Wild Training Camp Is Winding Down: 3 Roster Questions Still to Answer

Training camp is almost over.

Now the decisions start getting difficult.

The Minnesota Wild have trimmed their training camp roster to 27 players as the regular season gets closer, leaving only a handful of decisions before the opening-night roster takes shape.

Preseason results don’t mean much.

Roster decisions do.

Here are three questions I’m watching as the Wild put the finishing touches on their roster.

1. Who Earned the Final Roster Spots?

This is what training camp is really about.

We already know most of the players who will make up Minnesota’s roster.

The interesting part is at the bottom.

Which young player did enough to force the coaching staff into a difficult decision?

Which veteran fits best in a depth role?

And which player might have played well enough to make the team even if no obvious spot was waiting for him when camp began?

Those battles might not receive the same attention as the stars, but they can become important over an 82-game season.

2. Did David Spacek Force His Way Into the Conversation?

David Spacek has become one of the more interesting names to follow during camp.

Wild coach John Hynes has praised the young defenseman’s consistency, puck movement and defensive play.

That doesn’t necessarily mean there’s an NHL roster spot waiting for him.

But that’s exactly what you want from a young player during training camp.

Make the decision difficult.

Even if Spacek doesn’t begin the season in Minnesota, a strong camp could put him near the top of the list when the Wild need help on the blue line.

3. Which Young Player Is Closest to Making an Impact?

One of the reasons I’ve been interested in Wild camp this year is the number of young players worth following.

Charlie Stramel.

Riley Heidt.

Hunter Haight.

Danila Yurov.

Not all of them are going to become immediate NHL contributors.

That’s OK.

The bigger question is which players look closest.

Minnesota needs its prospect pipeline to eventually produce players capable of stepping into meaningful NHL roles.

Training camp gives us our first real glimpse at who might be ready.

Now the Games Start to Matter

Preseason hockey is useful.

It gives young players opportunities, allows coaches to experiment with combinations and helps veterans get ready for the season.

But nobody remembers preseason records.

The next decisions actually matter.

Minnesota entered camp with questions about its young players, roster depth and how everything would fit together.

We’re getting closer to the answers.

And once the final roster is set, the conversation changes.

It won’t be about who might make the Wild anymore.

It’ll be about what this team can accomplish once the games actually count.