2021 MN Wild/NHL Thread

This kid is in incredible.

Did rask touch the puck tonight? Or did he let it jump over his stick or lift his stick before it even got to him. God hes terrible

Rask and Mojo in OT??? Head scratcher…Rask was completely lost in our defensive zone for that goal…

A very exciting game, AGAIN!
Unfortunately, the penalty call trend continues. Can you have a weaker hooking call at that stage in the game with EVERYTHING else you have ignored all night!?
The WILD are a great team and love watching them play 😀😀😀😀

That hooking call was terrible, but Entertaining game overall and Kirill is unreal! He’s like Moss/AP level as a rookie, just a whole different speed/ level than we are used to!

Can not wait for the playoffs reguardless who they play. They have a line that they have never had or have not had in a long time that can play playoff style hockey and set a tone.
They have not in a very long time have had a top forward that will be considered arguably the top forward in a series.
They have not had this good of goaltending in several years.
Will they win a round or more? Maybe
Could they get swept? Maybe but I don’t think they will be outclassed either. Fila injury is not ideal.
Can’t help but think of what Rossi and Boldy could add to this current team.

Terrible call tonight to give Vegas the PP to tie.

Side note:
Ranger Caps game was great! Old time hockey! Eddie shore!
Thoughts out to TJ Oshie and family. Pretty incredible night for a really great kid.

at least the weaker ref crews won’t be in the playoffs…

Ripjiggen wrote:

Thoughts out to TJ Oshie and family. Pretty incredible night for a really great kid.

unreal! A day after his dad died he gets a hat trick! No doubt he was guiding him.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Side note:
Ranger Caps game was great! Old time hockey! Eddie shore!
Thoughts out to TJ Oshie and family. Pretty incredible night for a really great kid.

I only watched the first, but IDK it seemed more like a forced pillow fight just for show. A bunch of softy fights, with the only bump bruise or blood coming from the cross check to Mantha’s face where Buchnevich got the gate. The Wild game was so much rougher because the extra stuff was all organic.

Pretty cool for the focus of that game to go from negativity surrounding Wilson to the inspirational Oshie story. Good for him!

JoeMX1825 wrote:

at least the weaker ref crews won’t be in the playoffs…

Was complaining about them last game and I guess I get to again. Wow talk about doing whatever they can to help aid a comeback.

tswoboda wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
at least the weaker ref crews won’t be in the playoffs…

Was complaining about them last game and I guess I get to again. Wow talk about doing whatever they can to help aid a comeback.

That was one of the absolute worst hooking calls I have ever seen and the ref who called it was at center ice while the other ref was just a few feet away.

I guess he’s a rookie ref…pretty brutal to make that call at that point of the game when they either missed calls or let so much else go for the entire game…

I’m actually excited about the likelihood of playing the Avs (I know i’m in the minority here) I think the Ek line can shutdown the McKinnon line enough (outside of the PP chances) and our depth can make the difference if we stay out of the penalty box. I would have zero confidence in the Avs goalies for the playoffs…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

I’m actually excited about the likelihood of playing the Avs (I know i’m in the minority here) I think the Ek line can shutdown the McKinnon line enough (outside of the PP chances) and our depth can make the difference if we stay out of the penalty box. I would have zero confidence in the Avs goalies for the playoffs…

I wouldnt say I’m excited about facing the Avs, but we have had some pretty great playoff series with them and could be catching them at an opportune time because they have some players nicked up. Could be healthy I suppose by the time playoffs roll around, but I definitely would rather have home ice advantage. That really gives the Ek line an advantage due to last change.

If you want to make a statement to the league that this team is for real right now and the foreseeable future, you need to play the best and beat the best in the playoffs…making the playoffs should be a given for this team for the next 8-10 years, we need to start building playoff success with our young core starting now…

The biggest question for this team right now setting up for the playoffs is what do they do with Rask? Playing him is costing the team more than what he’s giving it…Bjugstad isn’t the answer…Rask is given chance after chance and not capitalizing, his game does NOT translate at all to gritty playoff hockey, he’s a huge liability on the ice as proved again last night and could single handedly cost you a playoff game…

Promote Nico Sturm to 1st or 2nd line center and bring up Boldy to play wing on the 4th line?

Just learned about Uzzu Tv. Looks like they carry most teams but do carry the Wild.
DT

deertracker wrote:

Uzzu Tv

How the heck is that legal?

