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

So who are we tanking for in the next draft?

This will look both cool and hilarious, kudos to the Canes for trying it…

Kaprizov “banged up” and missed practice today

He looked dreadfully slow yesterday.
Was trying to show my 7 year old how they constantly move their feet. At one point the Wild were giving me examples of exactly what not to do.

All he cared about was yelling “Suter Sucks”

Ripjiggen wrote:

All he cared about was yelling “Suter Sucks”

LOL appreciate the enthusiasm

Wild could use him…

https://x.com/spittinchiclets/status/1724090551832576470?s=46&t=uoRWUp28rKzoSODmtmr3Lw

lindyrig79 wrote:

Hopefully they had whiskey for that closed-door meeting. And hopefully somebody flipped some tables and threw some chairs.

Leaked footage of the infamous meeting

with everything that has happened with this team the past few years, Wild fans really need to face the fact that the Buyouts are now handcuffing this team to a point that we really can’t expect more than what we’ve gotten sofar, anything more is just false hope… GMBG was/is making the product on the ice look competitive, but it’s mostly smoke & mirrors…You can’t expect prolonged success with $15 million in player talent not available…maybe in short spurts the team can string some wins together on lesser teams, but long term the talent wins out…

So we take our medicine the next 2 seasons and then go from there (insert Debbie Downer meme)

Leaked footage of the infamous meeting

[/quote]

those wee all the guys with NMC’s

JoeMX1825 wrote:

with everything that has happened with this team the past few years, Wild fans really need to face the fact that the Buyouts are now handcuffing this team to a point that we really can’t expect more than what we’ve gotten sofar, anything more is just false hope… GMBG was/is making the product on the ice look competitive, but it’s mostly smoke & mirrors…You can’t expect prolonged success with $15 million in player talent not available…maybe in short spurts the team can string some wins together on lesser teams, but long term the talent wins out…

So we take our medicine the next 2 seasons and then go from there (insert Debbie Downer meme)

They are coming off a 100 point season without losing much of anything. Unless Dumba Steel and Reavo were the difference makers.

The Wild will be fine its just a rough stretch right now dealing with a lot of injuries. Hopefully they can get healed up and build some consistency. Wallstedt is joining them in Sweden. Not a surprise since they need a third goalie for the trip. I am sure he will not sniff the ice, but we will see with the other two struggling.

Ripjiggen wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
with everything that has happened with this team the past few years, Wild fans really need to face the fact that the Buyouts are now handcuffing this team to a point that we really can’t expect more than what we’ve gotten sofar, anything more is just false hope… GMBG was/is making the product on the ice look competitive, but it’s mostly smoke & mirrors…You can’t expect prolonged success with $15 million in player talent not available…maybe in short spurts the team can string some wins together on lesser teams, but long term the talent wins out…

So we take our medicine the next 2 seasons and then go from there (insert Debbie Downer meme)

They are coming off a 100 point season without losing much of anything. Unless Dumba Steel and Reavo were the difference makers.

That’s what I meant by false hope, 2 great seasons with guys exceeding expectations but then not able to duplicate it and the buyout pain hits the $15 million max the next 2 years…

Don’t forget Jost Greenway and Bad Rossi.

The individual player talent is clearly better this year than last. The team, so far, is not. That’s not going to last forever.

Anyone remember last year mid season when they couldn’t score more than 1 or 2 goals a game and many fans said they would either miss the playoffs or barely squeak in? That was half way through the season and they comfortably made the playoffs with 100+ points.

So who was exceeding expectations? The guys they just signed for 3-4 years or the guys that are locked up longer?

Ripjiggen wrote:

So who was exceeding expectations? The guys they just signed for 3-4 years or the guys that are locked up longer?

2 years ago they blew everyone away with tons of come from behind wins and guys having huge seasons (Hartman, Ek, Karpizov, Foligno, Zuccy) and the expectation set by GMBG moving forward was that they would replicate if not improve on it the following seasons, that hasn’t happend (any sane Hockey fan knew he was just blowing smoke)…Last year Boldy and GusBus took off and Gus’s play got us alot of those 100 points, that hasn’t happend yet (still only 15 games in early with injuries) Only Ekker has improved year after year…

now compound injuires with the $15 million max buyout caphits and guys having slow starts and you get deminished returns on the ice… Bright spots this year sofar are Rossi and Faber, where would the Wild be without them?

