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

Russo tweeted that he’s heard KK and Ek are both skating this morning and if it goes well both could play tonight.

tswoboda wrote:

That vancouver dallas game was absolutely bonkers. Dallas with 3 powerplay goals to start the game gave me ptsd

How is it even possible to score 3 goals in a minute?

CaptainMusky wrote:

How is it even possible to score 3 goals in a minute?

This is how

https://x.com/TheStanchion/status/1909807411126497611

Dan wrote:

Russo tweeted that he’s heard KK and Ek are both skating this morning and if it goes well both could play tonight.

*insert randy marsh computer meme*

I get it they’re not going to be 100% and they’re not going to save the team and immediately turn the season around. But those two even at like 25% are a hell of an upgrade over whatever pair of Shore/Brazeau/Hinostroza get pulled

I agree. At this point I don’t think it’d be wise to hold out because the Sharks are a bad team. These are must-have points.

I wonder if the strategy is to play them tonight and Friday and if they get 2 wins then sit them for the last 2 games to work out the likely post return aches and to ensure they’ll play in game 1 of the playoffs?

Obviously if they lose then they keep playing them…

Looks like Gabe Landeskog is actually returning for Colorado. He’s going to play a few games in the AHL and I assume if all goes well he’ll be in the Avalanche lineup for the playoffs.

He’s been one of my most hated players over the years, and he’s a key player adding to a division rival for the playoffs. But I can’t help but be happy for a guy who missed 3 full seasons and respect the work he’s done to make it back.

If the Wild win tonight I believe they eliminate the Canucks (who play the Avs on Thursday) which obviously changes how Vancouver plays on Saturday which could be super important if Calgary wins on friday…

Just win tonight…

Who knows what “When Legal details are agreed upon” means and/or the timing that takes, but Yurov is coming to the Wild…

https://x.com/HockeyNewsHub/status/1910015145595543605

RIP Ray Shero… very sad…

RIP. Was he sick? Or what the hell happened? That’s two homegrown Wild front office guys passing away way too young in the last few years

tswoboda wrote:

RIP. Was he sick? Or what the hell happened? That’s two homegrown Wild front office guys passing away way too you in the last few years

I suspect he was dealing with something, I didn’t see him in the latest Wild video about the Trade Deadline and he for sure would have been in the room if he was healthy…

Looks like EK and Kaprizov are back tonight

tswoboda wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Dan wrote:</div>
Russo tweeted that he’s heard KK and Ek are both skating this morning and if it goes well both could play tonight.

*insert randy marsh computer meme*

I get it they’re not going to be 100% and they’re not going to save the team and immediately turn the season around. But those two even at like 25% are a hell of an upgrade over whatever pair of Shore/Brazeau/Hinostroza get pulled

So who gets re-injured first? And do either one of them make it until the inevitable R1 playoff exit?

I think Ek goes back down first.

Sounds like Hobey finalist Isaac Howard is choosing to return to Michigan State for his senior year because he’s pissed the Tampa Bay didn’t sign him to his ELC (they literally have pennies of capspace left and tried to get him to sign an AHL tryout contract instead) So expect his draft rights to get traded sometime before next August unless Tampa can repair the relationship…

wow!

Cap space isn’t stopping Tampa from signing Howard and burning a year of his ELC. Just like it isn’t stopping the Wild from signing Yurov right now to burn his ELC year. Comes down to negotiations and if the team thinks the player is worth doing it. Wild did it with both Kaprizov and Boldy, and looks like they’re not doing it with Yurov.

To be clear, I think it’s a good thing for the Wild that they’re not burning a year of Yurov’s ELC. But I also think if he were a better player, like the caliber of Kaprizov or Boldy, they would burn it.

You may hate the lack of transparency on Kaprizov and Ek injuries, but you have to respect the 100% commitment to the bit from Hynes and Guerin. Both players are activated from injured reserve, Gaunce and Shore sent to Iowa, and Hynes is still “HOPEFUL” that Kaprizov and Ek play tonight

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

So who gets re-injured first? And do either one of them make it until the inevitable R1 playoff exit?

I think Ek goes back down first.

What a ray of sunshine

tswoboda wrote:

Cap space isn’t stopping Tampa from signing Howard and burning a year of his ELC. Just like it isn’t stopping the Wild from signing Yurov right now to burn his ELC year. Comes down to negotiations and if the team thinks the player is worth doing it. Wild did it with both Kaprizov and Boldy, and looks like they’re not doing it with Yurov.

To be clear, I think it’s a good thing for the Wild that they’re not burning a year of Yurov’s ELC. But I also think if he were a better player, like the caliber of Kaprizov or Boldy, they would burn it.

