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

Today’s Daily Faceoff podcast (Frank Seravelli) says the Wild are one of the front runners on trading for David Juricek, Flyers are also very interested in him as well…Columbus would probably want Rossi + or maybe even Yurov + in return, not sure the Wild would do that…Would they consider moving Ohgren or Heidt? I think so… its going to take a significant player/prospect to get a #6 overall pick a few years ago + RH shot D with size…I’d include Lambos in the trade as well as Columbus would likely want some young 1st round talent D prospect back to sort of replace him…

18minute mark

Did you hear what happened to Biz at a AZ restaurant? 6-7 Drunk golf buddies made a scene at a local restaurant he was at and Biz asked them to take it outside and then they all jumped him, it ended up continuing outside the restaurant and Biz got pretty beat up…he’s fine and is willing to drop the charges if they face him 1-1 vs 1-7…He talked about it on the Spittin Chickets podcast today…

Mug shots came out today and a couple of the guys look more beat up than Biz. I’m wondering if we ever see security cam footage of the whole brawl

This was one of the all time best chiclets episodes. No chance it happens but it would have been incredible if they got Jeff Marek to come on as full time host

with the recent David Jiricek rumors gaining steam, what COULD the Wild’s defense look like for the GMBG Cup Window starting next season?

Here’s our D currently under contract for next season:
Faber x 8 years left at $8.5
Spurgeon x 2 years left at $7.5
Brodin x 3 years left at $6
Middleton x 4 years left at $4.35
Bogosian x 1 year left at $1.25

Here’s a few others who will make the team/get re-signed:
Buium x 2-3 ELC years left
Hunt x ? RFA
* Chisholm is a Group6 UFA and will likely sign elsewhere

Here’s our top D prospects likely to stay in Iowa:
David Spacek (still 1-2 years away if not traded)
Carson Lambos (I think he’ll get traded this year)
Jack Peart (still 1-2 years away of not traded)

So where could a top D prospect like David Jiricek fit if the Wild were to trade for him? He still has 1 more ELC year and then several years of RFA control, so they can play it out longer term with him as a replacement for Spurgeon unless he forces his way into the lineup earlier. He would likely be the 7th Defenseman for the 1st year, then as a Bogosian replacement the year after (or sooner if he gets traded) and then a Spurgeon replacement the year after that if all things stay the same as they are right now…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

Chisholm is a Group6 UFA and will likely sign elsewhere

Better chance he ends up an RFA. Only needs to play 32 more games this season

tswoboda wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
Chisholm is a Group6 UFA and will likely sign elsewhere

Better chance he ends up an RFA. Only needs to play 32 more games this season

details… details… I doubt they re-sign him with Buium likely on the team and Hunt as a fresh RFA with a few years before Arb rights…

Who knows, maybe they don’t QO Chisholm in fear of arbitration, just pointing out they will likely have the option. They clearly like Chisholm more than Daemon Hunt right now so I doubt that changes next season

AK Guy wrote:

Forehand, backhand, shelf. Dang that Nino…

We’re going to have another Wild killer if Billy Gee gets his way and trades Rossi. You heard it here first, Rossi will be doing what Nino did last night to the Wild early and often if Guerin trades him.

To quote the sage poet Denny Green, the Jets were who we thought they were. Got to have no D lapses and got to stay out of the box to beat them. We did neither after the first.

No power play goals. Again.

The Wild seemed to get cute after the first, too many thread the needle attempts, to many tries at passing it into the back of the net. Predictable results.

JoeMX1825 wrote:

Based on Leopold’s statements, the plan is to sign a top6 guy this offfseason anyways…

Then Leopold needs to bring in a new GM who can make a deal like this happen. Guerin isn’t that guy. Guerin likes grinders and his idea of “grit” and “FU”, whatever that is. The Wild are way too tied down with long contracts and NTCs for players that even without those things would be tough to move. Doing a true top 6 deal for an EXISTING true top 6 guy (NOT a “should be” prospect) with the hand Billy Gee has dealt himself? Not seeing it.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

The Wild are way too tied down with long contracts and NTCs

Can you name a team that doesn’t have long term contracts and NTCs?

