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

Except they have yet to lose in regulation so there is that.

It could be worse… we could be Colorado with zero wins or Edmonton with 1. But then we’d have to worry about making the playoffs.

Charlie W wrote:

It could be worse… we could be Colorado with zero wins or Edmonton with 1. But then we’d have to worry about making the playoffs.

For the loser now will be later to win- Old Minnesota saying.

GMBG quote on Spurgeon:

“Jared Spurgeon won’t be on at least the start of the next road trip. The #mnwild  GM says this is part of the “healing process” of last year’s back and hip surgeries and he needs rest and maintenance”

So good & bad, at least they didn’t rule him out for an extended period of time/season, but that sounds like he’ll be in & out of the lineup for the foreseeable future which limits the options GMBG has for replacements (no ltir)

If they go on LTIR how long are they required to be out? Might be best we do that

CaptainMusky wrote:

If they go on LTIR how long are they required to be out? Might be best we do that

They must be out 10 games AND 24 days to qualify…and while LTIR is being used, cap cannot be accrued in any way…

All this talk about trading Gus is about as dumb as the talk about trading Rossi.

The factor that these tradeomaniacs are not considering is that Billy Gee actually wants to avoid getting fired. The make or break factor for Billy Gee has suddenly become crystal clear: Re-sign Krill.

Unless that happens, Billy Gee is going to find himself skidding down the road on his arse while the Wild bus carries on its merry way with a new GM. There’s absolutely no way that Guerin does anything that jeopardizes the team making the playoffs this year. Because if that happens the job of resigning KK gets a whole lot harder. Trading the number one goaltender would be stupidly counter productive.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

All this talk about trading Gus is about as dumb as the talk about trading Rossi.

The factor that these tradeomaniacs are not considering is that Billy Gee actually wants to avoid getting fired. The make or break factor for Billy Gee has suddenly become crystal clear: Re-sign Krill.

Unless that happens, Billy Gee is going to find himself skidding down the road on his arse while the Wild bus carries on its merry way with a new GM. There’s absolutely no way that Guerin does anything that jeopardizes the team making the playoffs this year. Because if that happens the job of resigning KK gets a whole lot harder. Trading the number one goaltender would be stupidly counter productive.

Leopold has gone on record saying GMBG’s job is as safe as can be while the 5 year plan is in place… of course anybody can change their mind but those are his words…
Gus has played THREE games… lets not get ahead of ourselves that he’s the long term answer to anything…

The only reason we’re discussing trade ideas (its just fun fan talk) is because a month or so ago Columbus and the Wild agreed to a trade with Gus included, but Patrick Liane killed it by not lifting his 10 team no trade clause that included Minnesota. Then GMBG put in the press his desire to keep 3 goalies (which makes zero sense) because Wallstedt has accomplished all he can in Iowa and needs a good chunk of NHL games, so the tealeaves point to them only wanting to only keep 2 goalies…Flower is locked in with a Full NMC and Wallstedt is the franchises future they just extended 2 years, so it’s either move Gus while he has some trade value or don’t do anything at all and keep Jesper in Iowa…Keep in mind, we’re now on day 20 something that our future stud goalie hasn’t played in a game (he’ll finally play this weekend in Iowa)

There’s no ideal scenarios and early injuries have complicated things even more in terms of no capspace for callups (they couldn’t even afford to bring Jesper up now as the 3rd goalie if they wanted to)…but the GM’s job is to think short & long term for what’s best for the team…

but as the season’s games start piling up and IF contender teams like Colorado keep getting farther behind the 8 ball due to their goalie struggles or if a starter gets hurt and is out for an extended period of the season Gus’s name will pop up in rumorville…all it takes is a call to GMBG that’s too good to turn down…

Wild had their Halloween party last night, Flower won…

https://x.com/wildtakes10k/status/1847312856422948974?s=46&t=uoRWUp28rKzoSODmtmr3Lw

Ok that’s funny.

Joe I think you are the only one talking trading our 1G right now.

I’m not saying they should trade him just to get rid of him, I said if they get an offer too good to turn down from a desperate contender they should take it… i’m just basing that on the facts of Flower CAN’T be traded unless he approves and Wallstedt is their decided goalie of the future (based on the Columbus trade that fell through) and he will need a sizeable chunk of NHL games this season and that now looks impossible with injuries eating whatever capspace they had up… The 3 goalie rotation idea was BS from the start, there’s a reason no other teams in the NHL do it…

What else does Jesper need to do other than get more NHL games? He’s still on his ELC, so from a $ perspective, it makes sense to just keep him in Iowa all season, but that goes against everything GMBG has said during the offseason and camp about his development… They even told him to get a permanent home in St Paul this season…

Re-signing Flower for 1 year points to them wanting him to help mentor Jesper this season, that likely now won’t happen with him being in Iowa. Ideally the smartest decision would be to see if he wanted to lift his NMC and go to a contender, I’m guessing he and GMBG have at least discussed it at some point as an option at the trade deadline if the Wild are out of it… maybe he agrees to do it sooner?

Are you worried Wallstedt could join the list of potential star goalies goalies who’s careers were derailed by playing in the AHL at age 21?

