2024/2025 NHL/WILD Offseason-Season-Postseason Thread

tswoboda wrote:

I’m guessing you didn’t buy a (??)McDermid(??) jersey

Now it sits next to the Ryan O’Reilly Wild jersey in my closet….

really cool youtube video on some rarely called NHL “equipment violation” penalties…

The Colton Parayko call is very interesting in that Terasenko used his stick that has an NHL exemption only for Parayko to use because he’s 6’6″ tall and is allowed a longer stick than the league allows…crazy!

Faber needs to be mindful of the visor level rule…

The ref that made the call against Tarasenko deserves a throat punch. He was probably waiting for someone to pickup Parayko or Chara’s stick for years so he could make some ticky tacky call to show the world how smart he is and make the game about him instead of the players on the ice. Just dumb

Of course the next worthless penalty call is from Tim Peel. Pro sports refs with giant egos are the worst

tswoboda wrote:

The ref that made the call against Tarasenko deserves a throat punch. He was probably waiting for someone to pickup Parayko or Chara’s stick for years so he could make some ticky tacky call to show the world how smart he is and make the game about him instead of the players on the ice. Just dumb

Of course the next worthless penalty call is from Tim Peel. Pro sports refs with giant egos are the worst

you’re probably not wrong, still interesting that its a penalty, I wonder if the thinking is what if Parayko gets another one of his sticks from the bench but Terasenko couldn’t and 2 Parayko length sticks were in play at the same time? Otherwise the argument against it being a penalty could be that it would be in use anyways if he didn’t drop it… strange rule…

Faber’s eye shield always cracks me up…

All dumb penalties.

The Athletic surveyed NHL Agents on a wide variety of subjects in a new story released today and one question was “who’s the best front office to deal with”

The Wild and Lightning tied for the most mentions… Agents praised GMBG’s fairness and ease to talk to…

If you have an Athletic subscription its a good read through…

GMBG makes a stunning deadline acquisition early and trades for Tyler Madden from the Kings!!

Where will you be sitting in St Paul for the parade route?

and just like that, the Wild’s Wildcard lead is down to 7 points…

Russo confirmed he’s hearing 6-8 weeks for Ek on this podcast, so that most likely means they have his $5.25 to spend at the deadline…

Russo mentioned Ek has been trying to play through a broken foot, that’s the injury…He also mentioned the Wild have alot of interest in Dylan Cozens and have had scouts at several of Buffalo’s recent games…If they can somehow get Cozens, I’m absolutely fine that it will mean there’s no chance they can sign somebody like Boeser this offseason, I’d rather have the center depth with Cozens, Rossi and Ek…

Russo’s “they’re not a lock to make the playoffs” schtick is so exhausting right now. If this team misses the playoffs, they never had any business being there anyway

tswoboda wrote:

Russo’s “they’re not a lock to make the playoffs” schtick is so exhausting right now. If this team misses the playoffs, they never had any business being there anyway

I don’t know…They are only 7 points ahead (Calgary has a game in hand) and they play 14 of their last 24 games at home where they’ve struggled and 2 of their most important players are out for likely ALL and at least 14 of those games?…Curious how you think that’s a lock to get in?

I’m not the only one, and these all take injuries into account. If you feel so strongly about it, now would be the time to put money on it. Vegas has them 50:1

Russo mentioned Ek has been trying to play through a broken foot, that’s the injury…He also mentioned the Wild have alot of interest in Dylan Cozens and have had scouts at several of Buffalo’s recent games…If they can somehow get Cozens, I’m absolutely fine that it will mean there’s no chance they can sign somebody like Boeser this offseason, I’d rather have the center depth with Cozens, Rossi and Ek.

If the Wild acquired Cozens, it would be hard to re-sign Rossi — a pending restricted free agent — this offseason unless a Cozens pickup simply results in the Wild abandoning their other free-agency plans.

Ripjiggen wrote:

this offseason unless a Cozens pickup simply results in the Wild abandoning their other free-agency plans.

That would have to be the case…it then turns to Ohgren (if he’s not part of the trade) or Yurov to take over Jojo’s spot

The only problem I see trading with Buffalo is that they have SO MANY top prospects at pretty much all positions, i’m not sure what type of return they would even be looking for? it just turns into more of the same for them…

tons of teams smelling blood in the water around Buffalo hoping to pillage….

