Minnesota Wild defeat Nashville Predators in NHL season opener

The Minnesota Wild opened their NHL season with a 3-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Goals from Nick Foligno, Blake Coleman, and Kirill Kaprizov secured the win, while Jesper Wallstedt made 19 saves in net. The Predators' lone goal came from Roman Josi in the second period.

In team news, the Wild will be without defenseman Brock Faber, who is sidelined following a preseason skull fracture. Jared Spurgeon is expected to move to the top defensive line to compensate.

The Wild are also navigating a significant shift in broadcast distribution. Following the dissolution of FanDuel Sports Network North, the team has launched the Wild+ streaming service on Amazon Prime Video. While a deal with Spectrum has been reached, many satellite and cable subscribers, including those using DirecTV and Xfinity, currently lack access to games. To mitigate this, the Wild have arranged for 10 regular-season games to be broadcast for free over-the-air via Hubbard Broadcasting stations, including KSTP and KSTC in the Twin Cities.

Looking ahead, the Dallas Stars are scheduled to face the Nashville Predators on October 3, 2026, with the Stars entering the matchup as betting favorites.