Wild 2022-23 Report Cards: Marcus “Moose” Foligno

His most impressive stat was the 237 hits he amassed this season which was just one shy of tying his career-high 238 that he recorded last season and nearly 100 more than second-place Ryan Reaves. He kept up defensively as well with 40 blocked shots and 27 takeaways but also 25 giveaways. He not only took the physical responsibility off his teammate’s shoulders but he also tried to step up both offensively and defensively.

He started out the season on somewhat of a hot streak and it looked like he’d be able to keep his scoring magic alive but then he hit a brick wall off and on. He couldn’t quite keep a consistent rhythm going but at least he found a way to contribute physically and offensively, even if it was a smaller amount.

Foligno’s Undisciplined Postseason

Anyone who watched the Wild’s postseason knows Foligno put his team in some hot water due to his abundance of hits. In six games, he had 27 hits and 35 penalty minutes that included five minors, one major, and one misconduct. Several of those penalties resulted in goals against their penalty kill and things spiraled from there.

Foligno did score a goal for a single point in Game 3, which was a win, but he hit another brick wall. Instead, he lost control in the resulting games and took unnecessary penalties that cost his team. Not all of the blame falls on his shoulders as his whole team fell apart but the penalties didn’t help.

On the bright side, he did have six blocked shots and six shots on goal, so he didn’t stop trying completely but he couldn’t produce any offense. If he’d been more controlled, it’s possible he would’ve been able to come up with more points and help his team in the right way. He’ll have to keep that in mind for next season or his team will end up suffering just like this season.

Foligno’s Grade

As far as the regular season goes, his offense did suffer but he kept up with his physical expectations. As far as hits go, he’d have earned an A but in terms of points it has to drop lower. The Wild expect him to do both and need him to do both. Overall he earned a B+ and while that may seem low, his team was counting on him to keep up his scoring. On the flip side, it couldn’t really go lower either because he did battle through injuries.

Switching to the postseason, he clearly has to have a lower grade. Despite scoring one goal throughout the series, his penalties were too costly. He earned a C- due to a pure lack of discipline and he didn’t set a great example for his teammates either. They needed him to step up and be composed but he did the opposite. Whether you agree or disagree with the calls, he knew the referees were calling things tight and he still pushed the issue.

Combining the two, his overall grade for the entire season was a B-/C+. Hitting isn’t the only thing that matters, players have to be able to score or defend, possibly both if they’re that kind of player. It’s also important to remember the playoffs carry extra weight and Foligno is experienced in the postseason but didn’t show it. Hopefully, this was a one-time thing and he’ll be back composed and ready to go next season.