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With just two wins in their last 10 games, the Minnesota Wild have fallen to the fringes of playoff contention and completely out of a Wild Card spot. With few signs that things will get better soon, here are five reasons the Wild will not make the NHL playoffs this year.
5. Mike Yeo
Credit: Getty Images5. Mike Yeo
The Wild's problems are not all Yeo's fault, and an in-season coaching change would not make a difference if blame could easily be placed on him. But past association with success, prior to being hired by the Wild as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins, does not automatically make a coach Stanley Cup-caliber, and Yeo has not measured up to this point.
4. Underperforming Players
Credit: Bruce Bennett Getty Images4. Underperforming Players
Jason Pominville went well into the season without a goal, and prior to scoring a goal Tuesday night he tallied just two points (one goal and one assist) over the previous 19 games. Mikael Granlund's only goal since just before Thanksgiving is an empty netter on Jan. 5, and he has just one assist over the last 11 games with a plus/minus of minus-9 over that span. The Wild need more from a lot of guys, from the blue line to forwards, but Pominville and Granlund stand out as particular disappointments this season.
3. Devan Dubnyk Can't Save The Season Again
Credit: Sean M. Haffey Getty Images3. Devan Dubnyk Can't Save The Season Again
Before allowing five goals and being pulled on Tuesday night, Dubnyk played as well as any goalie in the league in December (1.78 GAA. .942 save percentage) and January (1.98 GAA, .930 save percentage). One game is not necessarily a sign of bad things to come, but Dubnyk's performance after the Wild acquired him in January of 2015 (1.78) is not repeatable and it may be what the team needs again.
2. Lack Of Scoring
Credit: Maddie Meyer Getty Images2. Lack Of Scoring
The Wild have scored exactly three goals in three of their last four games, but they scored zero or one goal in four of five games prior to that. A lack of scoring punch from some key players, most notably Jason Pominville (six goals), Mikael Granlund (four goals) and Nino Niederreiter (nine goals), has been lacking all season.
1. Help Is Not On The Way
Credit: Getty Images1. Help Is Not On The Way
Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher could swing a trade before the end of the month, but a lack of appealing draft picks to deal and a group of underachieving young players leaves him lacking tradable assets. That means any notable help will probably have to come from within, and the Wild's AHL team in Iowa lacks NHL-caliber talent.
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