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

lol

Toronto survives. Looks like the Islanders will not.

Leafs love to end their season on home ice

Russo/Smith Videocast where they discuss that there’s alot of smoke around the idea of shopping Rossi this offseason for another young Forward that adds more size and scoring…

If you think about the current/future young Center depth (Ek, Rossi, Yurov, Haight, Heidt, Stramel) it starts to make a little more sense if they could turn him into a young stud winger with size (Cutter Gauthier was the example given)…Yes, Yurov and Heidt aren’t proven NHL centers yet, so there’s that positive for Rossi in that he is proven and his size really didn’t hamper him much this season…

There should be value in trading Rossi I would think. He really had a bounceback year. His FO % is really improved too. It would be nice to get some size and with the other prospects coming in recent years they would project to kind of force him down the lineup likely. I dont think Strammel is going to pan out. He has the tools, but we will see how this next year goes for him.

Strammel is not part of the center conversation or equation at this point.
The Rossi potential trade has been talked about a lot in the Athletic by Joe and Russo.

How about the news that Bally Sports will no longer be aired on Comcast. For me I’m pissed about it not just for the Wild but the random Twins games I watch and the good ol fishing shows they have on the weekend mornings.

CaptainMusky wrote:

There should be value in trading Rossi I would think. He really had a bounceback year. His FO % is really improved too. It would be nice to get some size and with the other prospects coming in recent years they would project to kind of force him down the lineup likely. I dont think Strammel is going to pan out. He has the tools, but we will see how this next year goes for him.

yeah, I also think they like the idea of selling high IF they are going to sell, again it will depend on what the return is, they aren’t going to trade him, just to trade him…Kent Johnson, Cutter Gauthier, Morgan Frost were the player comps Russo gave as the type of player the Wild would be interested in…

Stramel is a ? still, he was in that top 25 USNTDP just a few years ago and he’s young for his birth year…Obviously this next season is make or break for him and the Wild will need to make a contract decision or risk losing him as a UFA if he plays out his senior season…

Ripjiggen wrote:

Strammel is not part of the center conversation or equation at this point.

for sure when thinking if he’s a future 1C/2C and maybe even 3C, but he could be a great forecheking 4C in the NHL with his size and skating ability…He was always a 55%+ faceoff guy at the USNTDP…

KP wrote:

How about the news that Bally Sports will no longer be aired on Comcast. For me I’m pissed about it not just for the Wild but the random Twins games I watch and the good ol fishing shows they have on the weekend mornings.

we knew this was coming, I think the NHL has an Amazon streaming deal in their back pocket ready to roll out nationally…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ripjiggen wrote:</div>
Strammel is not part of the center conversation or equation at this point.

for sure when thinking if he’s a future 1C/2C and maybe even 3C, but he could be a great forecheking 4C in the NHL with his size and skating ability…He was always a 55%+ faceoff guy at the USNTDP…

Yeah we really seem to hold onto 4C long term.
I was saying more in terms of moving Rossi. Strammel is not part of that equation IMO.

I was just listing out their potential center depth in the future (for sure some of them could move to Wings) and if all things worked out, where would Rossi rank on that list? especially top 6? I was always against the move Rossi thinking, but I can understand it now…the incoming player would need to perfectly fit the need though…

obviously the biggest worry is trading away Rossi and he turns into a Brayden Point type of center where their size doesn’t really effect their game much. Point is 5’10” 175 and had 18 goals and 40 points his first NHL season, sound familiar? He also has the benefit of playing with Kucherov or Stamkos most of his career…I think Rossi and Heidt can use Point as the player to strive to be…

I think Stramel at 4C sounds intriguing (Freddy’s contract might get in the way though for a few years)

Rossi has done everything asked of him here. Being shown the door after this last season kind of slaps the kid in the face. He will have Wild killer written all over him once they ship him out.

I agree Ice Cap, but there are other glaring needs on this team so he may be dispensable which sucks because I really like him.

Looks like the Oilers dispatched the Kings in 5 last night.

My bracket is still perfect so far.

gim wrote:

Looks like the Oilers dispatched the Kings in 5 last night.

As I predicted, playoff maestro Kevin Fiala once again put the gear selector in Playoff Beast Mode and… wait for it…almost completely disappeared. 1G and 1A in 5 games. He should be on the Leafs with playoff numbers like that. Billy Gee Wiz was right about that guy, great player to be rid of.

I can’t believe this crapola about dealing Rossi. This would be completely mental. A chronically center-deficient Wild should trade a young centerman who put in the work effort to go from nothing to being a 21G and 40 points guy over 82 games and we should TRADE him? Freaking retarded. He goes from nothing to 40 points in one season and the thinking is he has no upside potential? Pure genius.

Icecap is exactly right, Rossi would be kicking the Wild’s ass and laughing about it for the rest of his career.

Grouse no one is suggesting he has no upside. THey are just saying trading him now would make sense for many reasons because they would be selling high after a great year. Obviously I wouldnt like to lose him, but if BG gets calls he better listen. With Yurov coming next year and the other guys that might make the team this upcoming season where does Rossi fit? Something has to give somewhere.

