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

JoeMX1825 wrote:

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

<div class=”ido-oembed-wrap”><iframe loading=”lazy” title=”Filip Gustavsson Trade | Brady Tkachuk the problem | NHL Hot Takes | Barrel Theory Keyboard Warriors” width=”850″ height=”478″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/7JcnZB6GXIY?start=186&feature=oembed&#8221; frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen=””></iframe></div>

So we went from nobody wanted Gus this summer to getting a first rounder or a top prospect?

The only way someone wants him is if he is playing lights out right?
Well that would mean the wild are probably in playoff contention if he is playing lights out right?

Why in the hell would you then trade him to a division rival trying to beat you into the playoffs or beat you in the playoffs.
Seams like a great way to keep the locker room.

Hey guys I know we are in position for the playoffs, but I wanted to get the young guy some reps and have flower get his retirement tour, so we are going to trade the guy that has been in net all season. Cool?
Yeah cool Billy.

Did you even watch the video? all of that was discussed in it so thanks for a worthless complaint post…all it needed (surprised you didn’t add it) was a “How is that going to make Kirill sign here” addition…

No sorry I don’t watch worthless trade talk the first week of the season, but I’m sure you have regurgitated everything in there since the start of the season.
I mean you bring it up every other day.

couple days old, but newest Wild on 7th Episode with Jakub Lauko, he’s quickly becoming one of my favorite Wild players, great 4th liner, great trade by GMBG!

The Game of Thrones tattoo story is funny…he’s a riot!

tswoboda wrote:

Yeah I read all the excuses

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

So what does this mean? Will they still be on TV?

KP wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tswoboda wrote:</div>
Yeah I read all the excuses

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

So what does this mean? Will they still be on TV?

They are just rebranding to get “Bally’s” out of everyone’s mind…

The main thing about trading goaltenders in general is that it just seems the team that needs goaltending is almost never willing to actually pay anything in return.

You look at how many years Edmonton has obviously needed better goaltending. They have unlimited money to spend on offense, but now even after they’ve lost a Stanley Cup, the thinking is that maybe they might be grudgingly willing to part with a late R1 pick? Maybe. If they absolutely have to. Oh and the wild would have to do them a solid by taking some salary the other way as part of a deal because they’re capped out. WTF?

These teams that allegedly need goaltending are just not willing to pay so eff them. Move on.

Right, Grouse. The Wild want to dump Gus to make space for the goalie prodigy. But also Gus is so good these other teams are giving up a 1st + more in hypothetical trade fantasy land.

Linus Ullmark is in his prime, won the vezina 2 seasons ago, is on a team friendly deal, and now signed a $8.25m AAV extension after getting traded. Yes he got traded for a late 1st (#25), but they also took back what might be the worst goalie contract in the league.

In regards to Edmonton and goalies, their GM has made TERRIBLE decisions on who he signed…Cam Talbot, Mike Smith, Jack Campbell, Stuart Skinner are some doozies I can think of off the top of my head and they are mostly recent during the McDavid & Draisiatl prime (to be fair, Skinner did get hot for a stretch in the regular season & playoffs last year) so it’s not like they’ve ignored the goalie position, they’ve just chosen to go with mid-level salary goalie options vs pulling some capspace from the forwards and going after a top tier goalie…

and lets quit with the Wild ARE ACTIVELY SHOPPING Gus, the entire premise of this fan trade theory has always been around IF GMBG is given an offer he can’t refuse by a desperate contender due to bad play or injury? If the offer isn’t worth it, then they likely won’t trade him…even if they don’t think he’s the goalie of their 5 year plan (which they don’t per his trade to Columbus) and even if it means Wallstedt plays another season in the AHL (not their original plan for him) but it makes the most sense in their current situation…

IF they did get serious trade interest, I think the Wild would want a top prospect back vs a draft pick (most of the contending teams don’t even have their 1st round pick this year) so that player better fits with the last 3 years of the 5 year plan…We could really use a big body punishing D prospect

tswoboda wrote:

Right, Grouse. The Wild want to dump Gus to make space for the goalie prodigy. But also Gus is so good these other teams are giving up a 1st + more in hypothetical trade fantasy land.

Linus Ullmark is in his prime, won the vezina 2 seasons ago, is on a team friendly deal, and now signed a $8.25m AAV extension after getting traded. Yes he got traded for a late 1st (#25), but they also took back what might be the worst goalie contract in the league.

You have captured the irony of goaltending in the Ulllmark example. Teams seem willing to shell out on free agents and extensions.

But on trades when the playoff are at stake? Yeah, then they hardly want to part with a sack of pucks and used jockstraps to acquire any goaltender.

Basically, I blame the pussification of GMs these days. GMs are so worried about their social standing with the other GMs at the league meetings that there’s no criticism of low-ball trade offers.

What would happen to values if Billy Gee came out and said to Russo, “Yeah, I had the usual goaltender impoverished teams offering a BS low-ball R1 and jack squat for Gus so I told them both to kiss my blocker. Have fun in the playoffs boys, we’ll be starting Gus.”

