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

tswoboda wrote:

Gus says he’s going to the powerplay meetings now haha thats gotta be the first goalie PPG

Loved that line!

Not sure why we’d be trading Gus??? Haven’t seen enough of Wallstedt to be confident yet.

lindyrig79 wrote:

Not sure why we’d be trading Gus??? Haven’t seen enough of Wallstedt to be confident yet.

Thank you

Trading the #1G after 3 good games probably not the best strategy to “show Kirill we want to win”

lindyrig79 wrote:

Not sure why we’d be trading Gus??? Haven’t seen enough of Wallstedt to be confident yet.

Its a conundrum for Wild Management…everyone has GusBus blinders on right now after 3 good games, but you need to look at the full portfolio, not a few games…Nobody thought the 3 goalie rotation would work, but GMBG was hamstrung into BS’ing about believing in the strategy because he couldn’t find any team interested in taking Gus over the offseason and he knows he needs to get his stud goalie prospect a sizeable chunk of NHL games to as you pointed out, see what they truly have…After a week into the season Wallstedt has played 0 games in either league AHL/NHL, that’s not good…Flower’s in-game interview last night showed he wants to get into as many games as he can and not just be a “Retirement Tour Prop” so that adds another angle of complexity… but make no mistake, GMBG did this to himself, but he really didn’t have a ton of options…

Ek and Spurg injuries are complicating things right now, Ek coming back and Spurg possibly going on LTIR should clear things up from a roster number and salary cap perspective and then we’ll see what GMBG wants to do…

If i’m GMBG, I will absolutely listen to calls for Gus (if there even are any, its still extremely early in the season and teams with early goalie issues will likely wait 10-15 games to see if it levels off before making a move)

I gotta know what the big haul from desperate Edmonton or Colorado would be. Neither team has a 2025 1st, even if they did it’s probably in the 20s. Neither team has cap space so they gotta send money back. So what are the Wild getting that will convince Kirill they want to win enough to give up their #1G

Remember a recent Vezina winner still in his prime got traded for a late 1st and a terrible contract this summer.

Not trying to overreact but is Spurg done already? Was listening to Nanne on KFAN last night and he was saying that his shelf life may have it.

tswoboda wrote:

I gotta know what the big haul from desperate Edmonton or Colorado would be. Neither team has a 2025 1st, even if they did it’s probably in the 20s. Neither team has cap space so they gotta send money back. So what are the Wild getting that will convince Kirill they want to win enough to give up their #1G

Remember a recent Vezina winner still in his prime got traded for a late 1st and a terrible contract this summer.

They get what they can get, who knows what GMBG would ask for? Pick(s) Top Prospect? If we find out Spurgeon is done for awhile or the season and we free up LTIR capspace, that opens several possibilities of taking back a temporary veteran defenseman or some other expiring contract…

Again, this is all IF GMBG’s plan is to get Wallstedt a big chunk of NHL games this season, he plucked Gus off the scrapheap years ago, same with Talbot, he’s proven he can find another 1B goalie if needed…

The longer Gus plays well, the price for him goes up, but its also likely at the mercy of Wallstedt’s development…

and we need to quit (all Wild fans) with the “but what about Kirill’s winning feelings” excuse, maybe GMBG doesn’t think Gus is the goalie to get them the cup in 3 years, so does he potentially spoil the future (Wallstedt’s development) to get a few more wins right now? It’s as silly as saying maybe Kirill doesn’t want to stay on a team with a 35+ year old $7.5aav defenseman who can’t stay healthy for 3 games and still has 2 more seasons after this one? How is that not as big a threat to losing games as possibly trading away a streaky goalie with 1 great season and 1 terrible season on his resume…

Kirill’s been shown the plan, he’s either onboard with it or he’s not, its not a decision that teeter’s on EVERY decision GMBG makes or things completely out of his control…

KP wrote:

Not trying to overreact but is Spurg done already? Was listening to Nanne on KFAN last night and he was saying that his shelf life may have it.

