Paul Bissonnette sparks controversy by predicting a postseason collapse for Minnesota, citing center depth concerns and a looming trade saga involving superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild is set to enter the 2026-27 season with high expectations. For some, those expectations might not be met.
Paul Bissonnette, the former NHL player, TNT analyst and popular media personality, went on the record on a recent Central Division preview episode of the Spittin' Chiclets podcast.
"You want my hot take of the century? I think the Wild are gonna miss the playoffs," Bissonnette said. "I think that they're gonna get off to a little bit of a tough start. And I think that the Quinn Hughes noise is gonna get loud. What are they gonna do? They have (Joel) Eriksson Ek at center ice. Who the f*** are their other centermen? Hartman might play center.
"I just think it's a strong division, it's a strong conference, I think that they're riding the high of last year and now they've got this daunting storyline coming in that Quinn Hughes wants nothing to do with them."
Keith Yandle agreed with Bissonnette but Ryan Whitney did not. "You're nuts (if) you think this team's missing (the) playoffs," Whitney said. "You guys are gonna look like idiots when they're 10-3 out of the gate and the city's rocking and Quinn Hughes signs an extension."
Bissonnette went on to say he thinks Quinn Hughes will not sign an extension with the Wild and could be traded. He also said the Wild will struggle out the gate to start the season which will all lead to the team missing the playoffs.
Paul Bissonnette fights Wild forward Mike Rupp. Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY SportsMinnesota has made the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons, with 2023-24 as their lone absence in that span and currently have Matt Boldy, Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, Hughes, Faber, and Jesper Wallstedt all under contract this season.
With a group that good it is hard to see how the Wild could miss the playoffs. Time will tell but there is no way this team misses the playoffs with all this talent.
See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
