Was This Season a Failure?

Yes I know the Minnesota Wild made it into the playoffs, or more like they rolled into the playoffs as the eighth seed, but even after a five year hiatus from the playoffs; the expectations were so much higher coming into this season then finishing tied for eighth place in the Western Conference.

I understand that with no training camp, and no preseason games that it would be hard for the Wild to mesh two 98 million dollar players, and a handful of rookies together and come out on top of the NHL, but still at least they should be hanging the last Northwest Division banner up in the Xcel Energy Center this week, not staring up at the might Chicago Blackhawks in the first round.

When an owner drops 200 million dollars in one day, and then during the season your general manager sends away two draft picks, and two young prospects for a gritty forward, expectations should be high. So did the Wild fail this season?

In the short term yes, they finished tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets for eighth! They squeaked into the playoffs, but in the long term they succeeded. These rookies like Jonas Brodin, Jason Zucker will get some much needed experience. Take a look at the the 2005-2006 Anaheim Ducks, they squeaked into the playoffs with rookies Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry made it deep into the playoffs before getting bounced out, the following year they would go on to hoist Lord Stanley Cup. The Wild hopefully will follow suit, and win the Cup next year.

If the Wild lose in the first round would Mike Yeo be back next season as coach of the Wild? Remember last year the Wild were the best team in the NHL before ultimately free-falling to the basement of the NHL, and this season remember about mid-season when the Wild were at one time in first place of their division? Back-to-back free-falling seasons could be the end of Yeo, but I see him getting one more chance, but next season the expectations will be even more higher then they were this season, with the rookies becoming studs, and with the already high price talent on this roster; next seasons team needs to finish in the top of their respected conference. If not watch as Yeo is sent to the penalty box for unemployed head coaches.

I will end my soap box with a little brighter news. The Wild should have won game one on Tuesday, but they just couldn't find the twine in overtime, but even as an eighth seed, history could be on the Wild side. Last season the Los Angeles Kings were the eighth seed, and won the Cup, in 2006 the Edmonton Oilers were an eighth seed, and made it all the way to finals before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes. And let's not forget this little tidbit, in 1991 the Blackhawks last won the Presidents Trophy given to the team that finishes the regular season with the most points, during the playoffs that season the Blackhawks were dumped by the Minnesota North Stars in six games, could history repeat itself?