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The Minnesota Wild are staring down elimination. Entering Game 6 against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Wild are one loss from their season ending.
Facing a must-win game, the Wild need a huge performance from veteran winger Mats Zuccarello. Through the first five games, Minnesota's top forwards have led the way. Kirill Kaprizov has five goals and nine points in the series, and Matt Boldy has five goals and seven points.
After that, the offense runs a bit dry. The next leading goal scorer in the series is rugged winger Marcus Foligno, who has three goals. He's not there to provide that offensive spark, however. Which is where Zuccarello comes in.
Through five games in the series, he has one goal and two assists. Averaging over 18 minutes of ice time, he's logging consistent second-line minutes, but their production as a unit has stagnated. According to MoneyPuck's game data, the line consisting of Zuccarello, Ryan Hartman, and Marcus Johansson hold an expected goals percentage of 33.3% over 14 minutes of even-strength ice time. The best combination involving Zuccy has been the trio of him, Foligno, and Hartman. Playing just under 15 minutes of even-strength ice time together, they managed an expected goals percentage of 47.4%.
It may seem counterintuitive, but a key to getting Zuccarello going at 5-on-5 is to get him going on the power play first. During the regular season, he scored 19 goals and added 35 assists. Three of those goals and 13 assists, 16 total points, came during the man advantage. So far against the Golden Knights, he's been held pointless on the power play. If the Wild can convert with Zuccarello moving the puck, it can give him the kickstart he needs to start playmaking at 5-on-5.
The Golden Knights are in control, and the Wild are backed into a corner. To continue this series, the Wild need a hell of a game from Zuccarello and company.
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Oilers Fall Short in NHL Offseason Ranking
The Edmonton Oilers came so close to winning a title this year, but they fell in the Stanley Cup Final once again. For the second straight season, Edmonton wasn't able to get over the hump and they now face some big questions going forward. The front office entered the offseason with the intent to upgrade the roster, but so far, that hasn't happened. The Oilers haven't done very much to improve the team, and they still have some glaring holes along the roster. Due to the inactivity, NHL writer Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report has given them a letter grade of "C" for the offseason. Gretz graded every NHL team on their summer so far, and the Oilers have fallen behind other teams. "The goaltending issues are still a glaring weakness here that needs to be addressed. The answer is not on the roster. The other big elephant in the room that needs to be addressed is the fact that Connor McDavid is entering the final year of his contract and no extension has been signed yet," Gretz wrote. As Gretz mentions, the situation around star Connor McDavid is something to keep an eye on. McDavid wants to win at the highest level, and he will be entering the final year of his contract. If the Oilers don't solve some of the roster issues, it could see McDavid potentially leave the organization next summer. Some around the league believe that McDavid will at least test free agency, to see what else could be out there. This puts even more pressure on the Oilers' front office to make some moves this offseason, with the fate of McDavid hanging in the balance. So far, the team hasn't done much, but there is still plenty of time to change the narrative around the summer.
