Mikko Koivu wanted to stay in Minnesota and the Wild definitely wanted to keep him. A seven-year, $47.25 million extension made that a reality. The Wild captain was set to become a free agent next summer and Minnesota wasn’t about to let him test the waters keeping him through the 2017-2018 season.
Koivu is 27 years old and hasn’t been a huge goal scorer with his career high coming last season with 22. He was second in the NHL last year in winning face offs and the Wild believe his talent is much more than just his statistics. They believe his leadership and passion can help fuel the Wild to where they want to be.
The Minnesota Wild concluded their disappointing season with a 4-3 loss in a shootout to the Dallas Stars. The Wild finished fourth in the division going 38-36-8 with just 84 points. They had their ups and downs but were never really in contention at any point this season.
It’s hard for any team to recover or build any momentum when you lose 11 of your first 13 road games to start the season. The biggest downfall on the season was of course injuries but also the inconsistent play of Niklas Backstrom who failed to help put his team in a position to win. Backstrom finished the season with career worst numbers in GAA (2.72) and save percentage (.903) after being the top five last season in those categories.
Captain Mikko Koivu was a bright spot for the Wild leading the team in most offensive categories with 22 goals, 49 assists and 71 total points. Andrew Burnette was the next highest offensive producer with 61 points followed by Marty Havlat with 54 points.
In other Wild news it was announced on Saturday that the 2011 NHL Draft will be held in Minnesota on June 24-25th. This is the first time the draft will return to Minnesota since the 1989 season.
Minnesota Sports Blog
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Martin Havlat ended the drama last night in Calgary with his game ending goal that put the Wild over the Flames 2-1. The Wild have been on fire to say the least going 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, desperately trying to dig themselves out of the cellar in the Northwest Division.
The Wild have earned at least 1 point in 13 of their last 16 games. Mikko Koivu had absolutely earned the ‘C’ on his sweater leading the team in points (30) with 9 goals and 21 assists. Niklas Backstrom hasn’t been the shut down goalie we’re used to with a .911 save % which is currently his career low. Backstrom has given up just three goals in his last three games but eleven in the three games prior.
The Wild will look to keep the streak moving as they take on the Vancouver Canucks tonight in Vancouver. The Wild have struggled mightily on the road this season going 6-10 but they’ve gone 2-1 on this current road trip.
Next game: December 12th @ Vancouver 9:00PM CT on FSN North
Minnesota Sports Blog
The Minnesota Wild picked up just their second victory on the season as they continue to dominate at home but struggle mightily on the road. The Wild are 0-6 on the road this season and 2-0 at home. The victory came in large part to their newly appointed captain, Mikko Koivu. Koivu scored late in the third period to tie the game and then followed up with scoring the first goal in the shootout. That was all Backstrom needed as he stopped all three shots he faced in the shootout to seal the victory.
Next Game: Friday Oct. 23 @ St Louis (3-3)
Minnesota Sports Blog
The Minnesota Wild will have their season opener in Columbus on Saturday, October 3rd where they take on the Blue Jackets. The Wild finished the ’08 season 40-33 which was good for 3rd place in the Northwest division. The ’09 season will kick off with a few changes for the Wild. Mainly their new head coach Todd Richards, who takes over for Jacques Lemaire who is now coaching the New Jersey Devils. A few other new names include Martin Havlat, who will try and replace the speedy Marian Gaborik, and Petr Sykora who was signed by the Wild to a one year contract.
The Wild will rely heavily on one of the best goaltenders in the league in Niklas Backstrom who was outstanding last season. Backstrom was 37-24 last season with a .923 save percentage.
Game Time: Saturday, October 3rd at 6:00PM Central.
The Wild will host their home opener at the Xcel Energy Center on October 6th against the Anaheim Ducks at 8:00PM Central. Click here for tickets.
Minnesota Sports Blog
The Minnesota Wild will unveil their new third jersey at the Minnesota State Fair next Sunday at 12:30 P.M. but fans got a sneak peak when pictures of the jersey wereleaked online. Here is what the new jersey will look like. What do you think?
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