The Minnesota Wild have had some impact players in their brief history. The
problem is that very few of them have stuck around for more than five years and
 didn';t have enough of an impact to win the Stanley Cup. There have been no
Cup victories and only a single division title in all the team';s history. All
things considered, this all-time starting lineup will be built with players
based on point production and how many times the player helped guide the Wild
to the postseason.Goaltender - Devan Dubnyk

Some may consider this selection blasphemy due to the number of years former
Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom put into the team. Dubnyk has made the
playoffs with the Wild four straight seasons. Backstrom was never able to
accomplish four straight postseason trips.Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild, Nov.
11, 2017. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

In the Wild record book, Dubnyk ranks third in games played (231), second in
wins (134), third in saves (6000), first in save percentage (.923 SV%), first
in goals-against average (2.26 GAA), second in shutouts (20), and third in
minutes (13362). He is tied for the most All-Star appearances in franchise
history with two. During the 2014-15 campaign, he also earned second-team
All-Star honors.Defenseman - Ryan Suter

This selection is obvious. No defenseman has been so productive and consistent
in Wild history. Ryan Suter has been so impressive that organization could
spend a decade trying to locate a suitable replacement when he retires. He has
been more dominant in Minnesota compared to his days with the Nashville
Predators, totaling 17 more points in 93 fewer games. The 33-year-old is only
nine games from playing in his 1000th career NHL game.Ryan Suter (Christopher
Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)

The Wild have not missed the playoffs since Suter signed his 13-year, $98
million contract in 2012. He ranks eighth in franchise history in games
played (449), is tied for third in assists (218), seventh in points (255), and
second in plus/minus (plus-67). No defenseman ranks higher than Suter in any of
 those categories except for games played. Add a pair of All-Star appearances
and a first-team All-Star selection in 2012-13 and it is easy to see why he';s
the most decorated defenseman in Wild history.Related: Criticism Persists for
Wild';s Ryan SuterDefenseman - Brent Burns

It';s easy to forget that Brent Burns was a member of the Wild. He played his
first seven seasons in Minnesota and his most recent seven seasons with the San
 Jose Sharks. Considering he was traded for Devin Setoguchi and Charlie Coyle,
in retrospect, it';s safe to say the Wild got robbed on the dealBrent Burns,
San Jose Sharks, Nov. 28, 2017 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

In Minnesota, Burns totaled 55 goals, 128 assists, and a minus-21 in 453 games.
 Comparatively, he';s scored 127 goals, 256 assists and is a plus-23 in 508
games with the Sharks. He may be more recognizable as a Shark, but he is still
the second-best defenseman in Wild historyLeft Wing - Zach Parise

It';s embarrassing when an injury-prone player can make a franchise';s all-time
 roster in just six years. Zach Parise has only played one full season for the
Wild. The full season he played was during the lockout-shortened 2012-13
campaign. Since then, he hasn';t played more than 74 games in a season, and
only managed to crack 70 games one other time.Minnesota Wild forward Zach
Parise (Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports)

Parise stacks up well in franchise history with third in goals (139), eighth in
 assists (136), and fifth in points (275). He has managed to pile on those
numbers in 370 games. Those aren';t terrible numbers but he';s earning well
above what a player of his caliber deserves. He has only managed a 20-goal
season three times since arriving in Minnesota. Parise';s issues with
durability have been hurting him greatly. Wild fans shouldn';t count on him
playing 70 games in 2018-19.Right Wing - Marian Gaborik

Whether or not he';s considered the franchise';s greatest player of all time,
the impact Marian Gaborik had on the Wild is unmistakable. He is the first Wild
 player to be selected to an All-Star game doing so twice. Perhaps his greatest
 achievement with the franchise was his five-goal performance against the New
York Rangers in 2007. Only one other player has scored five goals in a contest
since Gaborik';s remarkable game.Marian Gaborik with the Columbus Blue Jackets
(Andy Martin Jr)

Gaborik spent his first eight seasons in Minnesota. He still ranks near the
top of the franchise, ranking fifth in games played (502), first in goals
(219), is tied for third in assists (218), second in points (437), and tied for
 third in plus/minus (plus-54).Center - Mikko Koivu

Mikko Koivu was the franchise';s first permanent team captain and has held that
 position since 2009. That alone is enough to warrant his spot on this list.
Koivu is everything you could want in a hockey player and has been loyal to the
 franchise in a way that is almost unheard of in today';s sports world. Captain
 Koivu could be the first player to have his jersey hung from the rafters of
Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.Mikko Koivu (Amy Irvin / The Hockey
Writers)

In franchise history, Koivu ranks first in games played (925), second in goals
(193), first in assists (466), first in points (659), and first in plus/minus
(plus-70). He only has one All-Star selection to show for all his work but it
hasn';t gone unnoticed. At 35 years old, he isn';t getting any younger so the
time to win a Stanley Cup is now.Related: Minnesota Wild All-Star History

Honorable Mentions: Nick Schultz, Andrew Brunette, Brian Rolston, Nicklas
Backstrom, and Pierre Marc-Bouchard.

The post Minnesota Wild All-Time Starting Lineup appeared first on The Hockey
Writers.

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