Packers Get Worrisome Update on $77 Million Offensive Lineman
The Packers are banking on the offensive line making big strides this season, but may have suffered a setback during one of the first practices of training camp. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Aaron Banks went down with some sort of injury midway through Thursday’s practice. “Left guard Aaron Banks, who signed a four-year, $77 million contract in the offseason, did not finish the practice,” Demovsky noted for ESPN. “He appeared to drop out halfway through the one-hour, 54-minute session. He remained on the field with a helmet on but did not return.” The severity of whatever ailment Banks suffered is unknown at this time, but if he is forced to miss any meaningful practice time it could deal a blow to the Packers trying to build a strong chemistry and cohesion up front. Last season, for the San Francisco 49ers, Banks allowed just one sack but his 25 pressures ranked 105th in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
Pelicans' exec makes team's stance on Zion Williamson crystal clear
It’s wild how quickly the NBA narrative can flip. A year ago, Zion Williamson was in every trade rumor possible. People were questioning his health, his work ethic, even his future in New Orleans. And the Pelicans? They didn’t really deny any of it. It felt like both sides were one step away from walking. But things have shifted this offseason — quietly, but clearly. The Pelicans could’ve pulled the plug. Zion’s contract gave them outs, and the trade market might’ve still brought back some real value. Instead, they stuck with him. And based on what one of their own just said, they’re not just keeping him around — they’re still betting big on him. In a recent interview with Spotrac’s Keith Smith, an anonymous Pelicans executive made it crystal clear. “Zion is still our guy. We’re all in on him. We think he’s going to have a huge year. We’ve had some bad injury luck and some things that just haven’t worked out. This partnership hasn’t even come close to reaching our best yet.” That’s not something you say if you’re halfway in. They backed it up with their offseason moves, too. They traded CJ McCollum and brought in Jordan Poole, a high-usage creator who can take pressure off Zion. They drafted Jeremiah Fears with the No. 7 pick, a dynamic young guard. They added Kevon Looney, a reliable veteran who brings playoff experience and toughness. Those aren’t tear-it-down moves — those are “let’s try this another way” moves. Of course, Zion’s health is still the question. That never really goes away. He played just 30 games last season, but in those games he looked solid: 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per night on 56.7 percent shooting. The explosiveness was there. The playmaking was sharp. And the hope for New Orleans is that this time, he can finally sustain it. What’s interesting is how the front office is trying to create a better environment around him. Joe Dumars has stepped in to lead basketball operations and is reportedly building a closer relationship with Zion — dinners, real conversations, not just surface-level stuff. It feels like, for once, the team is trying to meet him halfway. It’s a risk, sure. But it’s a calculated one. The West is brutal and the margin for error is thin. Still, if Zion can stay healthy for 60 games, and if Poole finds a rhythm and guys like Trey Murphy and Herb Jones keep improving — this team has a shot to be in the mix. The quote from the exec says it all. They could’ve hit reset, moved on, cleaned house. But they didn’t. They’re still in. And now it’s on Zion to hold up his end of the deal. After everything that’s happened, they’re telling the world they still believe. Now it’s time to find out if they’re right.
No end in sight in Jonathan Kuminga-Warriors 'staring contest'
Negotiations between restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors remain at a stalemate, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports. “It’s a staring contest between these two sides that could continue much longer than just this month,” Charania said. NBA insider Jake Fischer reported last week that Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, has held numerous discussions with Warriors officials in Las Vegas this month trying to secure a contract that pays at least $25M in average annual salary, even in the short term, according to Fischer. The Warriors have been reluctant to meet that price in a long-term agreement. Charania visited with Kuminga on Wednesday and said that the 22-year-old forward told him that he was in “absolutely no rush to do a deal with the Warriors.” According to new ESPN insider Anthony Slater, coach Steve Kerr has been in contact with Kuminga during the process but Kerr’s tendency to reduce his role during crunch time and in the postseason has left some “scar tissue,” adding that Kuminga no longer wants to be a “Plan B” option. Turner continues to pursue possible sign-and-trade transactions. According to Charania, the Suns and Kings “have made concrete offers with the Warriors over the last week or so.” Those clubs have also offered Kuminga an “opportunity for significant minutes, a starting caliber role” and “those are two things he wants more than anything.” Golden State has balked at the packages those teams have offered, which leaves Kuminga as well as the organization in limbo. The Wizards, Heat, Bulls, Bucks and Nets have also been named as possible suitors for Kuminga. The Warriors’ other potential offseason moves have been delayed until the Kuminga situation is resolved, Charania adds. Slater identifies Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton and Seth Curry as free agents that Golden State is interested in. The Warriors have just nine players on standard contracts. Kuminga appeared in just 47 games in 2024-25, having missed more than two months due to a badly sprained ankle. He had an inconsistent role when healthy, averaging 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 24.3 minutes per game, with a .454/.305/.668 shooting line. Although he was out of the Warriors’ rotation entirely for some key games at the end of the regular season and in the postseason, Kuminga averaged 24.3 points per game on .554/.389/.720 shooting in his final four playoff games against Minnesota after Stephen Curry injured his hamstring.
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