Around trade deadline time in the first few days of March, when it became apparent that the Minnesota Wild were not going to mortgage the future with any “swing for the fences” deals, goalie Filip Gustavsson was asked about the comfort level of going into the stretch with essentially the roster they had.
With a grin, he noted that the team would be “acquiring” Ryan Hartman in a few days, which would be a big boost.
Hartman, who has logged nearly 400 games in a Wild sweater, wasn’t a new acquisition by any stretch, but his re-joining of the game night roster this month after serving an eight-game NHL suspension has indeed been a boost to the team at a time when offense has been at a premium.
In Wednesday’s 4-0 win over Seattle, Hartman opened the scoring early, giving him three goals and three assists in the eight games he has played since his league-mandated time off.
In a Feb. 1 loss in Ottawa, Hartman drove Senators forward Tim Stutzle into the ice head-first on a faceoff after the two had scrapped earlier in the period. The NHL originally suspended Hartman, who has previous disciplinary issues on his resume, for 10 games but reduced the sentence to eight after an appeal by the players’ union.
Wild coach John Hynes made sure that Hartman was hard at work on the ice staying in shape during the break, and said Wednesday that it was ultimately beneficial.
“I just see a guy that’s more focused,” Hynes said. “The time off was good, I think, for him mentally to reassess some things. But also, in season, you don’t get a 10-game stretch or however long that was, which was a long time to really put in conditioning, skill work, things like that.
“He’s shooting the puck well. Looks like his conditioning’s good. He’s a willing skater. But he’s playing the game focused.”
Hartman’s game has always been one of grit, going to the net, and playing on the edge when needed. As he returned to the lineup, general manager Bill Guerin said he expected a player on his best behavior, and while Hartman has maintained the grit, the veteran is adding value to the Wild in other areas lately.
“He’s good in the faceoff circle. I think his details without the puck are stronger than they were before,” Hynes said. “And then I think with the puck and/or offensively, he’s shooting it, and I think he’s making purposeful plays with the puck.
“When he has opportunities to make plays, he’s making them. When he doesn’t, I think he’s just making the simple play and setting him and his line up to play in a good area of the ice, which is in the offensive zone.”
In 56 games this season, Hartman now has 10 goals and 13 assists, playing primarily in a second line role.
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