Wild's 5 burning playoff questions vs. Stars

Source: nytimes.com

TL;DR

The story at a glance

The Minnesota Wild have locked the No. 3 spot in the Central Division and focus on lineup tweaks ahead of a probable first-round series against the Dallas Stars. Reporters Joe Smith and Michael Russo outline five burning questions on goaltending, defense pairings with Quinn Hughes, bottom-six forwards, splitting Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, and pursuing home ice. This comes with five regular-season games left, including a key matchup Thursday against Dallas.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7173619/2026/04/06/wild-playoffs-burning-questions-stars/?source=emp_shared_article)[[2]](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7173619/2026/04/06/wild-playoffs-burning-questions-stars)

Key points

Details and context

Wild added depth at deadline and used strict goalie rotation all season, fueling their strong defensive stats. Injuries hit Zach Bogosian; college free agent could debut but ineligible for playoffs; Charlie Stramel out with ankle issue.

Lineup experiments continue: possible third lines like Vladimir Tarasenko-Yurov-Brink; fourth with Marcus Foligno-McCarron-Yakov Trenin (390 hits). Tarasenko has 22 goals this year.

Wild went 2-1 vs. Stars this season, both wins at home; they struggle in Dallas (13-26-8 regular season). Coach Hynes stresses playing simple without over-stressing home ice chase.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7173619/2026/04/06/wild-playoffs-burning-questions-stars/?source=emp_shared_article)

Key quotes

Why it matters

A deep playoff run ends Wild's first-round exits since 2015 and tests new additions like Quinn Hughes against Central rivals. Fans and roster see home ice and lineup fits as edges in grueling Stars series; depth helps manage injuries. Watch final games and Hynes' Game 1 choices, as rotations could shift based on early results.