Bruce Boudreau has a lot to like about his new team, but believes its physical game has been lacking through the preseason.
The new coach of the Minnesota Wild highlighted his team's strong work ethic and skating game, but would like to see more away from the puck.
"We went over a lot of video (Friday) morning, more than I like to do, but it shows that you can't play the game without making contact with people. You just can't do it," Boudreau told Michael Russo of The Star Tribune. "But, what is taking time to get used to a little bit is we're nowhere near as physical as the teams I've coached."
Boudreau previously coached the Anaheim Ducks and Washington Capitals.
"So I'm trying to find sort of a halfway medium that they become more physical but don't get out of what they're good at. Like, I can't make them into a bunch of Alex Ovechkins hitting everything that moves."
The Wild finished with 87 points last season, qualifying for the postseason before falling to the Dallas Stars in the opening round. The Wild open their season against the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 13.