Rossi is our best & realistically only young tradable asset with upper level Value (we’re not trading Boldy or Wallstedt) that’s really the story here…IF there’s a way that trading Rossi can improve this team, then its an OPTION GMBG needs to at least listen to…but its ONLY an option if it makes sense for the Wild…
I’m a huge Rossi fan, he was absolutely robbed early in the season with hitting pipes, not scoring on breakaways, 3 overturned video review goals, etc, the kid could have had 30+ goals easy…plus the kid is the perfect type of player you want on your team, full effort, can stay healthy and is a team guy first, it would need to be alot to trade him away…

Yurov is projecting to be an AllStar level player who has had success playing Center in the KHL…IF he meets those expectations, that potentially pushes Rossi to the 3rd line or Wing (either not optimal for Rossi’s game)

If trading Rossi can turn into a young RH scoring Wing with size (like a Ryan Leonard or Cutter Gauthier) then its something to look at…

Wonder if the Capitals would be a team interested in Rossi? they are pretty bare at Center and Ryan Leonard would be a great fit for the Wild…

Russo’s been tradding Rossi for a couple years now. I think the point is just the team isn’t near as high on Rossi as the fanbase, and if they get the right offer they wouldn’t hesitate to ship him out. Some of it could be personality bssed too, he’s pretty quiet and super Euro which isn’t exactly a Billy G kind of guy.

The “there’s no room for him” take is silly. Let’s not pretend like this team has too many good forwards, and even if they did how is that a problem? Look at Dallas they are loaded with like 3 first lines… seems to be working.

tswoboda wrote:

The “there’s no room for him” take is silly.

Putting him on the 3rd or 4th line does him and the team no good IMO.

CaptainMusky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tswoboda wrote:</div>
The “there’s no room for him” take is silly.

Putting him on the 3rd or 4th line does him and the team no good IMO.

They have three no-doubt top 6 forwards on the team right now, don’t see how pushing him to L4 is a reality

tswoboda wrote:

The “there’s no room for him” take is silly. Let’s not pretend like this team has too many good forwards, and even if they did how is that a problem? Look at Dallas they are loaded with like 3 first lines… seems to be working.

it’s said because it’s really the ONLY example of why trading him is plausible based on how this team is laid out with prospects and contracts…he’s also due a new contract next season (its most likely a 2 year bridge deal) but then what do you do after that when his agent is asking for $7+ million per? Are you going to pay him $7+ to be a 3rd liner? It’s only an option if it makes sense…

So they need to trade him for a cheaper player who is a 3rd liner type ??

If Rossi’s good enough to get a $7m payday he’s not going to be playing on the 3rd line. The team is severely lacking high end forwards yet they need to ship out this young, potential high end forward because there’s no room for him? Makes no sense

tswoboda wrote:

They have three no-doubt top 6 forwards on the team right now, don’t see how pushing him to L4 is a reality

Right now, yes you are right. I am looking beyond this upcoming season however. No chance Rossi is above Yurov I would imagine and certainly not Ek.

CaptainMusky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tswoboda wrote:</div>
They have three no-doubt top 6 forwards on the team right now, don’t see how pushing him to L4 is a reality

Right now, yes you are right. I am looking beyond this upcoming season however. No chance Rossi is above Yurov I would imagine and certainly not Ek.

So play one of them on the wing, big deal

Watch Dallas, I think their only full time center is Hintz. Because they have like 10 centers in the forward group

JoeMX1825 wrote:

Look at Dallas they are loaded with like 3 first lines… seems to be working

Dallas is living the good life this season with big time producers all on ELC’s, their future is going to change alot soon due to having too many good players.. Harley is likely going to get a huge deal, Wyatt Johnson is going to get $9+ aav in 2 years, Robertson is looking at $11+ in 3 years, Stankhoven likely a big deal if he maintains his pace (Yes Benn comes off in 2 years to help)

Right so the point is to take advantage of those cheap RFA years, right? Not trade them all 3 years before they might get paid $7m. All because there are some good prospects coming up who might be better

If he is eventually due that payday and they don’t want to pay it, they can still trade him then

They should probably hold on to Rossi as he may be needed to replace KK when he walks.

tswoboda wrote:

So they need to trade him for a cheaper player who is a 3rd liner type ??

If Rossi’s good enough to get a $7m payday he’s not going to be playing on the 3rd line. The team is severely lacking high end forwards yet they need to ship out this young, potential high end forward because there’s no room for him? Makes no sense

from what I heard the Wild would only be looking for a top Wing prospect, so that’s what you would be exchanging him for…You keep bringing up Rossi at Wing, but the team has never put him there (maybe he played a few game stretch, but they put him back at center) he and they seem deadset at him playing center… Yurov absolutely could though…

I’m sure GMBG and staff have whiteboarded the hell out of what this team could project to be 2-4 years out and they aren’t willing to put Rossi’s name down in Sharpie…

Ripjiggen wrote:

They should probably hold on to Rossi as he may be needed to replace KK when he walks.

still saving Adam Beckman for that spot