Five Players Still Out, and Training Camp Is Not That Far Away

The injury list has not moved. Filip Gustavsson, Jonas Brodin, Zach Bogosian, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Charlie Stramel all remain out, the same five names that have been on this list since late June. I noted in early August that the group had outlasted July without a single return. Now we're deeper into August and the situation is unchanged.

The timing matters because it isn't just about health — it's about readiness. Training camp doesn't give players much runway to get right after an extended layoff, and two of the five are defensemen Minnesota can't easily replace on paper. Brodin is a reliable top-four presence; Bogosian provides veteran depth on a blue line that already lost Brad Hunt to retirement last week. The Wild added Olli Maatta from Calgary this summer, which helps, but the defensive group arriving at camp could look thin regardless.

The goaltending piece is the one that sits with me. Gustavsson out this long, combined with the fact that Jesper Wallstedt is essentially the only goaltender on the roster with meaningful NHL playing time, leaves Minnesota with almost no margin. The organization did sign a goaltending prospect this summer, but a prospect is not a backup plan for October.

Guerin has been busy — the front office hirings, the Coleman and Maatta trade, the organizational reinforcement. The offseason has been active in the right ways. But none of that addresses five players who still aren't skating at full capacity. At some point the calendar becomes the story.