MN Wild 2019-2020 Official Thread

Bold moves by Gurin and Brackett.

What I like about this whole deal is that all these moves look to me like a plan. In the past, the Wild GMs across the board looked dazed and confused on draft day. Finally, in Gurin & Co we have at least the appearance of a GM and talent guy who have their sh!t together and seem to be executing on a plan rather than just willy-nilly what move can I make today.

Bonino fills a near term need, will be interseting to see how he works out. So we pick up a Really like that O’Rourke kid as a D pick. Sounds like some nasty that we need.

Pretty good looking draft IMO.

Grouse

it “appears” the Wild is done with the 2020 draft after trading their 6th & 7th round picks to get a 5th rounder. Great draft that addressed several prospect system needs.

I think one of the first calls BillyG should make is to the Golden Knights and see if they will part with either a 1st round pick or one of their top young center prospects (Cody Glass or Peyton Krebs) along with 25% or 50% salary retention on Fleury’s contract. I still think he can play at a high level for 2 years while you figure out if Kaapo is the real deal or want to invest in a different young goalie….so you’re basically buying a top center prospect or 1st round pick for using up our remaining capspace, just like the Leafs did last year with Patrick Marleau…

It solves our short term goalie issue and fills the prospect stockpile we’ve built up, but it would be at the cost of getting into the FA bidding war next offseason as our cap space would be tight with Fiala and Kaprizov extensions due…

So, are we of the opinion the Wild will tank this year to keep stock piling players?

Dutchboy wrote:

So, are we of the opinion the Wild will tank this year to keep stock piling players?

Seems like now would be the time to do it. Likely to be a shortened season, probably no or vastly reduced fan attendance at games so minimal additional financial hit from lost fan interest, the expansion draft is going to steal a roster player no matter what. The goaltending situation is mediocre at best. Near term center situation is patched up, but nothing in this lineup says deep playoff run to me.

Looks like Gurin is saying the very opposite of Fenton’s tweaking theory. Gurin seems to be on a 2-3 year plan.

Grouse

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Dutchboy wrote:</div>
So, are we of the opinion the Wild will tank this year to keep stock piling players?

Seems like now would be the time to do it. Likely to be a shortened season, probably no or vastly reduced fan attendance at games so minimal additional financial hit from lost fan interest, the expansion draft is going to steal a roster player no matter what. The goaltending situation is mediocre at best. Near term center situation is patched up, but nothing in this lineup says deep playoff run to me.

Looks like Gurin is saying the very opposite of Fenton’s tweaking theory. Gurin seems to be on a 2-3 year plan.

Grouse

Going into this next season they still do not have a number one and probably a number two center. The draft hopefully addressed that for the future but we really won’t know that for a little while. So from what I see as of right now today is not a very good team for next year.

Not to mention no goalie.

Dutchboy wrote:

Not to mention no goalie.

Well technically they have the same starting goalie they had most of this past season, but yeah currently don’t have two unless they are bringing up Kahko which it didn’t sound like his plan.

Maybe you can strap up the pads Dutchy.

The fact that they got guys with only a year left hints at using them as bargain chips before the deadline. I’m guessing BillyG wants to acquire picks and prospects this and next year, get through the expansion draft, then he’ll have a good idea where this team is headed and what pieces it still needs that maybe it addresses in FA. Grouse makes great points on the lost revenue and shortened season next year makes it a quick one to forget, might as well rip the Band-Aid off quickly…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

The fact that they got guys with only a year left hints at using them as bargain chips before the deadline. I’m guessing BillyG wants to acquire picks and prospects this and next year, get through the expansion draft, then he’ll have a good idea where this team is headed and what pieces it still needs that maybe it addresses in FA. Grouse makes great points on the lost revenue and shortened season next year makes it a quick one to forget, might as well rip the Band-Aid off quickly…

The only flaw I see in that plan is the contracts of the big 3, 2-3 years from now might make it hard to complete that strategy. Suter I think will be fine then barring a major injury as he is a fairly effortless skater that is more a stay at home defensemen. Zack and Zuc on the other hand might be real expensive 3rd or 4th line wingers.
I think the Dumba trade is going to be harder than some may think with both the expansion draft and the cap situation. The economics in the sport are definitely being altered in our current state. The expansion draft and what they do will be interesting as well. As they currently have 5 d men that they would not want to lose for nothing. I am definitely in wait and see mode to see how it all transpires with Bill G. I guess only time will tell.
Looking forward to seeing the Russian and Fiala combo and how that develops next year.
Watching the draft last night I did see ol Fletch make the first pick for the flyers. Almost forgot he got hired there.

I didn’t mention the big 3 because BillyG cant really do much about them. He inherited these contracts and all he can do is ask the players to drop their NTC’s then he’ll need to find another team who will likely want us to take back one of their bad contracts or retain 1/2 the salary (then it’s kind of a shorter term buyout). We could do what the Predators did with Turris but they are going to have $2 million of dead capspace for the next 8 years!!!!

