Wilderness Talk

Justin Wiggins, Luke Sims, and Justin Hein discuss the latest Minnesota Wild news. Join them weekly for a wide-ranging conversation about the Wild and related NHL news.

The Minnesota Wild Are Red Hot! 11/24/2025

The Minnesota Wild Are Red Hot! The Minnesota Wild are red hot in November and the Wilderness Talk guys are here to discuss what they "know for sure" about the Wild and what they "think they know" about the team. Justin Hein, Luke Sims, and Justin Wiggins share their thoughts and Luke has a crazy story about selling a recreational vehicle online in Canada. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/39156965

Minnesota Wild Savior Mats Zuccarello? 11/11/2025

Minnesota Wild Savior Mats Zuccarello? Mats Zuccarello has returned to the Minnesota Wild lineup and provided the spark they were hoping for, as the Wild start to look like their normal selves again. The Wilderness Talk guys discuss his impact, the forward depth, and just what to do about the logjam the Wild find themselves with on defense in this week's episode. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/38996155

The Minnesota Wild Get Back On Track 11/03/2025

The Minnesota Wild Get Back On Track The Minnesota Wild finally snap their losing streak with a win over the reeling and injured Vancouver Canucks. Are there signs of the Wild getting back on track or do they have more to prove? The Wilderness Talk guys discuss in our latest episode as Justin Hein attempts to get through an episode with wicked allergies. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/38895525

Can the Minnesota Wild Fix Their Even Strength Play Internally? 10/22/2025

Can the Minnesota Wild Fix Their Even Strength Play Internally? Luke Sims is out, but Tony Abbott is filling in! Tony joins the two Justin's this week to discuss the Wild's struggles so far at 5-on-5 and if they can fix the issue internally. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/38746440

Small Sample Hot Takes? Yes Please! 10/13/2025

Small Sample Hot Takes? Yes Please! The Wilderness Talk guys recap the the first two games of the Minnesota Wild's season after starting 1-1-0 out of the gate. From the dominance of the power play to the absence of Mats Zuccarello being felt, immediate reactions are in no short supply. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/38563080

It's Time for the Minnesota Wild to Plant Their Contender Flag 10/09/2025

It's Time for the Minnesota Wild to Plant Their Contender Flag The season opener is tonight! And the Wilderness Talk fellas are here to provide their 2025-26 Minnesota Wild season preview! Justin Hein, Luke Sims, and Justin Wiggins discuss their breakout player, who could regress, where the Wild finish in the Central Division and so much more! It's time for the Wild to become true contenders in the NHL, and the guys are here to manifest it. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/38526720

Kirill Kaprizov Contract Debacle 09/16/2025

Kirill Kaprizov Contract Debacle Following the bombshell news last week that Kirill Kaprizov turned down the largest contract offer in NHL history, the Wilderness Talk guys debate if it's just a negotiating tactic, or if perhaps we've already seen Kaprizov play his last game in a Minnesota Wild sweater. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/38241655

Chicken Sausage Anyone? 07/13/2025

Chicken Sausage Anyone? The Wilderness Talk guys recap the Minnesota Wild's free agency and discuss the ongoing Marco Rossi contract negotiations. But first, Luke shares his chicken sausage story from the 4th of July. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/37390960

Boeser or Bust, A Minnesota Wild Story 06/29/2025

Boeser or Bust, A Minnesota Wild Story Free agency is almost here! And although it's shaping up to be a relatively thin free agent market, there are a few splashes that would excite Minnesota Wild fans. Justin Hein, Luke Sims, and Justin Wiggins dive into what's even possible for the Wild at this point. Although recording the morning after his Beer Olympics day was maybe not the best idea for Hein. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/37211230

Bill Guerin's Christmas Is Almost Here! 06/19/2025

Bill Guerin's Christmas Is Almost Here! We're BACK! Justin Hein, Luke Sims, and Justin Wiggins debate what the first moves of the offseason might be for the Minnesota Wild, including what will happen with Marco Rossi's future in the State of Hockey. Sims and Wiggins brought the content, Hein brought the mustache. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/37065225

