The classic book series “Where’s Waldo?” might need a new addition called, “Where’s Boldy?”
Matt Boldy has been close to a ghost to begin the season for the Minnesota Wild. And with all the caveats that it’s early, it’s still been quite a startling opening to the campaign for a winger who should be in his prime.
The Wild have played four games.
Boldy has zero goals.
Boldy has zero assists.
His stat line is pretty darn empty — with 18 shots, maybe he’s overdue to score, but that’s about it. He’s a minus-1 in plus-minus.
if it weren’t for the 2 PIM i’d think he’s injured or a healthy scratch
— rosie (@strwberryq4rtz) October 9, 2026
The question becomes, of course, whether this is just a blip or whether it’s something to be concerned about.
Is Something Wrong With Matt Boldy?
One stat that stands out that makes it feel like something may actually be a bit off with Boldy is his offensive zone start percentage.
The Wild have begun Boldy with offensive zone faceoffs on 67.1% of his action compared to defensive zone faceoffs. They’re trying to put him in positions to score.
And despite that, Boldy has zero points through four games.
When you consider that he’s averaging more than 21 minutes per game, as well, it starts to feel concerning.
It’s not to say that most of the explanation isn’t just that it’s a small sample size. It’d be highly unusual for Boldy to be shut out for much longer.
But at a time when some of the league’s best players have begun the season on fire, Boldy is hardly even there.
Maybe it’s not a long-term problem, but it’s a short-term slump that definitely needs a solution.
On the Line
Boldy is in a spot where he should be finding great success. He’s on the Wild’s first line with left winger Kirill Kaprizov and center Joel Eriksson Ek.
He’s also on the top power play unit that also includes Quinn Hughes and Maxim Shabanov.
Boldy often hangs out near the point on the power play, but regardless of positioning, he’s on the ice with quite a bit of firepower.
The Wild have begun the year 2-1-1, so it’s not like they’re struggling immensely out of the gate. They have a 3-1 win, a 4-1 win, then a pair of 3-2 losses. Minnesota, as expected, appears to be a quality hockey team.
Boldy’s struggles would make a bit more sense if Minnesota was also struggling, but the Wild seem OK at the moment.
Maybe it’s just a case of snapping out of a funk, but whatever it is for Boldy, the Wild would surely like to see him figure it out sooner rather than later.
Something Might Be Wrong With Wild’s Matt Boldy