MN Wild 2017-18 Official Thread

True the #24 pick was generally ranked in the 50’s but it was also widely commented in that once you got to around 20 the kids from there to the 70s were really hard to separate.
I think we will see some trades start now. It would be tough to replace production of a guy like zucker in any trade. We picked up some depth for Iowa but there isnt anyone that is going to help us for a couple years at the earliest.
The cap has been set and it hasnt gone up as high as hoped. Will be interesting to see what transpires in the coming weeks.

It’s pretty much a crapshoot after the top 5 picks are gone…but hasn’t the past few seasons showed a need for large tough defenseman? And then we go and draft a 6’ Swede…

Seems we had our pick of some offensive upside players so hopefully it doesn’t come back to bite us in a few years. I give Fenton some credit for not caving on a considered “safe” pick and going with his gut..

Regarding trades, we’re not exactly in a position of power as all of our tradeable players had down years and injuries (except Zucker) and everyone knows our GM wants a trade, he’s probably getting crappy offers…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

Regarding trades, we’re not exactly in a position of power as all of our tradeable players had down years and injuries (except Zucker) and everyone knows our GM wants a trade, he’s probably getting crappy offers…

I think you’re right and also I really suspect that Fenton is trying to do a Pominville 2.0 trade and to bind a more desirable player like Zucker with one we just want to move–Coyle–in an all-or-nothing deal. Appetite for this kind of trade is limited and then it’s even more limited to the teams with cap space.

The positive note, I like the selection of Alexander Khovanov with the Wild’s #3 pick. 5’10” and 200 pounds. He’ll be tough to move. And is this a sign that it WAS Fletcher who had a hangup with Russian players? Fenton didn’t even go 3 picks before he picked a Russian. Fletcher went what, 5 years before he took one?

I don’t know, maybe that Johannson wasn’t too bad, but I’m still mystified why you’d pick 3 centermen indicating the team sees a clear need in this area, but only AFTER you pick a D man.

Grouse

Khovanov could be a steal if he doesn’t go the KHL route…most projected him with 1st round talent, then you minus the KHL effect and he contracted Hep A and missed 8 months… He was also a very young 18 year old drafted, so hopefully he gets taller…

We will be suffering from middle of the pack syndrome, with no good draft picks and have cap issues for the foreseeable future and are stuck a middle of the road team with no real cup possibilities. Just is what it is, but at least we are making the playoffs.

It’s not out of the realm of possibilities this team starts not making the playoffs with a top ten defensemen coming off a weird injury and a scrappy, injury prone hometown Joe and an aging, underwhelming captain, surrounded by under achievers.

Spin it with the homer glasses on, fact is future isn’t looking great.

Selling Coyle off for nothing is like playing the stock market and buying high and selling low. It’s completely backwards. Nobody is going to give them jack crap for Coyle, the whole league knows he’s under performing. We keep giving up to much and having to sweeten everyone else’s tea. These constant lopsided deals are killing the teams future. Just be barely good enough to scratch and claw into the playoffs is killing draft picks. The formula the wild have sucks and will continue to suck unless something drastically changes.

JoeMX1825 wrote:

but hasn’t the past few seasons showed a need for large tough defenseman? And then we go and draft a 6’ Swede…

Its interesting you say this, but the draft would say otherwise. There were 14 D taken in the 1st round and the majority of them were small “puck moving” type defensemen.
I’m not saying you are wrong, but that is pretty contradictory to what the “experts” have been saying about what the Wild need when many teams are taking smallish D guys in the first round.

CaptainMusky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
but hasn’t the past few seasons showed a need for large tough defenseman? And then we go and draft a 6’ Swede…

Its interesting you say this, but the draft would say otherwise. There were 14 D taken in the 1st round and the majority of them were small “puck moving” type defensemen.
I’m not saying you are wrong, but that is pretty contradictory to what the “experts” have been saying about what the Wild need when many teams are taking smallish D guys in the first round.

I think it’s more that the really good offensive defenseman (regardless of size, but they typically tend to be the smaller guys) are fewer and harder to find so you spend the high picks to get them, most of those teams who drafted them already have tougher type of defensemen…

basseyes wrote:

Selling Coyle off for nothing is like playing the stock market and buying high and selling low. It’s completely backwards. Nobody is going to give them jack crap for Coyle, the whole league knows he’s under performing. We keep giving up to much and having to sweeten everyone else’s tea. These constant lopsided deals are killing the teams future. Just be barely good enough to scratch and claw into the playoffs is killing draft picks. The formula the wild have sucks and will continue to suck unless something drastically changes.

On almost the 7 year anniversary of trading Brent Burns for Setoguchi, Coyle and a draft pick(Phillips who bounced around the AHL then Sweden and now plays in a league in the UK) the Wild now likely have to throw even more away to get rid of Coyle. What a horrible trade, Fletcher absolutely blew that one. How Chuck kept his job that long was incredible.

I think the NHL draft is a little too close to the MLB draft. Too many players selected are only “Would be” prospects. You’re probably at least 4 years out before knowing much of anything.

The reality is: Will any given player drafted in the first couple rounds actually assemble some kind of career? It’s certainly not a given. If the bar is raised to will a drafted player meet fan’s expectations they may as well play in the NFL (Not For Long).