I think we’ll find out today or tomorrow, but the radio silence isn’t good…if we see a press scrum/conference scheduled, then its over…

I wonder if #ThePlan included trading the #1G in the first month of the season the year before Kirill can sign an extension

They can do all the #ThePlan talk in the world. But it doesn’t change that the success of this season will play a big factor in whether or not he signs.

Agree…maybe resigning a 40 year old goalie wasn’t the best choice in the development of The Great Wall.
No reason financially they could not be running Gus and Wally as there two goalies the next few years.

Feel like if if Wally is not the Great Wall this team could go from 3 goalies to no goalies quickly.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Agree…maybe resigning a 40 year old goalie wasn’t the best choice in the development of The Great Wall.
No reason financially they could not be running Gus and Wally as there two goalies the next few years.

to me that points to the idea that they never planned on having Gus on the team this season…they just couldn’t find a trade taker (outside of the rumored Liane deal that he nixed) Thus, they’ve done their research and came to the decision that he’s not the goalie they want moving forward…

No doubt but what good is a 40 year goalie that may get 25 starts do for the future of the team. Surely Gus is more valuable either way.

Ripjiggen wrote:

No doubt but what good is a 40 year goalie that may get 25 starts do for the future of the team. Surely Gus is more valuable either way.

Maybe mentor the 21 year old expected to take over the crease for the next decade? 3 years ago Gus was a reclamation project and then gave us 2 completely polar opposite seasons back to back…

Yes, nothing is certain with Wallstedt, just like GusBus could let in 10 goals next game and revert back to the gongshow he was last season…The organization should go with the direction they set out after working with all of their Scouts and Hockey Ops experts making all of the “should we keep him or trade him” decisions over the 180+ day break between seasons…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

Thus, they’ve done their research and came to the decision that he’s not the goalie they want moving forward…

Who is the they in this comment?

Ummm do we not remember flower was not exactly good last year either. In fact his save percentage was lower than the bus.

So as much of a gong show Gus was it’s not as if the mentor was any better. They were almost identical stat wise.

Sounds more like one mistake lead to another and now here we are with 3 goalies and not exactly getting mentored by anyone.

CaptainMusky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
Thus, they’ve done their research and came to the decision that he’s not the goalie they want moving forward…

Who is the they in this comment?

All of the Scouts and Hockey Ops guys (Ray Shero, Modano, Stepan, etc) GMBG has in the organization, they all meet several times a year (end of season, before draft, mid-season, Trade Deadline) and plan out the roster and figure out who’s trade bait, who they plan on targeting in UFA, draft, etc…

Ripjiggen wrote:

Ummm do we not remember flower was not exactly good last year either. In fact his save percentage was lower than the bus.

So as much of a gong show Gus was it’s not as if the mentor was any better. They were almost identical stat wise.

Name 1 modern age goalie you would want to mentor your young stud goalie prospect? Everybody would say Flower… mentoring was likely a part of why the Wild wanted to bring Flower back another season… yeah he’s not the player he used to be, that’s why he’s about $7 million dollars cheaper than normal…we all know goalies are headcases, Flower’s mind is more valuable now than anything he can do on the ice…whatever can rub off on Jesper the better….

and the only reason there’s no point in criticizing Flower’s game is because he has a full NMC, so he has to stay (unless its a lost season and he wants to go somewhere at the deadline and lifts his NMC)

Name a goalie that has been brought back at the age 40 just to mentor another?

So if Spurgeon is out indefinitely, and can’t return does his salary still impact the cap? How about going forward, will this be a new anchor like Parise/Suter? I’m pretty sure NHL money is all guaranteed, but not sure if there is an injury out, at least for cap purposes.

Sounds like Billy G should have brought the Flower upstairs permanently to “mentor” the goalies

Ripjiggen wrote:

Name a goalie that has been brought back at the age 40 just to mentor another?

has there ever been another goalie like Flower at 40? He still enjoys the game and acts like a kid…nothing like other older goalies I can think of…

Roy and others (Fuhr, Brodeur) were either psycho or had personal problems at the end of their careers, hardly mentor material…I also can’t think of any stud goalie prospects their final teams had coming up to even mentor?

