2021 MN Wild/NHL Thread

Wild will pick #21 & #25 in the draft (actually they get a 1 slot better player for both picks vs a normal draft because the Coyotes forfeit the #11 pick)

This was the best possible outcome for the Penguins pick once the playoffs started.

I’ve been looking at tons of mock drafts and this year will be interesting because after the first few surething picks, picks 8-32 are a crapshoot because of a lack of games played the last 2 years due to covid. So picking earlier in the round really doesn’t have advantages vs picking later.

There are tons of Center & Defense prospects in the 1st round, so the Wild will have options if they keep their picks.

One thing they absolutely can’t do is somehow trade away their 2022 & 2023 1st round picks, those drafts contain several generational talented prospects that could be superstars, you can’t risk losing a top pick if somehow you get ravaged with injuries and have a lost season… (like the Sharks did last year giving the Senators a top 5 pick from a previous year trade)

gimruis wrote:

Disappointing series for the Avalanche. Up 2-0 and then lose 4 straight. Is Vegas or Tampa the favorite now?

Really was a shocker to me. After COL stole game 2 in OT without playing great, I thought it was over. But Vegas really turned the momentum in games 3 & 4 and then carried that into the last 2 games. Grubauer was terrible last night and cost them that game with a couple weak goals.

So the Wild took Vegas to 7 pretty even games and COL got thumped in 6 after a game 1 blowout. Does that make the Wild feel better about who ended their season? IDK, probably not. But they know they almost beat a really good team in a 7 game series.

The Bolts are still the top dog left but Vegas has to be the favorite now simply because their next series is against the freakin Habs. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Islanders knock Tampa out because that team is just good at beating better teams. Let’s all just hope we don’t end up with a Canadiens/Islanders cup final… that would be the most boring Stanley Cup Finals of all time.

tswoboda wrote:

The Bolts are still the top dog left but Vegas has to be the favorite now simply because their next series is against the freakin Habs. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Islanders knock Tampa out because that team is just good at beating better teams. Let’s all just hope we don’t end up with a Canadiens/Islanders cup final… that would be the most boring Stanley Cup Finals of all time.

I don’t know if I would sleep on the Habs. On paper you are 100% right, but they have been sneaky good. Agree with you on the Islanders. They just somehow figure out how to beat a better opponent. Must be the Trotz effect.

Habs have the goalie who can singlehandedly steal a series…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

Habs have the goalie who can singlehandedly steal a series…

I was gonna say, Price and Vasilevsky have to currently be the top Conn Symth candidates. Maybe Fleury too.

CaptainMusky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tswoboda wrote:</div>
The Bolts are still the top dog left but Vegas has to be the favorite now simply because their next series is against the freakin Habs. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Islanders knock Tampa out because that team is just good at beating better teams. Let’s all just hope we don’t end up with a Canadiens/Islanders cup final… that would be the most boring Stanley Cup Finals of all time.

I don’t know if I would sleep on the Habs. On paper you are 100% right, but they have been sneaky good. Agree with you on the Islanders. They just somehow figure out how to beat a better opponent. Must be the Trotz effect.

To be fair I would said the same about whatever team came outta the North. I mean Toronto dominated the division and was the odds on favorite to make the semi’s… They haven’t won a playoff series or finished better than 3rd in their division in like 20 years. The West and Central were top heavy with 2 or 3 cup contenders. The East was a dog fight with 4 really good teams at the top. The North was just bad. I guess we won’t know any of that for sure until this next round, but sorry Canada, but your NHL teams aren’t cup contenders.

Montreal might even have the best chance to win of any of those North teams. They’re kinda like the Islanders where they play strong defense and really slow the game down. Yes Price is good, but so are the other goalies still playing.

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
Habs have the goalie who can singlehandedly steal a series…

I was gonna say, Price and Vasilevsky have to currently be the top Conn Symth candidates. Maybe Fleury too.

Fleury’s team won 2 series with him in net and got blown out 6-1 in their one game without him. Seems pretty MVPish to me. But yeah I think there’s a really good chance we see whatever goalie lifts the cup also get the Conn.

tswoboda wrote:

To be fair I would said the same about whatever team came outta the North. I mean Toronto dominated the division and was the odds on favorite to make the semi’s… They haven’t won a playoff series or finished better than 3rd in their division in like 20 years. The West and Central were top heavy with 2 or 3 cup contenders. The East was a dog fight with 4 really good teams at the top. The North was just bad. I guess we won’t know any of that for sure until this next round, but sorry Canada, but your NHL teams aren’t cup contenders.