Minnesota Wild Eulogy - Reasons for Optimism? 05/09/2025

Minnesota Wild Eulogy - Reasons for Optimism? Justin Hein, Luke Sims, and Justin Wiggins are back for their final recap of the 2024-25 Minnesota Wild before we turn our attention to the busy off-season. They dissect the end of the opening series loss to Las Vegas and what went right.... and wrong. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/36512950

Are The Minnesota Wild In The Drivers Seat? 04/29/2025

Are The Minnesota Wild In The Drivers Seat? The guys go over the first four games of the series versus the Vegas Golden Knights and preview the remaining in what has been a fun first-round playoff matchup. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/36364195

Can the Wild Upset the Golden Knights? 04/19/2025

Can the Wild Upset the Golden Knights? Justin Hein, Luke Sims, Justin Wiggins, and guest Tony Abbott discuss if the Wild have any chance to pull off an upset against the Vegas Golden Knights in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/36231990

It All Comes Down to Game #82 04/15/2025

It All Comes Down to Game #82 Here we are. This is it! The Wild have themselves and "Win-And-You're-In" scenario tonight. The Wilderness Talk guys break down how they got to the final game meaning so much and what to expect tonight. Plus, they discuss the arrival of Zeev Buium. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/36154870

Should the Wild Ride Gustavsson Through the Playoffs? 04/08/2025

Should the Wild Ride Gustavsson Through the Playoffs? Justin Hein and Luke Sims discuss the upcoming stretch of Wild hockey, including the last four pivotal games down the stretch. The Wild are playing Gus more than they ever have before. Is that sustainable for the up and down goaltender? The Wild don't really have a choice. What could the addition of Zeev Buium look like for the Wild on the backend? When will Joel Eriksson Ek and Kirill Kaprizov really return? All this and more on the latest episode of Wilderness Talk! /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/36051255

Could the Minnesota Wild Realistically Miss the Playoffs? 03/17/2025

Could the Minnesota Wild Realistically Miss the Playoffs? Panic in Minnesota (for some of us)!? Justin Hein, Luke Sims, and Justin Wiggins go in depth to find out just how possible it would be for the Wild to miss the playoffs altogether if their slide continues. Plus, more Justin Brazeau concerns and how this week is an important one for the Wild to start playing up to their potential. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/35724060

Are Brazeau and Nyquist Enough to Keep the Wild Afloat? 03/11/2025

Are Brazeau and Nyquist Enough to Keep the Wild Afloat? Luke Sims is skiing and the great Tony Abbott fills in as a guest this week! He joins Justin Hein and Justin Wiggins in breaking down the Minnesota Wild trade deadline and if their additions are enough to stop the current skid they find themselves on. Plus we play a game of "If I were GM for a day" /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/35644100

More Bananas? Gus Nyquist Traded Back to Minnesota 03/04/2025

More Bananas? Gus Nyquist Traded Back to Minnesota Gus Nyquist is traded back to Minnesota and the guys are here to break it down. From the good to the bad, Justin Hein, Luke Sims, and Justin Wiggins discuss the trade and where the Minnesota Wild are trending heading into the trade deadline. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/35524685

Wild Prospects and 4 Nations 02/17/2025

Wild Prospects and 4 Nations Luke and Justin discuss The Athletic's team prospect rankings and the Minnesota Wild coming in at #2 in the league. Plus, of course we had to break down the wildly successful 4 Nations Tournament so far and TEAM USA's chances of winning the Championship on Thursday. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/35314040

The Wild Are Flying High Into the 4 Nations Break 02/12/2025

The Wild Are Flying High Into the 4 Nations Break The Wild head into the 4 Nations Tournament break with quality wins over Carolina and New York, and the Hockey Wilderness guys discuss the vibes surrounding the team. They also get into some 4 Nations predictions, as well as which Wild player will have the largest impact for their home country. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/35263100