The list:

Middleton is damn near unrecognizable without his mustache…

Gus looking good for what 1 save LOL Rossi could have had a couple for sure.

Really starting to wonder what the Wild brass saw in Trenin? He just doesn’t do anything…. Lauko was a much better acquisition…

This no mustache Middleton variant is much better than mustache Middleton…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

Really starting to wonder what the Wild brass saw in Trenin? He just doesn’t do anything…. Lauko was a much better acquisition…

He stands out for the wrong reasons.

Is it possible Gus looked bad last year because we could play almost zero defense in front of him? Seriously just asking.

Don’t really see a solution of trading Gus and starting Flower who is awesome but his best days are way behind him

It might be a good idea for GMBG to offer Rossi the Anton Lundell 6 year contract before it gets alot more expensive….

Wallstedt with a rough night. I think that’s his first game of the year after bouncing around everywhere so hopeful it’s just rust.

JoeMX1825 wrote:

It might be a good idea for GMBG to offer Rossi the Anton Lundell 6 year contract before it gets alot more expensive….

But all the great MN hockey minds wanted to trade Rossi after last season. Ship his underperforming butt out of here before it’s clear that he’s yet another draft failure to launch.

Oh look he’s got two goals already. Maybe trading him wouldn’t have been such a great idea after all?

JoeMX1825 wrote:

This no mustache Middleton variant is much better than mustache Middleton…

It’s all about the aerodynamics. Lower drag = higher speed. Well, within limits, obviously.

Another solid win for the wild. And another epic fail for the officiating in the NHL and they’re continued inability to figure out what exactly constitutes goaltender interference. Apparently, goaltender interference also encompasses a defensive player tripping over his own goaltender. There’s dumb, there’s dumber, and there’s Gary Betman’s NHL.

2 of their 4 wins have come against lowly Columbus. It’s likely the Jackets finish at or near the bottom of the standings this season.

Their next two games are on the road at the champs and the bolts. We’ll see how they stack up against some better competition.

For the record, nobody said the Wild should trade Rossi….

The ONLY reason his name was in trade rumors is because he has good trade value and is one of only a few Wild players who doesn’t have trade protection and actually could be traded…

His play style and durability shown last season answered any questions about his size being an issue…

The only unknown left is what his ceiling is? 60 point player? 70? 80? 90?

lindyrig79 wrote:

Is it possible Gus looked bad last year because we could play almost zero defense in front of him? Seriously just asking.

Could be, the team D is really good so far but it’s the same core players as last year. I think it’s more likely that goalie is just a volatile position.

Could also be they’ve had a cupcake schedule so far. The next 7 games should tell us more about this team.

Wallstedt got absolutely cooked in Iowa this weekend.

My last post about the Trade GusBus scenario…

The SotaPod guys (including Wild beat writer Joe Smith) discussed EXACTLY what I was talking about, they list the good and bad points of doing it…yes, there are more bad points doing it than good, but if you get an offer too good to say no to, you gotta take it…

They hypothetically ask for a 1st round pick and more in a trade (it would likely be a contender’s late 1st rounder) if Colorado was the team, I would prefer a top prospect instead of a pick (like Calum Ritchie) it also helps move some capspace back reducing GusBus’s $3.75 caphit…

It’s just funny listening to others discuss it (most of the points we all made in our thread) because if you truly try to make sense of it (re-signing Flower for 1 year, Trading Gus to Columbus this fall but Liane kills the trade, GMBG saying Wallstead needs alot more NHL games this season because he’s done everything he needed to do in Iowa and for him to buy a permanent home in St Paul) it doesn’t make sense to be in the situation they are in right now…3 goalies for 2 spots

tswoboda wrote:

Wallstedt got absolutely cooked in Iowa this weekend

Is it because he’s been yo-yo’d between St Paul and Iowa the past few weeks and hasn’t played a game in 3+ weeks or are the Iowa Wild a bad team (they are) and we can expect him to get shelled game after game all season?

Funny point about yesterday’s Iowa Wild game, a bunch of their jersey’s were stolen out of the locker room Saturday night, so alot of guys where wearing the emergency extra jersey’s they bring with with goofy numbers and no name tags…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

Is it because he’s been yo-yo’d between St Paul and Iowa the past few weeks and hasn’t played a game in 3+ weeks or are the Iowa Wild a bad team (they are) and we can expect him to get shelled game after game all season?

So just no chance at all that he had a couple tough games?? Absolutely zero fault goes to the goalie giving up a dozen goals

That’s some crazy youth hockey parent energy

tswoboda wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
Is it because he’s been yo-yo’d between St Paul and Iowa the past few weeks and hasn’t played a game in 3+ weeks or are the Iowa Wild a bad team (they are) and we can expect him to get shelled game after game all season?

So just no chance at all that he had a couple tough games?? Absolutely zero fault goes to the goalie giving up a dozen goals

That’s some crazy youth hockey parent energy

did you not see me mention he hasn’t played a game in 3 weeks? good lord dude…

Yeah I read all the excuses

So Bally is “gone” ?? Haha what a great new name