Montreal might even have the best chance to win of any of those North teams. They’re kinda like the Islanders where they play strong defense and really slow the game down. Yes Price is good, but so are the other goalies still playing.

I’m with you 100%. It is going to be interesting with the teams traveling across borders. That is an interest twist they haven’t dealt with in over a year. Not sure if there is an advantage one way or another but Canada has certainly been far more locked down than the US. Can you imagine Montreal going to sin city after being cooped up for over a year? That’s going to be a shock to the system for sure.

^^^overblown in my opinion. They are in the semis if you are not thinking about the cup 100 percent you have no chance of winning at this point. It’s not like these guys play an 8 o’clock game and go out to the clubs at night game after game.

Ripjiggen wrote:

^^^overblown in my opinion.

Not if I was playing for the Habs.

DT

Ripjiggen mentioned it before, but looking at the final 4 teams in the playoffs, look at the size of their Defenseman! (Vegas & Tampa literally block out the sun!)

Golden Knights-Theodore (6’2″ 195) Peiterangelo (6’3″210)Martinez (6’1″ 210)McNabb (6’4″ 220) Holden (6’4″ 210) Whitecloud (6’2″ 210)

Montreal-Weber (6’4″ 230) Chariot (6’3″ 235) Edmondson (6’4 230) Gustafson (6′ 200) Romanov (6′ 210) Kulak (6’1″ 210)

Tampa- Hedman (6’6″ 240) Cernak (6’3″ 230) McDonough (6’1″ 215) Rutta (6’3″ 210) Sergachev (6’3″ 215) Savard (6’2″ 230)

New York-Leddy(6′ 207)Pulock(6’2″ 217)Greene(5’11” 190) Dobson (6’4″ 210) Mayfield (6’5″ 210) Pelech (6’3″ 205)

now look at our Wild:

Wild-Suter (6’1″ 205) Brodin (6’1″ 195) Dumba (6′ 185) Spurgeon (5’9″ 170) Soucy (6’5″ 211) Addison (5’10” 180)

If we lose Soucy to xpac draft then our size is just laughable…Big and Heavy seem to be the playoff winning formula, especially as you progress farther in the playoffs and bodies start breaking down, obviously the little guys fall first… in order to make a significant D size change, we’re going to need to unload a fan favorite…

If by fan favorite you mean Dumba. I would agree. If they can not trade him for assets I would let him go to Seattle.

Ripjiggen wrote:

If by fan favorite you mean Dumba. I would agree. If they can not trade him for assets I would let him go to Seattle.

I was thinking Spurgeon or Brodin….it’s a tough pill to swallow, but Suter and his “Farm Strong” isn’t going anywhere for the next 4 years and will only get less physical as he gets older, Addison is just starting his career and is on a cheap contract, that only leaves a few guys and 2 are locked in long term and 1 of the other two is likely an expansion casualty…

Yeah I don’t see either of those two guys moving anytime soon.

trading for somebody like Joel Edmundson from Montreal would be a nice move, that dude is a PITA to play against and has a nasty/cheap side…

Another video posted of Marco Rossi working out by his dad. Kid doesnt look like he lost a thing.

I’m excited to see him flying up the ice with Kaprizov, but we have to be realistic, he’ll be 10 months without any physical hockey at training camp time, he’ll need at least 1/2 a season in Iowa (if not more) to get his full game upto NHL standards…
The good thing is the kid has the drive to be excellent and an elite work ethic, so you know he’ll never quit.

As much as I hate to admit it, Rask is likely needed to play his final year here as it will be hard enough to find at least 1 good new center, let alone find 2…

The Athletic just did a Kraken mock draft with 3 “experts” and they had 2 votes for Dumba getting taken and 1 vote for Talbot getting taken. I’m on the side that says DON’T pay anything to Seattle to make a “deal” and just take your medicine and lose a player…

If GMBG can trade Dumba beforehand great, if not I think saving his $6 caphit over the next 2 years is more valuable that a draft pick or two….

