MN Wild 2019-2020 Official Thread

In regard to sports resuming will Hockey and basketball be the first to shut down once again?

Why are you here?

mplspug wrote:

Why are you here?

?
Sports get Us through the heart of winter. I would rather see both of them start a later new season than restart and ruin last season. I want to watch both leagues this winter uninterrupted.

Oh sorry, it sounded like you were trolling.

I hope they can finish the playoffs without issue. Otherwise next season will get cancelled or not start until all players are vaccinated.

mplspug wrote:

Oh sorry, it sounded like you were trolling.

I hope they can finish the playoffs without issue. Otherwise next season will get cancelled or not start until all players are vaccinated.

same here, finish this “playoffs” and get everything back to normal (Draft and Free Agency completed). Then start up the 20-21 season when most confident they can complete it without any stoppages.

As hard as it is to say, I’m also hoping the Wild lose to the Canucks. i’m a Wild fan, but also a realist, I would gladly take that 1/8 shot at the #1 pick (or 9-11) vs another 1st round playoff loss..This team isnt ready to compete for a cup yet…

Well to say the playoffs are wide open this year is an understatement. I think it will actually be the team that is best at every aspect of the game. By that I mean coaching, conditioning, practicing, etc, as much as just skill.

To me playoff hockey all revolves around goaltending.
I can not think of a single winner that has had average goaltending and won it all.
I’m sorry to say that I don’t have much faith in either Stalock or Dubbie.
Then again maybe the Finn becomes their #1 out of the abbreviated camp?

The_Bladepuller wrote:

To me playoff hockey all revolves around goaltending.
I can not think of a single winner that has had average goaltending and won it all.

All three times the Blackhawks won the cup this decade they had average goal tending at best. Anti Niemi and Corey Crawford (twice). Kane, Toews, and Keith won the MVPs the 3 times they won too.

I do think that the goalie has to be steady and consistent, but teams have and can win with an average goal tender.

gimruis wrote:

I do think that the goalie has to be steady and consistent, but teams have and can win with an average goal tender.

As a goalie myself, I totally agree. Simply limit the number of grade A chances and the goalie has a much easier time playing with confidence. If you can force the other team to take this shots when and where they don’t want to take them, you stand a really good chance with anyone.

according to Russo, the Wild are expected to sign Kaprizov anytime in the next 48 hours. It will burn the 1st year of his 2 year rookie deal, he won’t be able to play in this year’s shortened playoffs, but he can practice and travel with the team and get acclimated to the US, MN and the Wild org and team mates. If he lights it up next year they will have full RFA rights to him and will likely need to sign him to a big deal (great!) if he doesn’t do well, then his agent really won’t have a leg to stand on in terms of next contract demands and he’ll likely need to sign a prove it 1-2 year deal (great!)

Win – Win for everyone!

JoeMX1825 wrote:

according to Russo, the Wild are expected to sign Kaprizov anytime in the next 48 hours. It will burn the 1st year of his 2 year rookie deal, he won’t be able to play in this year’s shortened playoffs, but he can practice and travel with the team and get acclimated to the US, MN and the Wild org and team mates. If he lights it up next year they will have full RFA rights to him and will likely need to sign him to a big deal (great!) if he doesn’t do well, then his agent really won’t have a leg to stand on in terms of next contract demands and he’ll likely need to sign a prove it 1-2 year deal (great!)

Win – Win for everyone!

Nice! Well, let me know when it happens… could use some good news

The new odds came out for the playoffs, per Las Vegas sportbooks. The top 5 of 6 teams to win are in the Eastern Conference. Bruins, Lightning, Capitals, Flyers, and Penguins. The only team from the west considered to be a favorite are the Blues. The Penguins are the only team in the top 6 that have to play in the play-in round. Based on the regular season I would say this is fairly accurate as the standings reflected that but with almost a 5 month layoff this could be a crap shoot.

I really like how they are going to re-seed the teams after each round. The highest seed should be rewarded with the lowest remaining seed every time in my opinion. The format they were using before this was junk with the “divisional” rounds instead.

Big announcement this morning, and not the one we were expecting to hear today… Interim tag removed from Head Coach Dean Evason. Hopefully later today or tomorrow we’ll get the announcement of Kaprizov signing his ELC.

Should be lots of excitement around the organization going into these weird playoffs!

Great news. I really like how he has coached the team these last 4 months and getting them into the playoffs.

I’m just hoping Kap signs on the dotted line before anything gets cancelled, just read that the Penguins put 7+ players in quarantine due to possible interaction with a person who tested positive yesterday. How’s the NHL going to handle this when the playoffs start?

Done deal, he just signed!!!

JoeMX1825 wrote:

Done deal, he just signed!!!

Good news but I’ll save my enthusiasim for when I see those KHL highlight goals and numbers being performed on a NHL level on a consistent basis.