8-10 years might be a bit of stretch how far out you can look. I actually think there in a little bit of a win nowish while you are still getting good minutes out of Suter. And still getting er um 7 minutes out of Zach and he can still tie his own skates.

Ripjiggen wrote:

8-10 years might be a bit of stretch how far out you can look. I actually think there in a little bit of a win nowish while you are still getting good minutes out of Suter. And still getting er um 7 minutes out of Zach and he can still tie his own skates.

I would imagine they will lock up the core of Kaprizov/Fiala/Boldy/Rossi/Ek to long terms deals, their pipeline is still strong and they have the proper management team in place, I don’t see why we shouldn’t be in contention for awhile now….I think having the younger guys Like Rossi/Boldy/Addison on their rookie deals for the next 2-3 years will help with the aging Suter & Parise…Hopefully the cap goes up significantly in a few years and offsets their caphit a bit for their final few years…

The team’s biggest strength is their depth. That depth is going to get cratered when they have to pay Kap/Fiala/Ek more than $5m combined.

It would be interesting to see Sturm get a chance at center in the top 6. Just funny the same people calling for that are the “Ek has no skill” fans. Sturm is poor man’s Eriksson Ek. Rask isn’t good and should not be on the ice in 3 on 3 OT. But last night he had 2 posts, almost banked a goal off MoJo’s stick, and almost beat Fleury for the GWG with 2 minutes left. Funny how that’s all I see is how bad Rask is after every single loss. This fan base is like one giant Mike Russo cult.

Salary Cap is going to be flat or at least really close until the Parise/Suter contracts are up. The league lost a $billion+ in the last 15 months and the salary cap isn’t moving until the players pay that off through escrow. It’ll take a couple years of 32 full arenas to get this league outta the red.

tswoboda wrote:

The team’s biggest strength is their depth. That depth is going to get cratered when they have to pay Kap/Fiala/Ek more than $5m combined.

It would be interesting to see Sturm get a chance at center in the top 6. Just funny the same people calling for that are the “Ek has no skill” fans. Sturm is poor man’s Eriksson Ek. Rask isn’t good and should not be on the ice in 3 on 3 OT. But last night he had 2 posts, almost banked a goal off MoJo’s stick, and almost beat Fleury for the GWG with 2 minutes left. Funny how that’s all I see is how bad Rask is after every single loss. This fan base is like one giant Mike Russo cult.

Sturm can skate, Rask can’t..pretty simple…not sure what games you’ve been watching but Rask is a skating turn over machine and falls over if sneezed on by a defender or he just toe picks and falls himself… He hit posts on wide open nets and he’s a pro so I hope he can get a snapshot off every now and then…nobody is saying Sturm is some savior, they are merely asking what putting somebody with speed in Rask’s slot will look like, we have nobody else to try with… Rask is only playing because we sadly don’t have other options at center, he will be gone next season so we can stop complaining about him then…Ek has developed into an elite 3rd line center as he has size, determination and can skate, but he lacks soft hands and offensive creativity to be a playmaker, yes you can cherry pick some plays here and there from this season, but over his career he’s been the posterboy for a player with Stonehands…perhaps he’ll develop more, we’ll see….

The depth argument is no different than any other team in the league with high paid talent, you hope you can plug-in cheaper specific skillset guys that get their game elevated by playing with superstars…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

The depth argument is no different than any other team in the league with high paid talent, you hope you can plug-in cheaper specific skillset guys that get their game elevated by playing with superstars…

Guys like Rask?

tswoboda wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
The depth argument is no different than any other team in the league with high paid talent, you hope you can plug-in cheaper specific skillset guys that get their game elevated by playing with superstars…

Guys like Rask?

I laughed way too hard at this.

JoeMX1825 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ripjiggen wrote:</div>
8-10 years might be a bit of stretch how far out you can look. I actually think there in a little bit of a win nowish while you are still getting good minutes out of Suter. And still getting er um 7 minutes out of Zach and he can still tie his own skates.