ANY team with veteran players will typically have some sort of trade clauses for them. Of course there’s always a few examples of veterans that don’t (Ryan O’Reilly is a good example, he’s never had one) but its likely they got more term on their deal instead and/or not worried about potentially getting traded…

Nashville’s previous GM (David Poile) was always known as a staunch critic of including trade clauses for his players (except his 1 superstar Roman Josi) Can you name any good UFA’s Nashville has ever signed in the past?

New Predators GM Barry Trotz takes over and Stamkos, Marchessault, Skjei are all signed as UFA’s and Soros & Forsberg get extensions, they ALL get NMCs and NTCs

Anybody can be traded, it just depends on what you’re willing to pay to fix your mistake…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

Can you name a team that doesn’t have long term contracts and NTCs?

Ducks, Sharks, Canadiens, Bluejackets, Blackhawks, hmm I’m sensing a theme here

Grouse will continue to bang the NTC BAD drum forever even though it makes absolutely zero sense. Everything Joe said is right on, NTCs are simply part of the business and every team uses them – fans using them to critique a GM is a massive reach, grasping at straws

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

Guerin likes grinders and his idea of “grit” and “FU”, whatever that is. The Wild are way too tied down with long contracts and NTCs for players that even without those things would be tough to move. Doing a true top 6 deal for an EXISTING true top 6 guy (NOT a “should be” prospect) with the hand Billy Gee has dealt himself? Not seeing it.

Its not that he likes those types of players its essentially all he has been able to afford with all the dead money with the buyouts. You sure have a boner for Billy G.

CaptainMusky wrote:

You sure have a boner for Billy G

tswoboda wrote:

Ducks, Sharks, Canadiens, Bluejackets, Blackhawks

Yeah, total destination teams right now in the NHL, and still the veterans worth anything on those crappy teams all got NTCs, the young prospect/stars don’t need NTCs because the odds of them getting traded are so small as they are hopefully the eventual solution to getting competitive again…

all of those questionable Wild veteran extensions could be traded in the next 1-2 years…they were only NMC’s the first 1-2 years when we truly need them on the team with so many young players…The Wild’s most recent UFA signing (Trenin) was given no protection at all…

tswoboda wrote:

Grouse will continue to bang the NTC BAD drum forever even though it makes absolutely zero sense.

You guys slay me. You know everybody else is wrong, but you never quite come up with the goods as far as saying what the right move is.

The drum I’m banging is the reality drum. This isn’t fantasyland, NTCs and NMCs actually do limit options severely.

So enlighten us. Who is Billy Gee going to trade for a CURRENT top six forward?

Or is it that you just can’t quite bring yourself to say you agree with me that there aren’t many viable options that have real market value? Who do you think is going to waive an NTC and get traded off of a playoff caliber team to make a deal happen?

I’m saying a trade for a true top 6 forward that is currently on a roster is only happening if Guerin is willing to massively overpay with some crazy kind of a deal like Rossi + Ohgren + high pick. Which would be insane. The only other scenario is if a player like Jojo or Freddy plays absolutely out of their mind this season and significantly increases their value.

So out with it. What deal is your boy Billy going to make?

Is your whole soap box here that they can’t trade their current sh!tty players for great players all because those sh!tty players have NTCs ?? Not sure where your whole trade tangent came from, my only point was about your incessant obsession over the NTCs

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

The drum I’m banging is the reality drum. This isn’t fantasyland, NTCs and NMCs actually do limit options severely.

Every teams uses them, every one – it’s part of the business. This is like a business complaining about giving employees health care benefits. It’s a regular part of their compensation and if you want to attract and keep employees (players) you dam well better be using it, or be ready to jack up the pay to compensate for it

Its getting close to Kirill empty net time…

It looks like Tuch is setting up for the deflection off his skates/body in the crease, that’s ridiculous!

Fantastic game by Gustavsson.

