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

I wouldn’t be too concerned about Bedard scoring on Wahlstead. If Bedard was worth tanking for he should score on pretty much any goalie with a minor league defense in front of him.

Game sheet has him listed so I assume he’s playing. Not sure why it’s dumb to play him if he’s just another overhyped prospect.

tswoboda wrote:

Game sheet has him listed so I assume he’s playing. Not sure why it’s dumb to play him if he’s just another overhyped prospect.

I dont get the perceived hate of Bedard? I repeatedly said I think he’ll be Chicago’s all star representative for years (especially with how bad Chicago will be). I just dont think he’ll be a superstar, which pretty much everyone is crowning him as sofar..

His release and shot are absolutely elite though…

He’s the face of a rebuilding historic US franchise in one of the largest media markets. Blackhawk brass would never hear the end of it if he were to get a catastrophic injury in a meaningless prospect game a week before NHL training camps open…

With all the terrible press the Blackhawks have earned the past 12-24 months, he’s a godsend to change the media conversation…

It might be the new post for each of his goals to make sure everyone knows he’s just a great shot and nothing more and then being fascinated by the hype. It might be expecting him to be a fringe all star. I don’t think I’ve seen a single person anywhere make such a big effort to downplay Bedard.

Maybe it’s not hate but there’s a pacific ocean sized gap between your takes on Bedard and the rest of the world. And it seems to be based on him being 5’10” and not a fast straight line skater?? Ironic after saying Kirill (also 5’10” and not fast) was deserving of the Hart mid season last year.

Mike Babcock canned before camp even starts That’s gotta be a record for shortest HC stint.

Don’t really have an opinion on what he did, tough without being in the room to know how those meetings went. But one thing that’s obvious is a lot of players past and present hate that man, like urine on his grave absolutely loathe him.

tswoboda wrote:

Mike Babcock canned before camp even starts That’s gotta be a record for shortest HC stint.

Don’t really have an opinion on what he did, tough without being in the room to know how those meetings went. But one thing that’s obvious is a lot of players past and present hate that man, like urine on his grave absolutely loathe him.

that dudes ego needed another check… the story about Mitch Marner is the one that sticks out to me the most about his character…

Kinda makes the Blue Jackets original statement after the Chicklets podcast came out look suspect…

Just read the recent Russo article. Said ROssi gained 15 pounds. He was already pretty stocky down low but this should really help him.

Yeah good news article basically straight from the HC. Almost like they recorded a podcast and at the end Dean said just type it out instead of releasing the audio, or maybe there were too many F-bombs to publish lol. He mentioned someone is hurt coming to camp (guessing Foligno??) and that’s why they signed Khaira. Either way he’ll add some depth and a different style option when injuries pop up.

I can see why Addison is still unsigned but sounds like that gets resolved before camp opens Thursday. I think he puts up 40-50 points this year and is basically another Fiala situation next summer where they can’t afford to re-sign him.

I was more thinking the injured player was Ek, but we will see. He did say its unrelated to the previous injury, so its gotta be Ek, Hartman, Dewar or ???

I’m now wondering if Addy not being signed sofar was an agreement with him & GMBG to wait and allow him to sign another 2-way contract (Khaira) and then offer Addy what’s left over ontop of his qualifing offer??

Addy really has no options other than signing or holding out…if he holds out, the available money doesn’t get much better (other than what the Wild can accrue over time) so getting traded is realy his only option for a possible bigger contract…

I finally watched some Khaira clips, looks like a decent role player with size…The few fights I watched, he took alot more punches than the few he gave out, so I wouldn’t expect that to be a skillset he brings…

I never originally caught the Trouba hit mentioned, yikes! – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX3LzKY0TlE

CaptainMusky wrote:

I was more thinking the injured player was Ek, but we will see. He did say its unrelated to the previous injury, so its gotta be Ek, Hartman, Dewar or ???

It’s not Ek. He said him and KK are fully ready to go.

I finally watched some Khaira clips, looks like a decent role player with size…The few fights I watched, he took alot more punches than the few he gave out, so I wouldn’t expect that to be a skillset he brings…

He is an early season call up player until they play enough games to have the cap flexibility to call up better players. I don’t think you have to win the fight to add value in that area.

