ST. PAUL — Marcus Foligno didn't have the season he wanted to have last year and had been sidelined due to injuries during various points of the season. In all, Foligno missed 17 games and then underwent abdominal surgery this summer.
The 32-year-old scored seven goals and 21 points last season after scoring a career-high 23 goals and 42 points during the 2021-22 campaign.
"Last year I put a little pressure on myself (and) didn’t play the style that I needed to for this team," Foligno told the media at Tria Rink after day one of training camp. "I think that's what I'm trying to get back to, get back to the hard nosed game, straight lines, and that’ll lead to those opportunities of putting in the puck in the back of the net and getting more points."
Foligno, who is entering the final season of his three-year contract, says he believes getting back to that style, as well as not focusing too much on how much he's producing offensively, will lead to success for him.
"I don't want to put (too) much pressure on myself when it comes to offensive production," Foligno said. "I have to realize I do a lot of things away from the puck that help the team win."
There's no question the Wild need him to be at his best this season and be the defensive, physical player he is while also contributing offensively.
As for how he feels physically?
"I feel like myself again," Foligno said. ... "I feel fantastic."
Calen Addison on inking contract: 'It's a huge relief'
The Wild and Addison completed business just in time by agreeing to a one-year contract worth $825,000 last Tuesday — a day before media day and two days before training camp opened — after going all summer unsigned.
"You do all you can to get ready for the season and be ready for the first day of camp," Addison said, "so to get that out of the way and get back with my teammates — just being around the team — feels awesome. It's a huge relief."
The 23-year-old finished with 29 points last season, good for third behind Buffalo's Owen Power and Ottawa's Jake Sanderson in rookie scoring among defenseman. He led the entire rookie class with 18 power play points.
But he found himself scratched down the stretch and sat the entire playoffs for not playing good enough defensively.
“His grit has to translate from all aspects of his game," Wild head coach Dean Evason said. "We all know what Calen Addison does on the power play. He’s gritty. He’s competitive. His willingness to have success for the team on the power play is great. We need that in 5-on-5 and if he’s killing penalties, we need that, too.
We need that as a well-rounded hockey player. He understands that."
Addison stayed in Minnesota for most of the summer for training, something he called a "no-brainer" for him. And now he's happy to be at camp and under contract.
“I think it’s another season for me, and the more games and more seasons you play, the more you learn," Addison said. "I think for a guy like me, I’m obviously smaller and you see how a guy like Spurge can defend and play all sides of the puck night in and night out.
So, I think for me it’s just learning how to defend, learning when to pick my spots and learning when to be a little bit riskier and when not to. I think that just comes with experience, and I’m feeling good.”
Read more: Wild re-sign Addison
Most importantly, Addison is ready to show he's ready to take the next step.
“Yeah, I’m excited," Addison said. "I think it’s just a different mindset and I want to prove to myself and to them that I want to be here, because I do. I love this place. I love my teammates. I love this organization. So, for me, it’s just about coming in with that mindset that I want to be here.”
Jujhar Khaira: 'I wouldn't recommend it'
Khaira has 336 NHL games under his belt between the Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks. But the 29-year-old went late into the offseason unsigned until he inked a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 with the Wild last Sunday.
What's it like not being signed all summer?
“I wouldn't recommend it; It's obviously stressful, for sure," Khaira said. "Playing hockey is something I care about and the unknown is always a scary thing.
It's finding that mindset to kind of overcome that and just be prepared for whatever opportunity arises. So that was kind of the plan going into it, but like I said, I don't recommend it. And if guys can figure it out earlier, why not?”
While Khaira said he wants to contribute offensively, he understands his role is not be a scorer in the NHL.
"That's always the goal (to produce offensively), but I know what keeps me here and that's my defensive game and being hard in the corners and on the forecheck and penalty kill," Khaira said. "I want that to be a huge part of my game and I think it has the past few years."
With no roster spots realistically up for grabs, Khaira needs to prove this early on and make an impression in training camp in case the Wild decide to carry 13 forwards.
And that's what he's here to do.
“I'm here to prove to everyone that I'm durable," Khaira said, "and I can play in this league and continue to play the way I do.”
Khaira said he made sure to be more "intentional" this summer about his training and this is the "best I (have) felt in awhile" after he dealt with various injuries the past few years — which limited him to 51 games last season, 27 in 2021-22 and 40 in 2020-21.
Jonas Brodin: 'A little bit weird'
• Brodin saw his longtime defensive partner and friend in Matt Dumba depart to free agency this summer, where the right-shot defender eventually found a home with the Arizona Coyotes by signing a one-year contract.
"We played with each other for 10 years almost, or more," Brodin said. "It was a little bit weird to not see him."
Now Brodin is expected to be paired this season with Brock Faber, who is ready for a top-four role on the Wild's blue line.
• Brodin is excited for when the Wild play two games in his home country of Sweden — where he will have family and friends in attendance — as part of the 2023 NHL Global Series in November. The Wild play the Ottawa Senators Saturday, Nov. 18 at 10 a.m. and the Toronto Maple Leafs Sunday, Nov. 19.
“Yeah, I’m really excited," Brodin said. "I’ve never done something like that, so, I mean, it’s going to be a cool experience.”
