FOND DU LAC… The NHL 2014-15 regular season kicked off last night with four tilts, and tonight the Minnesota Wild will engage as well with a rematch bout versus the Colorado Avalanche. This promises to be an exciting campaign for the Wild. With a solid mix of veteran talent and a very good crop of young players on their way up, the team could make some more noise this year. The Western Conference will once again be as tough as it has been in the recent past, which will make it challenging for the club to duplicate or exceed last season’s second-round Stanley Cup tourney appearance.

There have been some subtractions from the team in the off-season, and some additions. Overall, I am of the belief that with the basic core group intact and with the addition of solid goal-scoring forward and former Gopher star Thomas Vanek, and considering the maturation of players like Charlie Coyle, Eric Haula, Mikael Granlund, Jason Zucker, Justin Fontaine and more, this year’s club could be better than last year’s, except for one little thing: goaltending.

Yes, the net is a question mark once again, and for the worst of reasons. After bowing out at about the one-third mark last season due to problems with his MS medications, Wild netminder Josh Harding, who was one of the top three goalies in the show at that time, is out for an undetermined amount of time due to a broken foot suffered when he… kicked a wall. That’s right folks, no typo there.

Apparently Hards had a dust-up with a teammate during or after a pre-training camp skate and afterwards kicked a wall and fractured his foot. This is quite unfortunate and actually leaves me with some question marks about how the club might fare without him for up to two months. With Harding going out last December, it was hoped that he could return at some point. It wasn’t long after that that Nick Backstrom went down and was going to require surgical repair work, so that was it for him. Enter Darcy Kuemper and the freshly signed Ilya Bryzgalov. They acquitted themselves nicely, and Bryz’s 7-1-3 run toward season’s end helped the team make the tourney.

By the time the playoffs arrived, it was stated that his situation was under control and he could have probably rejoined the club and played, but because he had been out for an extended length of time, the team elected to go with Kuemps and Bryz. Kuemps was playing well before getting dinged and exhibiting concussion symptoms, forcing the Wild to bring in yet another back-up tender. Bryz did some yeoman-like work before the team succumbed to the Blackhawks in the second-round series. Harding has been OK and had worked hard all summer to be ready for camp, but just days before it was to begin, whammo! The team suspended him a couple of days later.

Here is my book on them: Hards is a guy who can win games for you on nights when the club isn’t on their game, Kuemps isn’t (not yet, anyway), and Backstrom never was. Backs needs a good system and team in front of him to be good, and if they aren’t, the team struggles. If Hards can come back and show last fall’s form, this team can challenge. If he can’t and doesn’t, the team will be in for a tough season. Kuemps doesn’t have enough experience in the show yet to match Hards, and Backs is on the tail end of his career. I’m disappointed. The word was that Hards was looking good, really good.

Over the last 24 hours, the final run on trades and cuts has been going on, and the roster deadline is tomorrow as I write. With rosters finally settling, next week I will offer my Eastern Conference short analysis, and the West the following week. I see four teams from each that I think are locks to get a playoff spot, with two in the East that I don’t think have a shot. I see a possible three in the West that I don’t think have a chance, but who knows—that’s why they play the games, right? NHL… can’t wait!

IF BACK IN February you had said that the KC Royals and the Baltimore Orioles would be in the ALCS, you would have gotten a lot of blank stares. Guess what? They are in, both courtesy of 3-0 sweeps in their divisional series. Former Twin Delmon Young was a batting hero for the O’s, and rumor has it that the team has hidden his glove from him. KC got into the dance for the first time in 29 years, and I am happy for them. I have been past their ballpark many times and it is on my list to see a game there. It is a cool-looking stadium from the outside.

The NLDS are still ongoing, with the Washington Nationals winning this aft to stay alive against the San Fran Giants (series at two games to one SF) and the St. Louis Cards and the LA Dodgers (one game each) at it right now at 0-0 in the 2nd. The Fan Jr. and I have been scoping out Cardinal tickets in case they advance. We are Twins fans all the way, but the Cards have always been our second and only other club we pull for. We are hoping for a KC-STL World Series, an I-70 series as it is known in the Show-Me state…

YOU KNOW I DON’T follow the NFL anymore, but apparently my Viking emotions aren’t too far below the surface. Years ago before a Vike-Pack tilt I would be pacing the floor at 9:00 a.m. for a noon game with nary a drop of coffee in me yet. I grew up with this being the rivalry of all rivalries. Last week I didn’t see or hear the game, but the Fan Jr. was feeding me texts describing the carnage.

I could only shake my head. The Wilfs’ ownership has destroyed this franchise. The only silver lining for long-suffering fans is that within three seasons of moving into the new stadium, the Wilfs will cash out, take their golden payday, and head out of town, which is all they ever wanted out of the club anyway. Can’t wait—I might actually watch again. Compared to the Packers’ organization, this club is an embarrassment… PEACE

Marc Elliott is a sports opinion writer who splits his time between Minnesota and his hometown in Illinois.