Wild Open Camp With Hughes, Kaprizov and a Goalie Question

Minnesota Wild training camp opened Thursday with John Hynes fresh off a new multi-year extension and coming off the franchise's first playoff series win in 11 years.

"I really like the group. I'm really excited to get started this year and hopefully we can continue to push each other and push ourselves to a new level," Hynes said Tuesday.

The biggest storyline heading in is Quinn Hughes. In 48 games with the Wild last season, Hughes posted 53 points and added 15 more in 11 playoff games. A full season of him alongside Kirill Kaprizov, Brock Faber, and Matt Boldy gives Minnesota a core worth watching. "I'm just excited to start the season and I think we'll pick up where we left off, honestly," Hughes said after the first day on the ice.

Kaprizov enters the first year of an eight-year, $136 million contract and faces a significant adjustment: Mats Zuccarello, his longtime linemate, left for Los Angeles in free agency. Of Kaprizov's 230 career goals, 93 came with a Zuccarello assist. In camp he was skating alongside Ryan Hartman and newly signed winger Maxim Shabanov. Asked if he would be fine without Zuccarello, Kaprizov laughed. "Oh yeah, of course."

In net, Filip Gustavsson is recovering from off-season hip surgery and will miss the start of the season. General Manager Bill Guerin has a return timeline but did not share it publicly. Jesper Wallstedt and Calvin Pickard will handle the goaltending tandem to open the year. Wallstedt went 18-9-6 with a 2.61 GAA and .916 save percentage last season and started 10 of the Wild's 11 playoff games.

One name to watch in camp is rookie Charlie Stramel, a 6-foot-3 center from Rosemount, Minn., who missed his expected NHL debut last season after fracturing his ankle playing for Michigan State. He posted 44 points in 37 games with the Spartans and won 53.7 percent of his face-offs.