Minnesota Wild vs. San Jose Sharks Prediction and Picks - December 31, 2025
The Minnesota Wild (24-10-6) look to wrap up the calendar year by extending their road winning streak as they visit the San Jose Sharks (19-17-3) at the SAP Center. Minnesota has been elite away from home this season and enters this matchup coming off a dominant 5-2 win over the Golden Knights. San Jose, currently riding a two-game winning streak of their own, is dealing with a significant "laundry list" of injuries but has been buoyed by the historic pace of rookie sensation Macklin Celebrini.
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Game Information
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Time: 4:00 PM EST, Wednesday, Dec 31, 2025
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Location: SAP Center at San Jose — San Jose, CA
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Coverage: ESPN+, NBCSCA, FDSNWI
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Verified Team Leaders & Roster Status
Minnesota Wild
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Points: Kirill Kaprizov (47 PTS) and Matt Boldy (47 PTS) are tied for the team lead. Boldy has a team-high 25 goals.
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Goaltending: Filip Gustavsson (13-8-4, 2.47 GAA) is the projected starter, though rookie Jesper Wallstedt (2.17 GAA) has been pushing for more starts with elite numbers.
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Status: Ryan Hartman needed stitches after a hit on Monday but is confirmed to play. Daemon Hunt (Lower Body) remains on IR.
San Jose Sharks
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Points: Macklin Celebrini (60 PTS) leads the team and all NHL rookies. He is currently on an eight-game point streak (17 points in that span).
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Goaltending: Yaroslav Askarov (14-10-1, 3.38 GAA) is the expected starter. Despite a rocky December (.870 SV%), he has earned the lion's share of starts lately.
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Injury Crisis: The Sharks are heavily depleted. Will Smith, Philipp Kurashev, and Timothy Liljegren are all out (Week-to-Week). Adam Gaudette (Lower Body) is out for tomorrow. Macklin Celebrini took a puck to the face on Monday; while he missed practice Tuesday, coach Ryan Warsofsky expects him to play.
Expert Picks and Predictions
Sharks vs Wild Pick
- Minnesota Wild Moneyline (-175)
The Wild are simply the more complete and healthy team right now. While San Jose has shown grit in recent wins over Anaheim and Vancouver, they are missing their second-highest scorer (Will Smith) and several key defenders. Minnesota ranks 3rd in the NHL in goals allowed (2.58 per game) and possesses the defensive structure to contain a one-line team. With Kaprizov and Boldy playing at an elite level, the Wild should be able to exploit a Sharks defense that ranks 31st in goals allowed.
Wild vs Sharks Total Pick
- Over 6.5 (EVEN)
Despite the Sharks' injuries, Macklin Celebrini is playing at a "must-see" level, dragging the Sharks' offense into high-scoring affairs. San Jose's last two games have seen 9 and 9 total goals respectively. Minnesota's offense has also found a higher gear recently, scoring 5 goals against a stout Vegas defense. Given Askarov's recent struggles in net for San Jose (.870 SV% in December), the Wild could easily put up 4 or 5 goals themselves, making the Over a very attractive play at even money.
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