Tampa has $8,371 dollars in capspace and they would need to fit his $925k + potential bonuses, i’m just relaying what the articles say… Tampa asked him to sign an AHL deal to bypass the Lightning’s lack of capspace and he said no…

https://spartanswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/spartans/hockey/2025/04/04/msu-hockey-star-isaac-howard-tampa-bay-lightning-update/82901221007/

JoeMX1825 wrote:

Tampa has $8,371 dollars in capspace and they would need to fit his $925k + potential bonuses, i’m just relaying what the articles say… Tampa asked him to sign an AHL deal to bypass the Lightning’s lack of capspace and he said no…

How much is 925k pro-rated down to what is left of their season? Cant be very much.

CaptainMusky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
Tampa has $8,371 dollars in capspace and they would need to fit his $925k + potential bonuses, i’m just relaying what the articles say… Tampa asked him to sign an AHL deal to bypass the Lightning’s lack of capspace and he said no…

How much is 925k pro-rated down to what is left of their season? Cant be very much.

yeah, no idea if that’s how ELC’s work or what bonuses his agent asked to be included, if they had the capspace, they would have signed him already… Elliot Freidman reported that they’ve now hit an impasse and he’s going back to Michigan State for his Sr year…

right or wrong this is why NHL teams typically don’t mess around with top NCAA prospects and just go ahead and burn the 1st year of their ELC to get them signed…The players have all the leverage IF they are willing to go back and play another year(s) of college hockey…

Even Russo said on his last podcast there’s risk with Stramel going back for his Sr year, but Russo believes Stramel would stay loyal to the Wild for staying loyal to him his first 2 terrible years at Wisconsin… I personally call BS on that as the Wild could easily decide to not sign him, so Charlie should look out for Charlie first, there’s no loyalty in pro sports anymore, just look at how Vegas treats their players…

If they sign him to an NHL contract and assign him to the AHL, his cap hit is $0.00 (zero dollars), and he burns a year of his ELC. If they sign him to an amateur tryout, he plays in the AHL, and he does not burn an ELC year. Either way he plays in the AHL. They are negotiating whether or not they burn year 1 of his 3 year ELC.

Wild did the exact same thing with Boldy. Took a few days but ultimately ended up signing him and burning the ELC year, even though he never played a minute in the NHL that year and never counted a dollar against the cap.

yeah, certainly possible he just wants nothing to do with the AHL and therefor will only sign to play for the Lightning which would require the capspace they currently don’t have to sign and keep him in the NHL…Maybe he doesn’t want to play for Tampa and he’s using Tampa’s lack of capspace & his NCAA Sr UFA leverage to get traded elsewhere…

Lol maybe he’s part Russian. Does kind of have that look to him, and definitely the fashion style of a Russian

Speaking of Russians and their contracts… Demidov asked for a $525k Conn Smythe Bonus !! Safe to say the kid doesn’t lack self confidence

tswoboda wrote:

Speaking of Russians and their contracts… Demidov asked for a $525k Conn Smythe Bonus !! Safe to say the kid doesn’t lack self confidence

or Yurov’s agent demanding all B level bonuses…

Not really. Both Kaprizov and Faber would have achieved the B level bonus in their rookie season, it’s not that uncommon. Conn Smythe not so much… one guy in the entire league gets that

tswoboda wrote:

Not really. Both Kaprizov and Faber would have achieved the B level bonus in their rookie season, it’s not that uncommon. Conn Smythe not so much… one guy in the entire league gets that

well aware of the Conn Smythe

What would Kirill have hit his rookie year? 2nd team lAll star? Calder isn’t on the list I found on puckpedia (unless its assumed)
Faber would have hit the TOI bonus…

“B” Level Bonuses

“B” Bonuses are worth a maximum of $2 Million (up to $2.5M for players drafted in 2022 and later), and the full amount of the bonus is awarded if any of the following is achieved:

-Forwards: Top Ten in NHL Forward Goals, Assists, points, or points per game (min 42 GP)

-Defensemen: Top Ten in NHL Defensemen Goals, Assists, points, ice time or points per game (min 42 GP) for Defensemen

-Win any of the following trophies: Hart, Selke, Richard, Conn Smythe, Norris

-1st or 2nd team All-Star

Top 10 Goals.

Just saying like 50+ players hit those B-bonus triggers each season. So not sure how you made the comparison to winning the Conn

Everyone remembers Wild pre-season legend Adam Beckman, right

https://x.com/GinoHard_/status/1910069774375162110

tswoboda wrote:

Top 10 Goals.

Just saying like 50+ players hit those B-bonus triggers each season. So not sure how you made the comparison to winning the Conn

my point was how many ELC guys hit them? Rarely even by the generational talents…