None of these are new problems, but their impact was exacerbated by the Wild being financially strapped.
Almost $15 million of their budget went to the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts instead of their lineup, and that charge is staying on the Wild's books for another season.
Most of the team is under contract, with Zuccarello, Foligno and Ryan Hartman securing preseason extensions, but how the Wild evolve will help decide whether skipping the playoffs is temporary or a trend.
"There's a bunch of things we're going to look at," Guerin said. "We're not just going to sit on our hands. We want to get better."