Minnesota Wild Opens Its 13th Season

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Wild will try to build on last season's playoff berth when the team opens its 13th season.

The Wild takes on the Los Angeles Kings in Thursday night's opener. Coach Mike Yeo says the Wild is looking to get better offensively. He says it's something he and the players talk about a lot.

Veteran sniper Dany Heatley still has a significant presence with the Wild. The 32-year-old lanky right wing hasn't produced with the Wild nearly the way he once did for Atlanta, Ottawa and San Jose. But, his value was never more obvious than last April after he got hurt. The Wild went 5-6-1 in their last 12 regular season games without him, barely making the playoffs, before losing four of five to Chicago in the first round.

Heatley is coming off season-ending shoulder surgery.

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