The smartest option is just to roll with these guys and hope they can still produce at an acceptable level until their contract is done with. I don’t want to wish injury on somebody, but if they got hurt towards the end of their career and postponeD retirement we might be able to get away with a “Hossa” scenario…

I get that he is strapped with those guys because that is what he inherited. Just meant it is more difficult to do what like say Detroit is trying to do with a total rebuild. I wonder what Zach and Suter think about what is happening and maybe makes them rethink there futures here.

For discussion sake looking at the current roster who are the 8 they will protect in exp draft. I get the roster will change by then. They have 5 d that I think they would like to keep protect but that definitely leaves them exposed on their forwards. As in Fiala and Kaprisov who I do t believe either will exposed so currently that probably leaves Soucy as the odd man out. Would be a bummer to lose Soucy after you just signed him. I get they are probably trying to move Dumba but I don’t think Bill will move him just to move him either. Does this influence if they keep Rossi this year as I believe rookies are exempt.

They don’t need to protect Kaprizov or Rossi.

If the roster stays the same as it is now on the expansion draft day I think this is the protected list:
1) Parise (ntc)
2) Suter (ntc)
3) Zuccarello (ntc)
4) Spurgeon (ntc)
5) Brodin (ntc)
6) Fiala
7) Dumba
8) Ek or Greenway or Saucy or Foligno (if resigned)

I just don’t see them keeping Dumba, you just don’t pay one of your 3rd pair defenseman almost $3 million per season…BillyG will be patient, but Dumba is in high demand and will bring back valuable assets. I think the teams that lose out on Peterangelo’s FA choice this weekend will be calling…Trading Dumba would likely return a top prospect and a couple of high draft picks.

Agree I think Dumba is moved just a weird couple of seasons happening right now. Some real good players being talked about in trades like Laine, Stamkos, etc. I thought it was just rookie contracts but see you are exempt for first and second year players. I assume this doesn’t count for Soucy however. So looking at your list and let say Dumba is moved I think EK moves up to 7 and Soucy to 8. However let’s say Dumba is traded for a established center like most of us thought a week or two ago then they would more than likely protect that player. Obviously things can and will change before then just interesting to see how this team maneuvers a semi rebuild around another expansion draft.
Well now that the draft is over time to watch what happens with free agency and trades across the NHL.

I think many gm’s have figured out it’s likely better to just take the expansion selection hit on a single player vs the whole “agreement” scenario that cost us so dearly with Vegas. Obviously some teams take a bigger hit than others but that likely means they are better equipped to replace what they lost.

I’m curious who Tampa bay will expose with all of their ntc players who need to be protected.

Regarding all of the big names being talked about in trades, these teams all planned heavily on the cap rising so they planned out their contracts accordingly, now that the cap is flat the next 2 years they are scrambling to figure out how to sign their likely high pay raise RFA’s and stay under the cap (Tampa is the poster child for this issue right now)

Why don’t the Wild go after Tyler Johnson? You can expose and negotiate with Seattle from a good position being he is a Washington native? I am sure he’d like to be there since his summer home in Idaho isn’t far away.

mplspug wrote:

Why don’t the Wild go after Tyler Johnson? You can expose and negotiate with Seattle from a good position being he is a Washington native? I am sure he’d like to be there since his summer home in Idaho isn’t far away.

Why don’t we want a small 30+ year old winger, who plays soft with 4 years left on his deal at $5 million per? I’m sure you’d want Zuccarello in return right?

and why would he want to leave an income tax free state like Florida? You guys are in trouble with all your NTC’s…every team knows it so your trades will return pennies on the dollar…

BUT you won the cup so there are some sacrifices that can be looked at as being worth it…

Ripjiggen wrote:

I thought it was just rookie contracts but see you are exempt for first and second year players. I assume this doesn’t count for Soucy however.

Even though Soucy hasnt passed the number of games played threshold, he has passed the age threshold so he is not exempt from the Expansion draft rules.

Regarding 1 or 2 Center. From what I have read from many of the prospect experts, they believe that Rossi is NHL ready now. Does that mean he is a top 6? Not sure, but lets see how he comes to camp and figure that out. He has been training twice a day for 7 months straight and has gotten stronger and faster. Strength was already an asset for him, speed was a little lacking, but he is such a strong skater and makes up for a little less speed.
I really like that pick and cannot even believe that it worked out for us to get our biggest need and that our top guy was there. He should have gone in the top 5 for sure. Some had him at #3.

JoeMX1825 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mplspug wrote:</div>
Why don’t the Wild go after Tyler Johnson? You can expose and negotiate with Seattle from a good position being he is a Washington native? I am sure he’d like to be there since his summer home in Idaho isn’t far away.

Why don’t we want a small 30+ year old winger, who plays soft with 4 years left on his deal at $5 million per? I’m sure you’d want Zuccarello in return right?

and why would he want to leave an income tax free state like Florida? You guys are in trouble with all your NTC’s…every team knows it so your trades will return pennies on the dollar…

BUT you won the cup so there are some sacrifices that can be looked at as being worth it…

As expansion bait. It’s one year. I thought I made that clear?

