Let The Fun Begin

So, the team claims they are ready without the services of their most reliable and steady defenseman, Nick Schultz, and they may be right. Because of the recent appendectomy preformed on Schultz, he will be out for round 1 against the Avalanche, and more likely further into the post-season, if the Wild survive. Schultz ate up an average of 20:10 minutes of ice-time this season and with those minutes, will be tough to be replaced. The candidate to step into those minutes will be Petteri Nummelin, who has dressed for only 27 games this season and has logged an average of 15:20 minutes during those games. However, he is a crafty veteran from Finland who has seen his share of pressure games. Also picking up some added shifts should be blue-line veterans Sean Hill (15:12) and Keith Carney (13:22). These two d-men are veterans and may have lost a step here or there but are playoff veterans who become very valuable as the season extends. Not in the mix to pick up too many more shifts (because they are already seeing plenty of ice) are Kim Johnsson (23:26), Brent Burns (23:05), and Martin Skoula (20:28). So the question is what does this all mean for Minnesota. First off, losing Schultz is a huge blow to the team and no, his tools and what he brings to the team cannot be replaced. However, Nummelin is a very capable player on the point and playing in a series against Colorado may be suited for him and the Wild. His play-making abilities along with his puck control are a few of the ingredients that are needed to get passed the skillful Avs team. This should not be a big bloody-knuckle series ahead, although I would be surprised if we went through game 1 without a scrap, but a puck-moving, fast-paced, typical NHL physical playoff series. So yes, we will miss Schultz and his shut-down style but may gain a small bit of offensive creativity.