With Cozen $7.1m aav they could give Rossi $8m aav this summer and still be under the cap for 25-26. Could give Kaprizov $16m and Gus $7m the following season and still have plenty of cap space 26-27

Not that I am suggesting this, but is there a limit a team can do in signing 8 year contracts?

tswoboda wrote:

With Cozen $7.1m aav they could give Rossi $8m aav this summer and still be under the cap for 25-26. Could give Kaprizov $16m and Gus $7m the following season and still have plenty of cap space 26-27

I was just regurgitating Russo.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Not that I am suggesting this, but is there a limit a team can do in signing 8 year contracts?

no limit…but I believe they have to be on your team prior to the trade deadline of the year their current contract expires? (correct me if wrong)

So players acquired AFTER the trade deadline or UFA’s signed in the summer can only sign 7 year extensions…

And I completely missed the “abandon their other free agency plans”. That part kind of feels like a given if they make a trade for a big salary though, right?

tswoboda wrote:

And I completely missed the “abandon their other free agency plans”. That part kind of feels like a given if they make a trade for a big salary though, right?

Yes, the allotted $7-8ish aav they have available to sign a UFA this offseason (in addition to some type of Rossi bridge or long term extension) would get filled by Cozens…

Billy also needs to think about the likely performance bonuses Buium and perhaps Yurov are likely to make as well…Marat K and Lauko will likely get small aav bumps next year as well…

If Billy can somehow get out of Trenin and Hartman’s contracts this offseason that opens things up alot…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

So players acquired AFTER the trade deadline or UFA’s signed in the summer can only sign 7 year extensions…

I thought players could get traded before July 1 to sign an 8 year deal. Maybe that can just be worked around through a sign and trade?

tswoboda wrote:

Maybe that can just be worked around through a sign and trade?

yep

This goes against Leopold’s argument that ONLY the Wild can offer Kirill an 8 year extension, the truth in that statement is its if we keep him until the trade deadline NEXT season, that then likely lowers your trade return though as you have a gun to your head at the deadline…sure we could do a sign and trade afterwards, but unless your properly comped for it, that’s kind of a complete give up move imo….

Is it fair to assume Ek’s injury is what kept him out of the Wild game before 4-nations started? If that’s the case he pushed his return back 2-3 weeks by playing in the tournament instead of sitting like Pietrangelo and Q Hughes. How are Wild fans feeling about that? I love it, guy wanted to play for his country and the team let him.

tswoboda wrote:

Is it fair to assume Ek’s injury is what kept him out of the Wild game before 4-nations started? If that’s the case he pushed his return back 2-3 weeks by playing in the tournament instead of sitting like Pietrangelo and Q Hughes. How are Wild fans feeling about that? I love it, guy wanted to play for his country and the team let him.

I don’t mind him playing in the tourney, but he shouldn’t have sat out the final Wild game before it, what did sitting it out do? In hindsight, we won anyways without him, but I don’t get sitting out that game??

Maybe the Ek situation was a master plan by GMBG all along?!? Have surgery after the tourney, rehab is 6-8 weeks, that puts him back at the start of the playoffs and we get $5.25 in LTIR to spend…

Last year’s deadline was more of an afterthought as a vast majority of the trades took place a week beforehand, that’s today… will we see a repeat of deals get done early again this year?

I know you are kind of joking but if that was his master plan it was a bad one as I would imagine it would be easy to keep a guy out an extra week or two to keep rehabbing after a surgery of a broken foot.
“Um I turned hard a t practice I had discomfort. “

The trade scenarios people are coming up with on Russo’s mailbag are comical.

Ripjiggen wrote:

I know you are kind of joking but if that was his master plan it was a bad one as I would imagine it would be easy to keep a guy out an extra week or two to keep rehabbing after a surgery of a broken foot.
“Um I turned hard a t practice I had discomfort. “

The trade scenarios people are coming up with on Russo’s mailbag are comical.

GMBG’s Wild Office wall =

tswoboda wrote:

Is it fair to assume Ek’s injury is what kept him out of the Wild game before 4-nations started? If that’s the case he pushed his return back 2-3 weeks by playing in the tournament instead of sitting like Pietrangelo and Q Hughes. How are Wild fans feeling about that? I love it, guy wanted to play for his country and the team let him.

This very topic was brought up before the event. I think Grouse specifically brought it up. I realize it coulda happened to anyone participating. Imagine the uproar if McDavid had gotten hurt from Oiler nation?

Wild paying the price for it now.

It would be nearly impossible for them to miss the playoffs with a 10 point cushion on the 8th place team. I have a feeling they may drop into a wild card slot and Colorado will pass them in the Central.

Except he didn’t get hurt playing in the 4 nations tourney so kind of a moot point.