Pennies on the dollar? I think you mistaken our GM for Fenton. Those things only happen when the players are low commodities and there is little interest.

I’ve read lots of drafters remorse out there for the teams that picked 4-8 and didn’t grab him. If we can get a solid 1C/2C prospect who’s only a year or less away for Dumba or with taking on Fleury’s contract, talk about filling a nearly impossible top center hole in a single offseason…Yes, these prospects need to pan out, but not having a top 1-2 pick and knowing you’re not going to get an established Center via trade (although Columbus got Domi pretty cheap) I think they’ve done pretty well…

mplspug wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mplspug wrote:</div>
Why don’t the Wild go after Tyler Johnson? You can expose and negotiate with Seattle from a good position being he is a Washington native? I am sure he’d like to be there since his summer home in Idaho isn’t far away.

Why don’t we want a small 30+ year old winger, who plays soft with 4 years left on his deal at $5 million per? I’m sure you’d want Zuccarello in return right?

and why would he want to leave an income tax free state like Florida? You guys are in trouble with all your NTC’s…every team knows it so your trades will return pennies on the dollar…

BUT you won the cup so there are some sacrifices that can be looked at as being worth it…

As expansion bait. It’s one year. I thought I made that clear?

Pennies on the dollar? I think you mistaken our GM for Fenton. Those things only happen when the players are low commodities and there is little interest.

You don’t trade for a downward trending player with 4 years on his contract in HOPES of Seattle taking him…and in a normal offseason I agree your players have value, but not in a flat cap the next 2 seasons…

If memory serves Johnson has a full NMC so there isnt even a list of teams he cant be traded to, its solely up to him to waive the NMC to even consider a trade. It sounds like he is open to that potentially, but he solves nothing for the Wild.

CaptainMusky wrote:

If memory serves Johnson has a full NMC so there isnt even a list of teams he cant be traded to, its solely up to him to waive the NMC to even consider a trade. It sounds like he is open to that potentially, but he solves nothing for the Wild.

It’s a full NTC (not NMC) – The difference there is that he can be waived and then any team can claim him. The Penguins just used that against Hornqvist. Starting 2021 season he has a 12 team no trade list.

tswoboda wrote:

It’s a full NTC (not NMC) – The difference there is that he can be waived and then any team can claim him. The Penguins just used that against Hornqvist. Starting 2021 season he has a 12 team no trade list.

Ah, thats right, I was thinking of Stamkos, he has a NMC, which Tampa is really up against it with the cap and there was talk he might be shopped. At his contract, I wouldnt get within 12 miles of him and his injury history.

It’s pretty rare for a player with a NTC to waive it, yes it does happen, but typically the player has an established family in the area and they don’t want to uproot them. It will be tough for Tampa to get a NTC player to give up that stability, living conditions, no income tax and playing for a good team with the chance to win the cup the next few years.

JoeMX1825 wrote:

It’s pretty rare for a player with a NTC to waive it.

Unless they play for the Penguins…

Wow the free agent goalie market is loaded, albeit with some aging players.

Corey Crawford, Braden Holtby, Henrik Lundqvist, Anton Khudobin, Jacob Markstrom, Thomas Greiss, Cam Talbot, Mike Smith, Craig Anderson and Jimmy Howard.

hop307 wrote:

Corey Crawford, Braden Holtby, Henrik Lundqvist, Anton Khudobin, Jacob Markstrom, Thomas Greiss, Cam Talbot, Mike Smith, Craig Anderson and Jimmy Howard.

Average age 45?? Don’t fact check that, but holy cow those guys have all been around awhile.

Markstrom will get paid well somewhere, maybe Holtby and Greiss too. After that the Wild should just take whichever one will sign a 1 year deal. Except Jimmy Howard. Unless they are for real tanking – then he’s your guy.

With so many teams going to a 1a/1b goalie tandem, the Wild are looking to show the league something different. 2a/2b – bold strategy, let’s see how it works out for them.

EDIT: I forgot SJ Sharks already beat them to it.

Actually, of that list Craig Anderson intrigues me. He plays behind terrible D in Toronto, but his advances stats are not really that bad. I dont know if you could get him for a 1 or 2 year deal however which would be ideal.
Nanne was pining for Holtby, but I just dont know. He could be falling off the cliff like Dubnyk did.

Holtby is still fairly young at 31 so a 2 or 3 year wouldn’t be the worst.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Actually, of that list Craig Anderson intrigues me. He plays behind terrible D in Toronto, but his advances stats are not really that bad. I dont know if you could get him for a 1 or 2 year deal however which would be ideal.
Nanne was pining for Holtby, but I just dont know. He could be falling off the cliff like Dubnyk did.

Pretty sure you’re thinking of Freddie Anderson, not Craig.