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

THANK you for the optimism- nice to finally hear some!

Riley Heidt season incoming! Can you imagine him and Yurov on the roster next year along with the Great Wall of St Paul coming soon? There will never be more excitement. I sure hope BG can get Yurov to sign that would be huge.

I love Heidt’s game, but he’s a LLLOOONNNGGG shot to make the Wild roster, who would he replace? I think the ONLY chance he has sticking with the Wild next year is if Yurov DOESN’T come over next season and Heidt absolutely wow’s enough in preseason and the first 9 games to justify sending Jojo to Iowa (I just don’t see Heidt playing bottom 6, he’s never been that type of player and they saw what it did to Rossi)

Buffalo’s Zack Benson is a good measuring stick for Heidt, they are very similar players, play style, body frame, etc.. Benson earned his stay in the NHL vs going back to Junior, he has 9 goals and 14 assists in 61 games sofar…Can Heidt perform similarly? That’s pretty dang tough to do…very rare for non top 5 picks…

BUT

Having Heidt play another (5th) season in the WHL is kind of pointless for his development…

I wasnt suggesting Heidt would be with the big club, just the fact to get him in the fold with Iowa.

CaptainMusky wrote:

I wasnt suggesting Heidt would be with the big club, just the fact to get him in the fold with Iowa.

He couldn’t play in Iowa until the 2025/2026 season…

Big decision coming up with what the Wild will do with Jack Peart…they either sign him or let him play his 4th season at SCSU and then he becomes a free agent next August ala Jack McBain….

sticking with Wild College hockey prospects, Rieger Lorenz has had a huge sophomore season at Denver University and the Pioneers are a favorite to make the frozen four…keep an eye on him, he’s a big power forward who can score (He’s bigger than Boldy and willing to play physical) and like Boldy, it took him a year of College hockey to get comfortable and now he’s playing really well…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

He couldn’t play in Iowa until the 2025/2026 season…

Oh that stupid rule again. Ugh.

I can’t help but feel the Wild are in a precarious position with goaltending. Our best goaltender is going to turn 40, may or may not retire, and may or may not sign with us if he does not retire.

The Gus Bus got stuck this season. Does he recover?

And is the Wall of St Paul ready for prime time?

Lots of ??? For a position that looked really well sorted out at the beginning of the season.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

I can’t help but feel the Wild are in a precarious position with goaltending. Our best goaltender is going to turn 40, may or may not retire, and may or may not sign with us if he does not retire.
The Gus Bus got stuck this season. Does he recover?

And is the Wall of St Paul ready for prime time?

Lots of ??? For a position that looked really well sorted out at the beginning of the season.

Completely agree. Goaltending is the reason they’re not in the playoffs and will be the talk of the off-season. High stakes decisions need to be made and no obvious answer.

While the Wild haven’t got much/any goalies stealing Playoff games (maybe Gus’s OT win in Dallas last year) GMBG has always been able to find great value goalie solutions for the regular season…The other thing to remember is that really good/playoff proven goalies are expensive, the Wild have been playing on the cheap from the goalie position for years…
It’s going to be Wallstedt’s time either next season or the season afterwards. They will give him every opportunity to succeed in the league, so I don’t see any big changes for at least 2-3 years at a minimum, we’ll then know if we’re locked in with Wallstedt or likely hitting the FA market again…

Blues vs Vegas tonight…Who do we want to win? Obvious answer is Blues, but is it better to chase one team or two teams for the final Wildcard spot? Blues remaining schedule is easier than Vegas or the Wild…

Rooting for a blowout, no overtime, and a goalie fight where they both break their blocker hand

JoeMX1825 wrote:

While the Wild haven’t got much/any goalies stealing Playoff games (maybe Gus’s OT win in Dallas last year) GMBG has always been able to find great value goalie solutions for the regular season…The other thing to remember is that really good/playoff proven goalies are expensive, the Wild have been playing on the cheap from the goalie position for years…
It’s going to be Wallstedt’s time either next season or the season afterwards. They will give him every opportunity to succeed in the league, so I don’t see any big changes for at least 2-3 years at a minimum, we’ll then know if we’re locked in with Wallstedt or likely hitting the FA market again…

Changes no decisions this off season yes.

It was inevitable

tswoboda wrote:

It was inevitable

of course it was, how about the Vegas goalie save on a penalty shot 30 seconds into OT! Then Vegas wins it on the next shift…

Ripjiggen wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
While the Wild haven’t got much/any goalies stealing Playoff games (maybe Gus’s OT win in Dallas last year) GMBG has always been able to find great value goalie solutions for the regular season…The other thing to remember is that really good/playoff proven goalies are expensive, the Wild have been playing on the cheap from the goalie position for years…
It’s going to be Wallstedt’s time either next season or the season afterwards. They will give him every opportunity to succeed in the league, so I don’t see any big changes for at least 2-3 years at a minimum, we’ll then know if we’re locked in with Wallstedt or likely hitting the FA market again…

Changes no decisions this off season no.