I would imagine they will lock up the core of Kaprizov/Fiala/Boldy/Rossi/Ek to long terms deals, their pipeline is still strong and they have the proper management team in place, I don’t see why we shouldn’t be in contention for awhile now….I think having the younger guys Like Rossi/Boldy/Addison on their rookie deals for the next 2-3 years will help with the aging Suter & Parise…Hopefully the cap goes up significantly in a few years and offsets their caphit a bit for their final few years…

The three you mentioned all have 2 years left after this season of rookie price. None have played an NHL game yet. Which is why I think there is urgency to make some kind of run sooner than later because in 2 years ZP and probably to a lesser degree Suter may be 15 million dollar players watching from the press box. I think Suter could actually play out his contract. Not at the price everyone likes but that is how big long term contracts usually work out.
Not sayin 8-10 years down the road they can’t still have a solid team in the playoffs but I doubt management is looking that far down the road except with one player, and that might even be a stretch.

Any news on Fiala yet?

tswoboda wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
The depth argument is no different than any other team in the league with high paid talent, you hope you can plug-in cheaper specific skillset guys that get their game elevated by playing with superstars…

Guys like Rask?

not at 4 million per and honestly Rask will have a hard time staying in the NHL after this season if he’s bought out…

My 8-10 playoff projection is just based on the franchise appearing to now have the right Management/Scout pieces in place and a young core to build around. Rossi & Addison (I think) haven’t started their 3 deals yet, Boldy will have 2 years left and then none of them will get signed for more than a 2-3 year prove yourself/bridge deal AFTER their rookie deals, so you’re looking at 4-6 years before they will possibly sign for significant money IF they pan out. This could change and they sign for more $$ if they set the league on fire like Kaprizov (even then he’s a unique contract situation with his age and UFA status) but you’d gladly pay them big $$ and deal with the consequences if they are worth it….

I really think this season was originally going to be a bridge year for GMBG to get his cap space in order, get another good draft to fill the prospect pool and start to fill the gaps the team has (center) starting towards the 2021-2022 season and the shot in the arm they got from Kaprizov and the great goaltending from Talbot and Kahkonen surprised everyone and put the breaks on selling off their UFA’s at the deadline and see what this team can do in the playoffs…it’s all gravy this season…

Addison and Boldy have 2 years left on their ELC. Rossi has 3 years.

The wild have holes to fill next year from Bonino, Johansson, Bjugstad, Cole, and whoever gets taken by Seattle. I think they try to extend Bonino, Bjugstad, and Cole on team friendly $1Mish contracts, but it not then they’ll need to mix in some cheap young guys. I think you can pencil Boldy into Johansson’s spot and Addison somewhere in the top 6 D. Mennel and Mermis will fight for spots if available. Guys like Connor Dewar and Mason Shaw on the 4th line but they’re both small. I don’t want to see Boldy or Rossi anywhere near the 4th line.

Bonino’s roll will be the hardest to replace as he’s been such a utility player this year. PP/PK, played center and wing on every line, and the only guy counted on to win big draws. He also looks like an Italian mafia Hitman, so there’s that.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Any news on Fiala yet?

Doesn’t sound serious. Dean commented that if it were the playoffs he would have played. So that is a good sign. I wonder where he even got hurt in that game? Unless its been something that has been nagging him for a while.

tswoboda wrote:

Addison and Boldy have 2 years left on their ELC. Rossi has 3 years.

The wild have holes to fill next year from Bonino, Johansson, Bjugstad, Cole, and whoever gets taken by Seattle. I think they try to extend Bonino, Bjugstad, and Cole on team friendly $1Mish contracts, but it not then they’ll need to mix in some cheap young guys. I think you can pencil Boldy into Johansson’s spot and Addison somewhere in the top 6 D. Mennel and Mermis will fight for spots if available. Guys like Connor Dewar and Mason Shaw on the 4th line but they’re both small. I don’t want to see Boldy or Rossi anywhere near the 4th line.

Bonino’s roll will be the hardest to replace as he’s been such a utility player this year. PP/PK, played center and wing on every line, and the only guy counted on to win big draws. He also looks like an Italian mafia Hitman, so there’s that.

I can see resigning Bonino just because we have no centers…I see no reason to keep Bjugstad, he’s a 6’6″ creampuff, sign Cole only if Soucey gets picked in xpac draft… Bonino and Cole are currently getting paid around $4 per, how much of a pay hit do you think they will take? how much term do they want as this is likely their last meaningful contract? Adam Beckman is another prospect to keep an eye on, he did well in his quick stint in Iowa and has been absolutely on fire scoring goals back in the WHL again…

I really think they move Dumba this offseason before his limited NTC kicks in, they’ll want to move his $6 towards some type of center solution or helping with signing Ek/Fiala/Kaprizov