"We all play hockey, and we know it might happen. But I'm really happy for everything Minnesota has done for me," Rossi said.

The Wild have become one of the toughest teams to play against, gaining points and climbing up the standings. The Wild have earned 30 standings points since Nov. 1, a number topped only by the Avalanche and Stars, each of whom has earned 33. Amazingly, each of the three teams sit in the loaded Central Division.

Marcus Johansson scored twice, Matt Boldy had a goal and two assists, and the Minnesota Wild beat the Dallas Stars 5-2.

Kaprizov, soon to be the league’s highest-paid player, has often been considered the Wild’s “engine” by teammates. And that’s still the case on many occasions. Kaprizov was dynamic again on Thursday, including setting up Boldy’s empty-netter. He’s a true superstar. However, it sure feels like Boldy is playing like an engine, too.

Jiricek, who was acquired in a trade with Columbus last season, has played a dozen games with the Wild this season and 10 more in Iowa.

Last season Jiricek suffered a spleen injury that ended his season early. The MN Wild envisioned a scenario in which they improved upon Jiricek’s skating and got him to a place where he could be a top contributor on the ice.

In one of the biggest trades in NHL history, Minnesota acquired the Norris Trophy-winning star captain from Vancouver.