leadership qualities the Wild need, and which players have the calibre to captain.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Minnesota\u2019s Leadership and Core Values<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Written on the walls inside of Minnesota\u2019s locker room are the words and phrases \u201ccommunity,\u201d \u201caccountability,\u201d \u201csacrifice,\u201d \u201ccommunicate,\u201d \u201ctrust,\u201d \u201cdiscipline,\u201d \u201cwork ethic,\u201d and \u201cearned, not given.\u201d <\/span>Looking at these words, it can be seen that the Wild values a team culture that is positive and a locker room that is driven to be their best. For this hockey club, a key part of bringing the Stanley Cup to the Twin Cities is establishing a winning culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGrit First\u201d was their 2023 playoffs motto. While their grit only led the team to another first-round exit, qualities such as intense focus, determination, and perseverance all remain a part of Minnesota\u2019s identity. In a way, the trait sums up the hockey club\u2019s attitude toward Zach Parise<\/a> and Ryan Suter<\/a> Buyouts. These buyouts will inflict about $14 million of dead cap space<\/a> for the next two seasons. For Owner Craig Leopold and General Manager Bill Guerin<\/a>, rebuilding is not an option. With this, Minnesota is challenged to compile together a Stanley Cup contender with less money. To achieve this, the Wild need leaders that can help their young core hone in on their skills.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Wild Captain Leads By Example<\/strong><\/h3>\n

With his smaller size and few words, Captain Jared Spurgeon<\/a> is the embodiment of an underdog. If anyone can lead this team with limited funds to victory, it is him. This leader is an example of how hard work, discipline and a no-quit attitude can mould a player into a shutdown defenseman. Spurgeon captains the Wild with demonstration and positive reinforcement. Furthermore, the veteran brings 851 games played with the Wild and 12 years of NHL experience<\/a> to his team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Alternate Captain Marcus Foligno<\/a> is an in-your-face player. Foligno fills the locker room with his mammoth-sized personality and readily supports his teammates as a rugged enforcer. The forward best serves his te<\/span>am by bringing his energy<\/span>. The 31-year-old has 743 NHL games<\/a> of wisdom to share with his team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Minnesota already has two very different captains established. With Spurgeon and Foligno, there are many possibilities for which kind of character would fit into this leadership group. Outlined below are some options that would fit well alongside current Wild captains.<\/p>\n

Minnesota Wild Alternate Captain Options<\/h3>\n

Joel Eriksson Ek<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Any words painted on the locker room could be used to describe Minnesota\u2019s centerman Joel Eriksson Ek<\/a>. The forward\u2019s work ethic, playing style, and ability to act in several different roles are all qualities which make Eriksson Ek irreplaceable on the Wild roster. After 421 games<\/a> in a Wild jersey, placing the Letter A on the front of number 14\u2019s jersey would be a fitting choice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The 26-year-old Swede\u2019s calm demeanour, discipline and efforts to stay healthy are model behaviours for the wave of young players the Wild continues to welcome. Eriksson Ek\u2019s gritty and in-your-face playing style often makes him a contender target. Yet, the skater never chirps the other team and emerges from scruffs calm and collected. In many cases, his opponents struggle to contain their anger.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jonas Brodin<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Severely underrated defenseman Jonas Brodin<\/a> is a difference-maker for the Wild. The Swede is one of the few players in the league that can keep in stride with superstars such as Nathan MacKinnon<\/a>, Connor McDavid<\/a> and Jack Eichel<\/a>. Teammates widely respect Brodin for the intensity he brings to the ice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Brodin\u2019s goofy personality allows him to connect with younger players. For example, many Wild players affectionately refer to Brodin as \u201cJimmy\u201d after a member of his favourite band, Rae Sremmurd. As an Alternate Captain, Brodin has earned the respect of his teammates, consistently models a successful style of play and has 741 games<\/a> of background with the Wild.<\/p>\n

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Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports<\/em><\/p>\n

