Within reach of a playoff berth, the Minnesota Wild are looking to make a splash at the trade deadline. According to Elliotte Friedman on Sportsnet 960, the Wild are looking into Buffalo Sabres goalie Jonas Enroth as a possibility.
“And the other one is the goaltending. They can’t get healthy there, and they can’t get enough of a save there. Now I reported on the weekend I’d heard that they’d gone after Jonas Enroth from Buffalo.”
This season, the Wild goaltending has been less than stellar. Darcy Kuemper leads the team with a 2.63 GAA and a .907 save percentage. His backup Niklas Backstrom hasn’t fared much better in his limited time, as he only sports a .896 save percentage.
The Minnesota Wild aren’t a poor defensive team, as they only allow 27 shots per game, the second best mark in hockey. The team’s biggest problem has been poor play in the net. For the Wild to make it into the playoffs, a change at goalie might be necessary, and that’s why the Enroth report carries so much weight.
Enroth hasn’t been the ideal goalie this year himself, as has been splitting time with Michael Neuvrith and hasn’t really moved ahead of him on the depth chart. Enroth sports a 3.14 GAA and a .909 save percentage, hardly starting goaltender numbers.
However, the Buffalo Sabres are a dismal defensive team, as they give up a league worst 35.4 shots a game, which is eight more than what Buffalo allows. It’s unclear what the Wild will decide to do regarding its future in the crease, but they will not make it into the postseason with poor goalie play. Enroth might be a risk, but it’s a needed one.