NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, three important questions facing the Minnesota Wild.

1. Can the Wild take the next step in the playoffs?

Minnesota has consistently qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but hasn’t made a real push toward a championship.

The Wild reached the Western Conference Final in 2003, their third NHL season. They haven’t gotten back since, while making the Stanley Cup Playoffs 13 times and winning just two series.

In years past, general manager Bill Guerin said he felt the Wild were outmatched in the playoffs. He didn’t think that was the case against the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference First Round last season. They lost by one goal in the final three games of that series with Games 4 and 5 ending in overtime.

That could be a sign of a team ready to become a true contender.

“Moving forward, this is without a doubt the best position this team has been in,” Guerin said.

2. Where will the offense come from?

Minnesota averaged 2.74 goals per game last season, 25th in the NHL. Some of that had to do with injuries.

Having forward Kirill Kaprizov back after being limited to 41 games with a lower-body injury will be a quick help. He had 56 points (25 goals, 31 assists) and was one of three Wild players with at least 20 goals, alongside forwards Matt Boldy (27) and Marco Rossi (24).

“I felt pretty good in the games all in the early season, before the surgery (in January),” Kaprizov said. “I don’t know if it was my best.”

It wasn’t just Kaprizov. Forward Joel Eriksson Ek also came back from a lower-body injury April 9 after missing 21 games, and forward Mats Zuccarello returned Dec. 14 from having surgery on a lower-body injury Nov. 14.

Before having 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists) in 46 games last season, Eriksson Ek had 64 points (30 goals, 34 assists) in 2023-24 and 61 points (23 goals, 38 assists) in 2022-23. Even with his injury, Zuccarello had 54 points (19 goals, 35 assists) in 69 games last season.

Even if all three are healthy, the Wild likely will need more scoring depth in order to be successful.