JoeMX1825 wrote:

All of the Scouts and Hockey Ops guys (Ray Shero, Modano, Stepan, etc) GMBG has in the organization, they all meet several times a year (end of season, before draft, mid-season, Trade Deadline) and plan out the roster and figure out who’s trade bait, who they plan on targeting in UFA, draft, etc…

So, you know they dont want Gus moving forward? I dont know how you could formulate that opinion without flat out asking them and no way they actually answer.

BigWerm wrote:

So if Spurgeon is out indefinitely, and can’t return does his salary still impact the cap? How about going forward, will this be a new anchor like Parise/Suter?

If its long term he will get put on LTIR and while the Wild still have to pay him, it doesnt go against the cap and the Wild actually accrue cap space as he is on it. The Wild are actually 1 of 15 teams who cannot even call up a league minimum player right now because of how little cap space they have.

Just think how negative this thread would be if the Wild didn’t have points in all 4 games?

BigWerm wrote:

So if Spurgeon is out indefinitely, and can’t return does his salary still impact the cap? How about going forward, will this be a new anchor like Parise/Suter? I’m pretty sure NHL money is all guaranteed, but not sure if there is an injury out, at least for cap purposes.

Sounds like Billy G should have brought the Flower upstairs permanently to “mentor” the goalies

he goes on LTIR so we can get back his caphit to re-spend. There are rules in terms of he has to be on the roster and under the cap the 1st day of the season each future season of his contract before he can again be put on LTIR if needed (I think that’s how it works?) so you can only add a new player with that LTIR money after the season starts…

CaptainMusky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
All of the Scouts and Hockey Ops guys (Ray Shero, Modano, Stepan, etc) GMBG has in the organization, they all meet several times a year (end of season, before draft, mid-season, Trade Deadline) and plan out the roster and figure out who’s trade bait, who they plan on targeting in UFA, draft, etc…

So, you know they dont want Gus moving forward? I dont know how you could formulate that opinion without flat out asking them and no way they actually answer.

I don’t know, i’m just looking at what they’ve done…They re-signed Flower with a full NMC and said they want Jesper to get alot more games this season, the idea of rotating 3 goalies is BS, there’s a reason why no other NHL does it… Gus was also rumored to be part of the Liane deal..

yeah he’s not the player he used to be, that’s why he’s about $7 million dollars cheaper than normal.

Or about 2.5 million against a ridiculous tight cap more than anyone would have paid him.

Who has a better chance of bouncing back and being a good solid goalie this year? Gus or Flower

How about next year?

He can mentor from anywhere.

It’s one thing to try to trade Gus in the offseason, and it’s a whole nother thing to trade him once the season starts and he’s playing well. I’m sure the players and owner would absolutely love dumping the #1G all to get the 21 YO prospect more reps and mentoring time with 40 YO Flower.

Is the brain trust that allegedly decided Gus is not the goalie they want moving forward the same one that decided to give him a 3 year contract 12 months earlier?

I guess that was my point as well.
Maybe make sure you actually have a roster spot for your buddy to be a mentor before signing him.

I don’t see how trading Gus now if he keeps playing well helps The Great Wall or the franchise one bit moving forward.

The chase has begun…

Listening to the ESPN broadcast last night they commented that Kaprizov was apparently inconsolable at the end of last season by never even getting a chance in the playoffs and the season ended so early. If true and it makes sense to me, he will not endure another season of not making the playoffs he will ask for a trade. I doubt a first round bounce would make him feel any better either. He’s driven by one thing only, his name on that Cup which is why he came here. Hopes and dreams and plans by BG and CL are not what he cares about. I remind myself he did not choose to come to Minnesota it was his only way to get his foot in the NHL door.

This three goalie system does not increase their chances upon improving from last year. Injuries are already cropping up and I don’t see much help coming.