JoeMX1825 wrote:

The Athletic just did a Kraken mock draft with 3 “experts” and they had 2 votes for Dumba getting taken and 1 vote for Talbot getting taken. I’m on the side that says DON’T pay anything to Seattle to make a “deal” and just take your medicine and lose a player…

If GMBG can trade Dumba beforehand great, if not I think saving his $6 caphit over the next 2 years is more valuable that a draft pick or two….

I dont think GMBG will will pay Seattle to not take a player. He held firm at the tradeline and stood by we arent going to trade away our assets, so I think he will just take the medicine and lose a player.

Talbot was great this season and a huge driver behind the team’s success, the playoff round made that really obvious. That said, I just don’t see the Kraken taking him. Seattle can get a player from the wild that plugs right into their top 6 or top 4, I don’t think they will turn that down. All his stats rank him at 10-15 in the league… basically average to above average starter, and playing behind a team that historically props up average goaltenders. Pair that with him being 34 next season and goalie is the easiest position to acquire via free agency or trade. He’s just not a big enough name to give up taking a key forward or defenseman.

Russo and the media has really been pushing that there’s a good chance the wild make a side deal. Billy G walked back his tough talk of originally saying they are just going to lose a good player and let it be. Wouldn’t be surprised to see it happen.

Also have been seeing the KK will not take a penny less than 10 mill per. Something has to give there just is not enough money to go around.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Also have been seeing the KK will not take a penny less than 10 mill per. Something has to give there just is not enough money to go around.

if he’s asking for that on a 8 year deal, then its not out of the question when you’re buying 5 of his UFA years away…. I recently read an article that said a 5 year deal makes the most sense for both sides as it allows him to sign his next big contract at 29 years old and by that time the $15 million in Parise&Suter is off the books so they’ll have the capspace to resign him longterm if he turns into a superstar.
The 5 year contract caphit is around $7 million per

The player and agent must know the money and security goes both ways, he could sign an guaranteed 8 year deal for $70+ million and have more money then he could ever spend and 8 years of job security and then sign another big deal afterwards or he could sign a short term deal and risk major injury that could cut his career earning substantially. With everything the World experienced last year and the unknowns the future brings, How do you not take the 8 year deal if you’re Kaprizov?

This is where the no BS/tell it like it is way GMBG does business can work well…

Russo said today on his podcast that he thinks he’s looking for a shorter deal. 3-4 years.

tswoboda wrote:

Talbot was great this season and a huge driver behind the team’s success, the playoff round made that really obvious. That said, I just don’t see the Kraken taking him. Seattle can get a player from the wild that plugs right into their top 6 or top 4, I don’t think they will turn that down. All his stats rank him at 10-15 in the league… basically average to above average starter, and playing behind a team that historically props up average goaltenders. Pair that with him being 34 next season and goalie is the easiest position to acquire via free agency or trade. He’s just not a big enough name to give up taking a key forward or defenseman.

Russo and the media has really been pushing that there’s a good chance the wild make a side deal. Billy G walked back his tough talk of originally saying they are just going to lose a good player and let it be. Wouldn’t be surprised to see it happen.

On Talbot you need to ask yourself which 3 goaltenders available are better.
Seattle is required to select at least 3 goaltenders in the draft.

mahtofire14 wrote:

Russo said today on his podcast that he thinks he’s looking for a shorter deal. 3-4 years.

Brayden Point & Matt Barzal both signed only 3 year deals, then at the end of that deal, you happily pay them what they are worth.

All it takes is a cheap knee on knee hit or a blindside elbow to the head and their career could be done before they had the chance to cash in…

I guess they are ok taking that $50+ million risk

Came across this tonight. I remember hearing he was in some trouble but man….what a sad story.

He sure was exciting to watch.

Very sad. I was laying in bed yesterday thinking about all the players I’ve seen throughout the years. I was thinking of compiling a ordered list of the ones I liked, kind of going down memory lane.

Then I though about the tragedies. Zholtoc, Boogard, Demitri…

No I guess I can add Johnson. I think this video is a few years old, I remember watching it before.

Pay no attention to the Kevin Weeks story that the Kaprizov contract talks have gone cold and he’s being lured back to the KHL… he’s clueless and only looking for Twitter followers…

It sure seems like the Wild situation is fragile. Yes the future could be bright, but they need to sign the right guys and the old contracts are still acting like a noose.

And, I’ve been saying for years the Wild need a bigger, meaner defense. It’s the same thing every year the teams that go deep into playoffs have D men who can hit and score.