I mean killer was a mess after his fights in slap shot.

Not to worried about the Wild signing their 7th D. It will happen before camp.

CaptainMusky wrote:

I was more thinking the injured player was Ek, but we will see. He did say its unrelated to the previous injury, so its gotta be Ek, Hartman, Dewar or ???

I get the feeling its Maroon…

They were all golfing today….Including Shaw. Rossi is a stump. Looking close to Zuccarello in stature.

Nice to hear Deano acknowledge he needs to tone it way down in terms of how he deals with Refs during the game… I get its an emotional game with alot on the line, but the way some (most) of the coaches just chew into the Refs during the game is just stupid…to think the Refs won’t take it personally and not have it influence their calls is ignorant…I think Refs give players a bit longer leash, but everyone has their limits (Foligno obviously crossed that line last season)

Remember Dean’s first year as HC he wouldn’t say a word to the refs and always said it didn’t pay to yell at them

Media day tomorrow and then skates hit the ice Thursday morning, can’t wait for hockey to get started! Nice to hear Deano has plans to play starters alot more in the preseason, especially that the last few games will basically be full regular season lineups…

Addy re-signed for $825k for 1 year, I beleive his qualifying offer was $787k, so his holdout got him an additional $38k…With 13 Forwards, The Wild has $43,079 in capspace left (assuming Khaira makes the team) talk about cutting it close…

So they got him at the number that allows them to carry a sub $800k extra forward like Khaira, Vinny, or Petan. Walker or Beckman would put them over.

I feel like making them wait was the agents way of saying this is BS. We’ll sign it because I know the Wild have no money and Addison has no leverage but that number is BS. He has 30 points in 60 games as a rookie D and his cap hit is now lower than the 6 ELC guys in Iowa with zero NHL games on their resume. The only D in the organization with a lower cap hit is Mermis.

Good work by Billy G to get it done before camp and as previously mentioned I expect a big year out of Addison.

If I did my math right which I probably didn’t I think they need to accrue cap space for seven games in order call up Walker or beckman…my guess is they want both playing vs watching either way.

I think Addison had better have a better year than last or he can be gone.
His points are fine, even though they mostly came from the PP, but his defense was awful.
I hope he worked on that.

I dont see Addison staying with the Wild more than this season… The cap could get tight again next year depending on who gets re-signed and the overload of cheap Defensive prospects coming up from Iowa the next few years.

As TS said, its likely a Fiala type trade situation this offseason…

Agree, situation the same. Caliber of player and contract not so much. They are much better suited to replace than they were with Fiala.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Agree, situation the same. Caliber of player and contract not so much. They are much better suited to replace than they were with Fiala.

Yea, comparing Fiala and Addison is pretty hard.

tswoboda wrote:

Mike Babcock canned before camp even starts That’s gotta be a record for shortest HC stint.
Don’t really have an opinion on what he did, tough without being in the room to know how those meetings went. But one thing that’s obvious is a lot of players past and present hate that man, like urine on his grave absolutely loathe him.

Yes I saw a couple of articles about this and strange things are definitely afoot in Columbus

The whole situation kind of reeks of other issues coming to the front after they hired Babcock. Did certain players absolutely detest the guy?

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

The whole situation kind of reeks of other issues coming to the front after they hired Babcock. Did certain players absolutely detest the guy?

YOunger players for sure. I mean, he invited a younger player over to his house for lunch, asked for his phone, went through the pictures and when he was done told him to leave. Never gave him lunch.

He did this to all the players or at least planned to. It started with the captain Boone Jenner.
Babcock is a lot like Torts. Not well liked by his players at all. Plays stupid mind games with players and coaches with fear. That style doesn’t work anymore.

Rossi is in Group A tomorrow, same group as Zuccy and Kirill…just saying….

…. and so is Foligno and Gaudreau….

Seems he is a manipulative and controlling a-hole who has a playbook on how to play mind games with his players. Would’ve been a great coach for the Soviet Red Army, maybe he’ll head over to the KHL.