Kirill Kaprizov<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Superstar Kirill Kaprizov<\/a> is one of the best players the Wild has ever put on the ice. After only playing 203 games<\/a> with the Wild, the 26-year-old is already well on his way to breaking several franchise records. Minnesota could entertain giving Kaprizov the letter A on his talents alone. However, the forward possesses several other qualities that have already launched him into the Wild\u2019s leadership group.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Foligno describes Kaprizov as a player<\/a> \u201cwith a fourth-line work ethic and the attitude of a captain.\u201d Teammates respect Kaprizov\u2019s love for the game, his production, his creativity, and his dedication. The superstar often stays on the ice long after practice ends to continue working on his game. The Russian has shown leadership skills when he texted prospect Danila Yurov ahead of his arrival for the Wild\u2019s training camp. When asked about the exchange, Yurov claimed<\/a> Kaprizov welcomed him, answered a few of his questions and said to the youngster, \u201cI\u2019m waiting for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ryan Hartman<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Ryan Hartman<\/a>\u2019s contributions to the team are egregiously undervalued. If Hartman has proved anything from his last four seasons with the Wild, it is his dedication to the franchise. During the 2020-21 season, before he could even test the free-agency market, Hartman signed a team-friendly three-year extension worth $5.1 million<\/a>. <\/span>The contract was a significant pay cut for the center, roughly $200,000 per year. Above all, Hartman took the pay cut because he loves playing in Minnesota and he knew the franchise needed the funds to re-sign Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to his dedication, Hartman models behaviours coaches want to see. In the middle of last season, Hartman struggled with his discipline and drew several unnecessary penalties. Fresh off an undisciplined game, Hartman took accountability<\/a>: \u201cI felt like I let my team down. I\u2019m responsible for some of the things that have gone on.\u201d The centerman’s willingness to own up to his mistakes sets a good example for the young wave of players the franchise is building off of.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mats Zuccarello<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Mats Zuccarello<\/a> started his career<\/a> as a New York Ranger<\/a> in season 2010-11. In season 2019-20, the forward made his way to Minnesota. Zuccarello\u2019s uncanny chemistry with Kaprizov is widely known around the league. The pair of them together is what makes Minnesota\u2019s topline productive. With nearly a decade-wide age gap between the wingers, Zuccarello has naturally become a mentor to the superstar. Which is exactly the kind of Alternate Captain the Wild need.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The veteran brings an aura of intensity to those he is unfamiliar with. However, he eventually eases into the comedian he is. These two sides of Zuccarello allow him to be blunt, and vocalize what his team needs for improvement. Yet, his fondness for dancing, and rapping the staring line-up card before games are what helps his team brins the energy onto the ice.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Minnesota Wild Options Bring Something to Leadership Table<\/h3>\n

The Wild will miss Dumba. The character and leadership that Dumba brought to Minnesota’s locker room will not be easy to replicate. Luckily, the players listed above indicate the team has plenty of worthy candidates to choose from. Each player could potentially bring something different to the role of Alternate Captain. It all depends on which qualities painted among the Wild walls are valued most.<\/p>\n

If “discipline” is the trait the Wild wants the most in their leadership, Eriksson Ek is their guy. Brodin is a veteran Wild player that brings a sense of “community” and “trust” on and off the ice. Point leader Kaprizov is the epitome of “work ethic.” Hartman’s “sacrifice” and sense of “accountability” make him a great choice for Alternate Captain. Zuccarello is a leader who can “communicate” the needs of the team.<\/p>\n

Whilst there is only one open spot for Alternate Captain, each player listed above will continue to bring their contributions to the team, regardless of who gets the second “A.”<\/p>\n

Main Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With Matt Dumba departing from the Minnesota Wild roster, the franchise will need to select a new Alternate Captain. This article will explore leadership qualities the Wild need, and which players have the calibre to captain.\u00a0 Minnesota\u2019s Leadership and Core Values Written on the walls inside of Minnesota\u2019s locker room are the words and phrases […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4643,"featured_media":139607,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4547,30,4548],"tags":[5819,2392,1029,2393,1899,1351,7531,5478,5856,3009],"class_list":["post-139589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hockey","category-wild","category-nhl","tag-jared-spurgeon-captain","tag-joel-eriksson-ek","tag-jonas-brodin","tag-kirill-kaprizov","tag-marcus-foligno","tag-mats-zuccarello","tag-minnesota-wild-analysis","tag-minnesota-wild-mathew-dumba","tag-nhl-captain","tag-ryan-hartman"],"modified_by":"Tommy Bennett","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4643"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=139589"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139589\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/139607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=139589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=139589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}