2023/2024 NHL/WILD Offseason-Season-Postseason Thread

Agree low chance on trading Gus but I’ve had the same thought and I think it comes down to how good they think Gus actually is. Goalies are so volatile… tough to pin down how good they actually are and how the team feels about them. It’s also super important so the stakes are high when trading or bringing in goalies, or betting on a prospect. Like if this team had last year’s goaltending they’re comfortably in a playoff spot. Screwing up the goaltending would definitely throw a grenade into Billy G’s 5 year plan for world domination!

I do like that Gus/Holtz reckless trade proposal though!

I just think Gus is worth 3.5 million. So from a value standpoint I don’t see why you would. Outside of Wallstedt I think it would be hard to stay level or get better for less than that dollar amount. No?

Yeah, I dont think trading Gus would be a great idea. Getting a replacement for him and counting on Wallstedt sounds like a recipe for disaster. We all hope the Great Wall is going to be our goalie for 10 years, but throwing him out there and expecting him to be #1 right away could be a massive mistake.

Yeah what I was trying to say is if they would trade Gus it’s a sign they don’t think he is that good. They had to make that $3.5m choice after what, 35 games – and those 35 games were vezina caliber. Now after his pretty rough 30some games this year maybe they’ve changed their mind and don’t see him as part of the future here. That’s how I see a Gus trade happening. Goaltending is voodoo, I don’t even pretend to understand it, and never surprised by it.

I mean last year Gus would have been in the vezina conversation with more games. This year Cam Talbot and Kaapo Kahkonen are doing better

I agree the chances are low, but if you get a good offer and Gus isn’t really in the plans AFTER next season when Wallstedt would likely be given the crease in 2025/2026, it might be the perfect time to trade him and get some value back (I think GMBG would prefer a young RFA player like Holtz vs a draft pick)…GMBG has proven he can find a short term goalie solution who would likely be the backup in 2 years anyways…The idea of not pigeonholing Wallstedt would be the reasoning and not trading Gus when everyone knows you’re not going to extend him in 2 years with Wallstedt likely getting a hefty bridge deal raise after next season… There absolutely is risk in doing this, but you kinda put yourself in that position when drafting a goalie in the first round, they either sink or swim at some point, how long do you drag out the “he’s a goalie and needs more time to develop” excuse?

or

What if Flower has told GMBG he wants to keep playing and would be willing to sign another 1-2 year deal and mentor Jesper to take over? Kinda strange he doesn’t want to get traded to a contender if this is indeed his last season?

JoeMX1825 wrote:

What if Flower has told GMBG he wants to keep playing and would be willing to sign another 1-2 year deal and mentor Jesper to take over? Kinda strange he doesn’t want to get traded to a contender if this is indeed his last season?

You’re gonna roll out a completely green rookie and a 40 year old 1B/backup in the final season before Kaprizov can sign an extension. Recipe for disaster

tswoboda wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
What if Flower has told GMBG he wants to keep playing and would be willing to sign another 1-2 year deal and mentor Jesper to take over? Kinda strange he doesn’t want to get traded to a contender if this is indeed his last season?

You’re gonna roll out a completely green rookie and a 40 year old 1B/backup in the final season before Kaprizov can sign an extension. Recipe for disaster

but is it better to roll out a completely green rookie and a Jekyll/Hyde 26 year old? I’d throw Flower’s age completely out of the equation, he’s played just fine this season, never have we said he looks too old..

again, this whole trade Gus scenario assumes the Wild gets a great offer that provides better long term value vs the short term issues you’ve pointed out…it also assumes Wallstedt is what everyone says he is…we don’t know that about Jesper yet, just like we don’t know what Gus we’ll get the next 2 years…

I have no problem riding with Gus 2 more seasons and deal him before he’s a UFA if Wallstedt pans out…

At this point, I would trust Gus being more stable that Wallstedt over the next 2 years. There will be lumps with both, but we have seen that Gus can steal a game or two, we have not seen that from Wallstedt YET.

we’re not the only team debating this, Nashville is rumored to be thinking about offering up Saros with Askarov ready in the wings…well, at least they were before their recent hot streak put them back into the playoff mix…

CaptainMusky wrote:

At this point, I would trust Gus being more stable that Wallstedt over the next 2 years. There will be lumps with both, but we have seen that Gus can steal a game or two, we have not seen that from Wallstedt YET.

we’ll find out next season, but he’s been doing that in Iowa the past 2 seasons with basically a JV AHL team…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

but is it better to roll out a completely green rookie and a Jekyll/Hyde 26 year old? I’d throw Flower’s age completely out of the equation, he’s played just fine this season, never have we said he looks too old..

Flower’s been a pretty consistent 1b since they traded for him. That’s his ceiling now and at 40 it’s not getting any higher next year. Pairing that with a rookie on a team that expects to win… can’t do that to the team or the rookie.