Wild experience the bad & good sides of goalie domination in back to back games…

Real nice game from Gus. Also nice to be playing some defense in front of him this year.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tswoboda wrote:</div>
Grouse will continue to bang the NTC BAD drum forever even though it makes absolutely zero sense.

You guys slay me. You know everybody else is wrong, but you never quite come up with the goods as far as saying what the right move is.

The drum I’m banging is the reality drum. This isn’t fantasyland, NTCs and NMCs actually do limit options severely.

So enlighten us. Who is Billy Gee going to trade for a CURRENT top six forward?

Or is it that you just can’t quite bring yourself to say you agree with me that there aren’t many viable options that have real market value? Who do you think is going to waive an NTC and get traded off of a playoff caliber team to make a deal happen?

I’m saying a trade for a true top 6 forward that is currently on a roster is only happening if Guerin is willing to massively overpay with some crazy kind of a deal like Rossi + Ohgren + high pick. Which would be insane. The only other scenario is if a player like Jojo or Freddy plays absolutely out of their mind this season and significantly increases their value.

So out with it. What deal is your boy Billy going to make?

i’m on my phone so I dont feel like thumb typing up a long reply right now, but i’ll break it down to two things.
1) Who said we have to trade for a top 6 guy? Leopold mentioned signing one as a UFA…
2) in order to provide accurate trade ideas, you need to know what 10-15 teams are on guys lists…

I’ll go into it further next week when i’m back at my desk computer…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tswoboda wrote:</div>

all of those questionable Wild veteran extensions could be traded in the next 1-2 years…they were only NMC’s the first 1-2 years when we truly need them on the team with so many young players…The Wild’s most recent UFA signing (Trenin) was given no protection at all…

X2. The list of players on full NMC’s next season not named EK, zucc or Kirill:

Foligno
Middleton

The current list of players on full NMC’s after 25-26:

EK. That’s it

JoeMX1825 wrote:

1) Who said we have to trade for a top 6 guy? Leopold mentioned signing one as a UFA…

I thought it was more nebulous than that. I thought he said something like bring in a top six forward.

Of course this brings up the question of why are we waiting until next summer to bring in a top six guy meanwhile we are trying desperately to trade away a top six guy in Rossi?

But even if it is purely through the free agency route, resigning KK to a $10-11 M deal, plus bring in an established top 6 guy, plus start paying on contract raises that take effect, plus other contacts? All without moving anybody except Fluery retires and I believe Jojo is a UFA? That seems very ambitious to me.

Back to trades. There is this constant hanging implication that somehow Rossi could be packaged with either JoJo or Freddy. Jojo has a NTC and Freddy has a MNTC and a lot of term.

Here I go with the trade clauses that don’t matter because everybody has them. Given those constraints and their performance who would the takers be even if we could get them to waive or hit a team not on Freddy’s list?

Hartman? He has a NMC this season. On and on, every player I see that has any significant trade value also has some clause.

So that’s why I’m saying that I see no realistic trade scenarios outside of giving Rossi away on a 1:1 deal for a lesser player. Or a pick/prospect package deal and oh boy would this be a terrible deal. The only good thing coming out of a deal like this will be that it will make everyone forget all about the Hanzel deal.

Normally I agree with you about Billy G, but I don’t totally agree with your assessment now.

A. Rossi is the only one with trade value. That’s why his name gets tossed around. Don’t think we are desperately trying to trade him. Sorry you are not getting a top six forward for Freddy. reason his name gets brought up is because they need the room on the roster. Again Freddy and a B level prospect don’t get you what you need. Frankly I don’t think Rossi gets moved during the season.

B. Why are they waiting till next summer? Because they don’t have any money this year. So in order to get one money has to go out.

C. Hartman and Foligno are playing well in their third line role not sure why you would want to trade them right now anyway. They finally have a shutdown line again. They can’t afford to trade away any D so that’s out.

D. If we could sign KK to 10-11 million we should all be jumping for joy.

So that’s why I’m saying that I see no realistic trade scenarios outside of giving Rossi away on a 1:1 deal for a lesser player. Or a pick/prospect package deal and oh boy would this be a terrible deal. The only good thing coming out of a deal like this will be that it will make everyone forget all about the Hanzel deal.