What Should The Wild Do With Ryan Hartman? 02/07/2025

What Should The Wild Do With Ryan Hartman? Justin Wiggins and Justin Hein discuss the Ryan Hartman suspension and what his long term outlook is with the Minnesota Wild. They also dig into how the Wild can stay afloat through Kaprizov's reappearance on the injured list. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/35193480

Is the Xcel Energy Center Cursed? 01/27/2025

Is the Xcel Energy Center Cursed? With a special guest, the guys discuss the fallout of the Mikko Rantanten trade and what it could mean for the Wild. They also got into the recent schedule and the funk that the Wild are in. In addition, they talked about the curse that appears to plauge the Wild on home ice. Lastly, they looked ahead towards the schedule before the four nations tournament and what the trade deadline could look like for Minnesota. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/35036985

Danila Yurov Is Coming to America! 01/22/2025

Danila Yurov Is Coming to America! Breaking News! Over the weekend on hockeywilderness.com, our very own Luke Sims broke a story with a source familiar with the KHL that prized prospect Danila Yurov has every intention of leaving the KHL to pursue his NHL career after this season. The guys discuss the impact Yurov could have on the Wild roster as soon as he makes the jump. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/34957630

Minnesota Vikings Postseason Primer with Joe Cool Skol! 01/13/2025

Minnesota Vikings Postseason Primer with Joe Cool Skol! The Wilderness Talk boys are joined by our friend Joe Cool to preview the Minnesota Vikings playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams! Joe has a podcast you can find titled "The Doctor and the Dog" and bringing him on to talk Vikings was perfect timing! You can follow him on X by searching @JoeCoolSkol! He even has the patience to let Luke be a little optimistic about his Packers before their eventual demise this weekend. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/34842465

Are We Panicking About the Wild? 12/27/2024

Are We Panicking About the Wild? Justin Hein, Luke Sims, and Justin Wiggins return from a short break to discuss the Wild's recent skid and if anyone is panicing yet. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/34628295

Injuries and Victories = The Minnesota Wild 12/09/2024

Injuries and Victories = The Minnesota Wild The guys are back to discuss the litany of injuries hampering the Minnesota Wild and how they just keep on winning anyways. But how long can that last? Plus, a deep dive into the franchise goaltending history brings up a few names as a blast from the past. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/34355335

David Jiricek Shipped to The State of Hockey 12/02/2024

David Jiricek Shipped to The State of Hockey The guys react to the bombshell of a trade between Minnesota and Columbus, sending David Jiricek to the State of Hockey as the Wild look to build an Avengers Blue Line. Plus just how shocked are we the Wild sit atop the NHL Standings? /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/34225635

Disappointment and Defenders: A Minnesota Wild Thanksgiving 11/27/2024

Disappointment and Defenders: A Minnesota Wild Thanksgiving The Minnesota Wild dropped a pivitoal game against the Winnipeg Jets at home. That leaves the Wild at 0-12-1 against Colorado, Dallas and Winnipeg over the past two years. Aside from the disappointing loss, the Wild have been rumored to be in on David Jiricek from Columbus. All of this and more from the last episode before Thanksgiving! /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/34180150

Are the Wild's Recent Injuries a Cause For Concern? 11/18/2024

Are the Wild's Recent Injuries a Cause For Concern? Wiggins is back from LTIR! Justin re-joins Luke Sims and Justin Hein after they took the reins for a few weeks while he begrudgingly enjoyed the beaches of San Diego. The Wild continue to roll, outside their recent loss to the Dallas Stars. The guys debate if the injury excuse is a worthy one or if another loss to a top Central Division opponent is cause for concern. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/33986117

How to Penalty Kill: a Minnesota Wild edition with Dr. Hein 11/11/2024

How to Penalty Kill: a Minnesota Wild edition with Dr. Hein The Minnesota Wild stole five of six points on their recent road trip and now sit second in the NHL standings behind the Winnipeg Jets. Without Wiggins, Hein and Sims talk about the road trip, and Hein gives his in-depth breakdown of the Minnesota Wild penalty kill and looks ahead to the next few games. /episode/index/show/907605ae-b9bc-4347-b12f-7c9e93705c7b/id/33879447

Wilderness Talk

TOPICS