Ice Cap wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
Done deal, he just signed!!!

Good news but I’ll save my enthusiasim for when I see those KHL highlight goals and numbers being performed on a NHL level on a consistent basis.

at least he now has the opportunity. This is like signing a top 5 draft pick except you’ve seen him excel against pros vs other amateurs.

JoeMX1825 wrote:

Done deal, he just signed!!!

Huge news! At least a little hope, and shot in the arm for the franchise!

The waiting game is over on Kaprisov! Well, the waiting to sign him game. Now the waiting to see him play starts… It is going to interesting to see how his game looks surrounded by NHL players. I think we’re on to something good here.

Everson. Meh. Not sure about this one. Something’s funny about this deal. Why do you fire a coach with 20 games left, hang the “interim” label on the assistant, wait a few months and then name him head coach? We’ll probably never know, but my guess is Gurin had his sights set on another guy, probably an assistant, who just re-upped with his current team.

Biggest news IMO, Gurin brings in Judd Brackett to lead the amateur scouting for the Wild. This guy lead Vancouver to some very good picks and not just “well duh” R1 picks. He’s done very well in R2 and R3, and even pulled off some R1 picks that were better than the consensus choice. Also, I like that finally Gurin has brought in somebody from outside the organization to lead a key function.

Grouse

Can’t wait to see Kap in 2021…. October 2021.

I hope I am wrong with Evey fiber of my being, but I don’t have high hopes for completing the covid cup or a 20/21 season.

mplspug wrote:

Why are you here?

mplspug wrote:

Oh sorry, it sounded like you were trolling.

I hope they can finish the playoffs without issue. Otherwise next season will get cancelled or not start until all players are vaccinated.

mplspug wrote:

Can’t wait to see Kap in 2021…. October 2021.

I hope I am wrong with Evey fiber of my being, but I don’t have high hopes for completing the covid cup or a 20/21 season.

“Eh?!”

mplspug wrote:

I hope I am wrong with Evey fiber of my being, but I don’t have high hopes for completing the covid cup or a 20/21 season.

I have exactly the same feeling. I have a difficult time believing that when a player or support staff member comes down with the cove, they’re just going to say everyone else just carry on?

And then everything’s going to be just swell by September and it’s going to be business as usual? Yeah. Who gets to be the first team to go play Arizona? Or Dallas.

Grouse

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

And then everything’s going to be just swell by September and it’s going to be business as usual? Yeah.

The current playoffs (Covid Cup) are set to resume on August 1 will take them all the way through September. So ya, there won’t be a 2020-2021 season until at least December at the earliest. I’m thinking January to be honest.

ok, he’s signed, it’s official, now back to my earlier point, 9 Penguin players were put into quarantine today due to possible interaction with a positive person this weekend. How would this go down next month when they are playing in a series? The Penguins would have to play without these 9 players? They postpone the series until their quarantine passes? Hopefully they have the bubbles these guys will live in airtight over Edmonton and Toronto otherwise this has disaster written all over it. I’m crossing everything I got that they can get it done without issue, moving it to Canada was the best thing they could have done, at least it has a chance to work..

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mplspug wrote:</div>
I hope I am wrong with Evey fiber of my being, but I don’t have high hopes for completing the covid cup or a 20/21 season.

I have exactly the same feeling. I have a difficult time believing that when a player or support staff member comes down with the cove, they’re just going to say everyone else just carry on?

And then everything’s going to be just swell by September and it’s going to be business as usual? Yeah. Who gets to be the first team to go play Arizona? Or Dallas.

Grouse

If they start Aug 1st that’s exactly what they will do. If a player gets Covid he is put in quarantine until he test negative. If they are testing each day would be pretty easy to trace where it’s coming from. Just like every other sport. Actually probably easier in NHL since they are using hub cities.

I said earlier as long as they have players testing positive or players exposed to someone who has tested positive I don’t see how they get this playoff thing off the ground and if they do how they make it to the end without having to put it back on the ground. It’s not like this is just the flu right?

I’ll guess this gets postponed at the very least.

JoeMX1825 wrote:

How would this go down next month when they are playing in a series? The Penguins would have to play without these 9 players? They postpone the series until their quarantine passes?

My understanding is that once they start, they intend to continue even if the Crosby, Ovechkin, and McDavids start testing positive. If 9 players are infected, they will have to find replacements.

So with the Kaprizov signing, he’s now under contact but can’t play in the COVID Cup? And we still lose a season of his rights?

Correct. If they didn’t sign him he most likely goes back to KHL for this upcoming season which I believe starts in September and they would not have seen him next season. Seems kind of messed up. When his contract is up he can only negotiate with the Wild. I wouldn’t worry to much about what he will command as Koivu will be off the books so they will have the money to sign him if he shows star talent next year. 2 other Russian players that signed are in the same boat.