CaptainMusky wrote:

The Wild will be fine its just a rough stretch right now dealing with a lot of injuries. Hopefully they can get healed up and build some consistency. Wallstedt is joining them in Sweden. Not a surprise since they need a third goalie for the trip. I am sure he will not sniff the ice, but we will see with the other two struggling.

Agree but a few alarming trends with the PK and goal tending/defense makes it harder to see the light.

The other problem is they have no cap room to make significant changes and guys they could trade and get value for all have NMCs.. so it’s looking in the bargain bins replacing a young $825k D man who can’t play defense for an aging $850k defenseman who’s doesn’t bring much else besides some toughness…

There’s always more levers to pull and significant changes to make. Like have they considered changing the goal song?

I would prefer they take up the idea of individual goal songs…Who wouldn’t want to rock out to Stonehands Swedish Techno?

2 years ago they blew everyone away with tons of come from behind wins and guys having huge seasons (Hartman, Ek, Karpizov, Foligno, Zuccy) and the expectation set by GMBG moving forward was that they would replicate if not improve on it the following seasons, that hasn’t happend (any sane Hockey fan knew he was just blowing smoke)…Last year Boldy and GusBus took off and Gus’s play got us alot of those 100 points, that hasn’t happend yet (still only 15 games in early with injuries) Only Ekker has improved year after year…

now compound injuires with the $15 million max buyout caphits and guys having slow starts and you get deminished returns on the ice… Bright spots this year sofar are Rossi and Faber, where would the Wild be without them?

And all those guys mentioned just signed extensions beyond the buyout year. No?

Ripjiggen wrote:

And all those guys mentioned just signed extensions beyond the buyout year. No?

They have, how do you feel about those moves? I was asking for Foligno to get dealt last year and move on from Hartman at the end of this season…I’m fine with the Zuccy extension as its only 2 years and he gells with Kirill…

My point was the so called guys exceeding expectations. They all signed extensions so to say BG didn’t have expectations for this team to compete then why sign them to extensions beyond when they will be rich.
The narrative wait for the buyouts to be over because they can basically get who ever they want is a bit like the Twins selling hope every year.

We have no idea if they can lure top FA players here. Hell we don’t know if our best player will even be here.

So back to the topic of this years team. As we can talk about this potential all star team come 2025.

Spurg has to help getting Middleton looking half way decent again. He looks like a completely different defender this year rotating between partners.

Not much can be done.

Players know it.

Coaches know it.

BG knows it.

If they can’t figure it out 10 games from now there’ll have to be some move to keep fans interested. If the players, goalies included, keep up this pace, not sure what the choices are? But they will start getting boo’d off the ice every home game. Closed door meetings, great. But if nothing substantial comes from them, good luck keeping the fan base even remotely happy and involved. During previous slow starts it was never even close to this bad from a perception stand point. The optics on this stretch have been awful. Hope they can turn it around. Seems like the old cliché, keep it simple. Go back to some semblance of puck control, good stick to stick passing and fundamentals. Which are greatly lacking this year.

They could start by not giving up the first goal of the game in the first two minutes.
Would be nice to get out the first with only giving up one or none but have to at least not start by giving one up the first shift.

bottom line, this is the team that will be around this season and next (maybe 1 or 2 changes) and its upto them to figure it out…

unless they make some crazy cup run like Florida last year, next season is most likely Dean’s last in MN (maybe if they continue to spiral it will happen this year) it will be time for a change in coaching philosophy and they will have a mostly veteran lineup…

Ripjiggen wrote:

Kaprizov “banged up” and missed practice today

He looked dreadfully slow yesterday.
Was trying to show my 7 year old how they constantly move their feet. At one point the Wild were giving me examples of exactly what not to do.

All he cared about was yelling “Suter Sucks”

Haven’t even met the young man, but I like him!

Ha a few times he said to me dad he’s on the ice can I yell it. I was like well you should probably wait till the rest of the crowd does.
Frankly bud we are getting killed so maybe we should be yelling the Wild suck.
Dad you can’t say that.

Get that kid an IDO account. Warm welcome to Rip Jr.

Chip off the old block eh Rip?

Well he summed up the game pretty well on the ride home when I asked him about the game.

Kind of shaking his head he says Flower cant let in 8 goals dad because that would mean we would have to score 9 to win and that would be really hard.

Yup you are right bud you have to play defense first.

Those mini donuts were fresh and hot though so that was good.

It was pretty hard to argue with either point.

The player who is responsible for the death of Adam Johnson has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10097295-man-arrested-on-manslaughter-charge-after-adam-johnsons-death-during-hockey-game