Don’t think they would do that.

Not much talk about our 40 year old backup goalie who’s 5-0-1…..

I think there’s ZERO chance GMBG is calling other teams telling them he wants to trade using Marco Rossi, ZERO

The Wild owns all of the cards with Rossi, they can offer the default 10%? Pay bump next season and he has to take it (or hold out). Now would that likely sour the relationship with him and his agent? Sure, but its a business and those are the rules for a kid coming off his ELC… The only worry about Rossi is if another team puts an offer sheet on him this summer… that’s what will likely push GMBG to get a 2 year bridge deal done before the summer…

and as Rip said, Marco is the only real legit trade chip that would be easy for the Wild to trade, so of course his name is going to be mentioned in EVERY trade rumor/conversation…

I think all of the current (Jiricek) and future trade offers will likely involve Ohgren, Lambos, Heidt, Stramel and Haight as who the Wild would offer up. Those are all legit trade chips GMBG would be willing to spend…

The 2 BIGGEST needs this team/organization needs are getting bigger and meaner on defense (to survive playoff hockey) and find consistent 2nd line scoring help…

Stramel seems to be having a good season at Michigan State at least comparatively. They were #1 in buccis poll which I think may be high but that program turned around pretty quick

CaptainMusky wrote:

Stramel seems to be having a good season at Michigan State at least comparatively. They were #1 in buccis poll which I think may be high but that program turned around pretty quick

He’s been the 2C most of the season sofar. He had 2 goals in 1 game, otherwise he’s been sprinkling in assist every couple of games…

The kid could be a prototypical 3rd line checking center (That would be his ceiling imo) his size and skating ability are very good, that’s what likely gets him a Wild contract this summer…

Michigan State is a perfect example of how a college can poach players from the transfer portal offering tons of icetime and quickly turn itself around…

Ripjiggen wrote:

Frankly I don’t think Rossi gets moved during the season.

But you DO think Rossi gets moved eventually?

It feels to me like Guerin has some mental issue with Rossi and wants him gone and that’s that. It’s like performance doesn’t matter, Guerin thinks Rossi lacks grit or FU or whatever and that’s a terminal condition with Guerin. Rossi must go.

So Guerin is going to trade away what I believe will be a 30+ goal centerman? How is this possibly a good move for a team that is always starved for centers and scoring from guys not named Kaprizov or Boldy?

Ripjiggen wrote:

D. If we could sign KK to 10-11 million we should all be jumping for joy.

I was hoping for a max term deal at this level but you’re probably right. Which is going to burn whatever is left of the post buyout cash plus the cap increase at an even faster rate.

Okay so back to the regular season.

I had to endure the stands full of Suckhawks sweaters yesterday as all the turkeys showed up a day late to cheer on Chicago’s most successful sports franchise.

I don’t know what was going on with the Wild. Too much turkey? Dazzled by the skills of Superstar Ryan Donato?

So Rossi and Spurgeon team up to get it done.

Can someone please explain the icing empty net call? Is icing automatically called as soon as the puck his the end wall and comes back across the goal line regardless of the positions of the pursuing players?

Because I had a clear view of that whole play and there was absolutely no way the Chicago player was going to get to that puck first. From the time when both players entered the zone there was no way the Chicago player was getting there first. So is it just that icing is automatic?

If he signs with the Wild, it will for sure be a max 8 year term deal with a full NMC (you’ll love that) its all about what his AAV will be is the only unknown…

Regarding Foligno’s waved off empty netter, It was the Linesman’s mistake, he makes a judgement call on which player would have likely touched it when they reach the hash marks (defensive player always gets the tiebreaker) this is to avoid board collisions for players racing to touch the puck (remember Kurtis Foster’s broken leg injury many years ago?)
Maybe he thought Foligno’s stick was the Hawks guy?

The officials got together and they told the Linesman he made a mistake, that’s why it was then a center ice faceoff, it was an “Officials mistake”

sucks for Foligno…