I don’t know what Gus is and you don’t know what Gus is but I can guarantee the team has a lot better assessment on him and they’re way more confident in their assessment on Gus than they are on Wallstedt for next season. If they move Gus it’s because they’re confident he’s not the goalie he played like last year.

Most likely scenario might be coming back with the exact same goalie situation next year. Fans will riot. Lots of people wayyyy to certain on plugging Wallstedt in. He’s still 21 at the beginning of next season. Who’s the last really good 21 year old goalie? Who’s the last good 23 or 24 year old goalie? Maybe otterberger last year… don’t go look at his current season. How about Spencer Knight in Florida or Carter Hart?

just like tswboda said, predicting goalie production is smoke in mirrors. for example, look at the career of Carey Price. When he was a prospect, habs fans were calling him “jesus price”. He was so good for some seasons, but for a few playoff runs Halak took his spot. Price is a hero in montreal now. I mean seriously, how well can we predict the career of a guy who is willing to step in front vulcanized rubber going 90+ mph. I do like what we have with Gustavsson and Wallstedt, but I think people really need to understand that goalies are going to have bad games, months or even seasons. Goalie voodoo is puzzling.

Most likely scenario might be coming back with the exact same goalie situation next year. Fans will riot. Lots of people wayyyy to certain on plugging Wallstedt in. He’s still 21 at the beginning of next season. Who’s the last really good 21 year old goalie? Who’s the last good 23 or 24 year old goalie? Maybe otterberger last year… don’t go look at his current season. How about Spencer Knight in Florida or Carter Hart?
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i agree. You can have one young goalie in a tandem, but 2 young goalies is dangerous.

We’ll find out next season on what strategy works, lots of teams likely rolling out their stud AHL goalie prospects in the NHL next year (Wolf, Levi, Wallstedt, Askarov, Cosa) all 21-22 years old

tswoboda wrote:

How about Spencer Knight in Florida or Carter Hart?

Those are non-hockey issues, both were playing well before they left I beleive…Hart is a little different in that he was brought up during a clear rebuild (right or wrong) Florida is Florida, that team has been so up & down the last 2-3 years

but I get it, lots of examples of goalies with potential that fizzle out…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

We’ll find out next season on what strategy works, lots of teams likely rolling out their stud AHL goalie prospects in the NHL next year (Wolf, Levi, Wallstedt, Askarov, Cosa, Dostal) all 21-22 years old (Dostal is 23)

None of these guys are good NHL goalies what is your point here

Hart was the last good young goalie for a couple years and then had a couple down years. Was finally good again this year and yeah now he’s got other things going on in life

My point is we’ll see how they are all rolled out in the NHL around the same time, all are very similar in pedigree (Wallstedt routinely touted as the best of the bunch) and their teams are all about in the same spot in the league…

So we’ll see which team rolls them out differently, who is successful, who isn’t etc

Kind of a fascinating Top Goalie Prospect petri dish…

Will have to see if they are in full sell mode I guess. Zero chance if they are in the thick of the race. Slight chance maybe if they are not. Next two games could be telling.
I am also not sure that other teams are sold on Gus bus either to give a good haul in return. Not sure what goalie options are available at the deadline however.

Ripjiggen wrote:

I am also not sure that other teams are sold on Gus bus either to give a good haul in return.

And when Billy G cold calls and is like ‘hey wanna trade for our 25 year old starting goalie’ I’m sure they’re like ‘ahhhhhh what’s wrong with him’

Funny we’re getting a full page of discussion on a goalie trade that has about 2% chance of happening lol way to bump the page count up Joe

It sounds like Calgary pulled Markstrom off the market, Devils were interested…

I’m just relaying what GMBG and I talk about… I cant get him to dump Jojo down the lineup though, but I think that’s because he was a witness to GMBG’s outbursts with the hockeyops folks…

Back in Realityland for a second, what do the Wild do if Flower decides to play another season? What if he doesn’t?

Pretty risky to be locked into a Gus/Wallstedt combo with Wallstedt being so young.

I can think of worse options than a HoF guy who is still a solid 1b at 40.

And if Flower retires or won’t sign with the Wild?

I guess Cam Talbot is a UFA after this season so there’s that.

Yeah sure seems like Flower doesn’t want to go anywhere. He also doesn’t seem like this is his last season playing goalie either.

Not the best so far but Gus has looked good and someone wants to trade him. Dewey2 just scored.

Wtf is going on!

Disastrous response by the Wild after they scored. Chisolm basically gave them the puck for the second goal.

How the hell is Mermis taken out of the lineup over Merrill????

mahtofire14 wrote:

How the hell is Mermis taken out of the lineup over Merrill????

Exactly

Poor Merrill. Just a guy who likes to play hockey. With some obviously good blackmail material on someone. There’s no other explanation.

The Deweys sure have looked good to all the scouts attending the games lately…