I think this offseason will be dictated by what Flower wants to do… If he wants to play another year or 2, then I could see Gusbus getting traded at the draft and Flower mentors Wallstedt and eventually gives up the starters crease over time. If Flower retires, then Wallstedt splits time with Gusbus next year and they see how it goes… At some point (next season) they need to give Wallstedt NHL games to see how he looks and if he’s gonna be a long term solution for them…

Dang, Vegas plays in Nashville tonight on a back to back…tough 2 game road stretch for them…will their luck finally run out? will Nashville’s point streak end? Odds of another 3 point game? (i’d say high)

What are the wild’s odds of making the playoffs?

crawdaddy wrote:

What are the wild’s odds of making the playoffs?

6.7% as of this morning…will change tonight after Vegas’s game…

Meant to say changes no decisions yes.
As in I don’t think personnel changes are happening but agree decisions on who are your two goalies will happen this off season.

crawdaddy wrote:

What are the wild’s odds of making the playoffs?

Basically zero. Would need to win out and have Vegas lose a few

JoeMX1825 wrote:

Big decision coming up with what the Wild will do with Jack Peart…they either sign him or let him play his 4th season at SCSU and then he becomes a free agent next August ala Jack McBain….

Peart signed his Wild ELC this morning (deal starts next year so he didn’t burn the 1st year)…This likely means Deamon Hunt will be given every opportunity to make the Wild roster as the 6th/7th defenseman next year, otherwise Iowa will likely have too many young defenseman to play (Hunt, Lambos, O’Rourke, Spacek, Masters, Peart, Johansson) unless they package one or two in trades this offseason…

tswoboda wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>crawdaddy wrote:</div>
What are the wild’s odds of making the playoffs?

Basically zero. Would need to win out and have Vegas lose a few

So is it time to tank? Sorry couldn’t resist.

Ripjiggen wrote:

So is it time to tank?

You need to define this with specifics!

Sending Iowa out there and putting the rest in the press box.

Someone tell 97 no more score goal

It’s Brock Faber week at The Athletic. The Russo/Lazerus debate is actually really funny

Lazerus: You’re not wrong that Bedard hasn’t played in a meaningful NHL game this season. I don’t even remember what a meaningful Blackhawks game looks like. Even when they were winning championships, the regular season didn’t mean anything because they were so good and so confident that they were usually on autopilot and never really cared about seeding or home-ice advantage. I watch you and Joe Smith treating every loss like the apocalypse and every win like V-E Day and, man, it sure looks fun. You’re jealous of my White House visits; I’m jealous of your ability to care about a mid-February game against the Arizona Coyotes.

JoeMX1825 wrote:

Peart signed his Wild ELC this morning

I thought he actually regressed this season. Last year he was better, at least on paper. Maybe he just played on a better team last year too.

tswoboda wrote:

It’s Brock Faber week at The Athletic. The Russo/Lazerus debate is actually really funny

Lazerus: You’re not wrong that Bedard hasn’t played in a meaningful NHL game this season. I don’t even remember what a meaningful Blackhawks game looks like. Even when they were winning championships, the regular season didn’t mean anything because they were so good and so confident that they were usually on autopilot and never really cared about seeding or home-ice advantage. I watch you and Joe Smith treating every loss like the apocalypse and every win like V-E Day and, man, it sure looks fun. You’re jealous of my White House visits; I’m jealous of your ability to care about a mid-February game against the Arizona Coyotes.

I thought it was funny how Lazerus starts the debate by telling Russo he can’t mention Bedard’s +/-…. so Bedard is a -37 and Lazerus says its because the Hawks are so historically bad, yet no mention that 2nd in goals and 4th in points on the team Jason Dickinson is a +3 playing every game sofar this historically bad season…

gim wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
Peart signed his Wild ELC this morning

I thought he actually regressed this season. Last year he was better, at least on paper. Maybe he just played on a better team last year too.

Yeah, it will be interesting to see what his Pro game looks like, he’s always been held in high regards with his USA Hockey age group (he’s played in multiple WJC’s)

He’s always been known as a great skater and passer, Wild likely hoping lightning can strike twice and he can add some unseen offense like Faber has…

I remember when he was drafted complaining the Wild didn’t trade up a few slots and get pure goal scorer Logan Stankhoven instead (Dallas got him 2 picks before the Wild took Peart)