Sometimes to make wine, you got to crush some grapes.

tswoboda wrote:

Linus Ullmark is in his prime

a 31 year old goalie is in his prime? There’s a reason Ottawa only gave him a 4 year extension…Ottawa did eat 25% of Korpisalo’s contract in the trade and Boston likely didn’t think Swayman was going to hold out for the contract he eventually got…so yeah they got burned a little bit in the end…

Spurgeon is skating so that is a good sign. We will see, no word if he will be joining the team on the roadtrip. I would doubt it.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Spurgeon is skating so that is a good sign. We will see, no word if he will be joining the team on the roadtrip. I would doubt it.

not sure how this doesn’t become a constant problem ultimately leading to early retirement? He had 6+ months of rest and healing, got a clean bill of health at the start of camp, said he felt great and then had issues after a few games…

Sure hope i’m wrong…

Yeah who knows. He could have injured something else but its definitely starting to get concerning. If he goes on LTIR at some point then we can have fun like Vegas and Tampa.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Yeah who knows. He could have injured something else but its definitely starting to get concerning. If he goes on LTIR at some point then we can have fun like Vegas and Tampa.

Billy already said it was an issue with his injuries from last year (probably his back and not shoulder since he’s listed out with a lower body injury)…he played it off like it was a setback they expected? but that seems strange…Since I stayed at a Holiday in recently, i’d speculate he has numbness in his feet again due to his back injury flaring up…not good

We aren’t gonna do anything with his LTIR money other than maybe trade for a cheap Vet on an expiring contract…our Defense is mostly set the next few years unless they trade Brodin (which they aren’t) Spurgeon will need to be on the roster day 1 of the next few seasons if we have to play the LTIR game with him… that limits only doing trades once the season starts…

I guess I didnt read that he said that. Thought it was something new.

JoeMX1825 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tswoboda wrote:</div>
Linus Ullmark is in his prime

a 31 year old goalie is in his prime? There’s a reason Ottawa only gave him a 4 year extension…Ottawa did eat 25% of Korpisalo’s contract in the trade and Boston likely didn’t think Swayman was going to hold out for the contract he eventually got…so yeah they got burned a little bit in the end…

The average age of the last 20 Vezina winners is 29.7 – so my off the cuff estimate was a whopping year off. Great post though, I’m sure Gus will be getting a $8.25m contract as soon as he gets traded for that major haul the brain trust can’t say no to

JoeMX1825 wrote:

not sure how this doesn’t become a constant problem ultimately leading to early retirement? He had 6+ months of rest and healing, got a clean bill of health at the start of camp, said he felt great and then had issues after a few games…

Sure hope i’m wrong…

You know I’d love to disagree with you, but I can’t on this one. Can’t help but think Spurge is cooked

Pretty sure it was back and hip surgeries – both can be career enders

JoeMX1825 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>CaptainMusky wrote:</div>
Yeah who knows. He could have injured something else but its definitely starting to get concerning. If he goes on LTIR at some point then we can have fun like Vegas and Tampa.

We aren’t gonna do anything with his LTIR money other than maybe trade for a cheap Vet on an expiring contract…our

I do not know how it works but what if he went on LTIR this year and then retired early, would we get any cap space back? We do lose Suter Parise Money next year so that would leave us the ability to keep someone we sign this year no?

tswoboda wrote:

Pretty sure it was back and hip surgeries – both can be career enders

yep, it was his Hip not Shoulder…worse

Justin riegel wrote:

I do not know how it works but what if he went on LTIR this year and then retired early, would we get any cap space back? We do lose Suter Parise Money next year so that would leave us the ability to keep someone we sign this year no?

No idea, it’s so tricky with all the rules, but I guarantee you the Wild will likely handle it the worst way possible…we’ll probably end up with Cap penalties again…

Justin riegel wrote:

I do not know how it works but what if he went on LTIR this year and then retired early, would we get any cap space back? We do lose Suter Parise Money next year so that would leave us the ability to keep someone we sign this year no?

If he retires this summer he forfeits the $13m remaining on his guaranteed contract – so he’s not retiring.

If he goes on LTIR the next two years then he will count the same $7.5m against the cap each season, but the Wild can also go $7.5m over the cap. The down side of LTIR is then they can’t accrue daily cap space to spend at the deadline, and also any performance bonuses would count against he following season.

Light reading if you’re bored out of your mind: https://x.com/MtlfanSakic/status/1577851150270881793

Pretty good road period. JoJo scored so that’s a plus and Rossi gets another one.

Gustavsson looks good again so far too.

gim wrote:

Gustavsson looks good again so far too.

He’s been great so far this season. Just like 2 years ago.

5 goals on 16 shots so far ouch!

The game is completely unwatchable for me right now. For some reason this channel and this channel only buffers. I’ve even tried watching it on the app and same thing. I don’t have a problem on any other channel.

It’s kind of a blowout anyways.

Yeah it is but now it’s been working not sure what the issue was. Missed half the second period and the whole intermission and 3rd has been fine. I rebooted the router an hour ago and that didn’t do anything. Weird it was only this channel.

Nice little start to the season!