Article: The Wild Aren't Going To Trade Core Pieces This Summer

[Luke Sims]

View full article

[vonlonster67]

I would consider Foligno a (was) core piece, and Ek a ridiculous speculation by Seney, but Moose's time and value aren't going to get better.

Time to move him as I have suggested before. Ek is the only piece we need with JoJo and Bolds. The GREEF line is in the rear view mirror. Beckman needs a chance to fill the forward slot and Duhaime the physical, not fighting presence. We don't need any more penalty minutes. 

Alex Goligoski (trade), Ryan Reaves, and Jon Merrill (trade) need to make way for our IA untested depth and I know BG will find another Middy in the mix to replace the holes. Our "D" was up and down and I believe Faber coming, with the resigning of Gus will leave us something to work with. We really need to know where were at with these IA guys O'Rourke and Hunt are before '24-'25 and the infusion we'll get this year with Bankier, Masters, Novak and Spacek.

The draft is around the corner and a month from now all the speculation will be just that, speculation and well wishing our new added pieces in the draft, trades and free agency.

[mnfaninnc]

Quote

What kind of team are they? One of 30 who get to play golf in June and watch a Stanley Cup Final featuring two big trade headliners from the comfort of the couch. 

This is only true if they get TNT! Otherwise, you're frozen out!

Seney is an idiot for suggesting this. I have no idea who he is and I do read NHL Trade Rumors. But, he's either a national guy, or a Toronto writer. If his analysis is that we have Hartsy, Gaudreau, Steel, he is very out of touch with this team, and that has been my criticism of all national writers. 

[MNCountryLife]

A healthy Ek and Shaw and I really feel that we take Dallas to 7 with a good chance of winning the series.   Steel's consistent face off losses led to some very quick goals against in that series and Ek is way better at face offs and PK.  Let Beckman, Walker, Ryan O'Rorke and Wallstedt play up next season and I think the Wild will be in playoff contention with a better chance of advancing.   It should leave us a little bit extra for any trades at the deadline... A chance in the playoffs is all any team can ask for ... especially one in salary cap purgatory.

[Up North Guy]

19 minutes ago, MNCountryLife said:

A healthy Ek and Shaw and I really feel that we take Dallas to 7 with a good chance of winning the series.   Steel's consistent face off losses led to some very quick goals against in that series and Ek is way better at face offs and PK.  Let Beckman, Walker, Ryan O'Rorke and Wallstedt play up next season and I think the Wild will be in playoff contention with a better chance of advancing.   It should leave us a little bit extra for any trades at the deadline... A chance in the playoffs is all any team can ask for ... especially one in salary cap purgatory.

Wallstadt is not ready to move up. He needs at least one more year in the A. Goalies are different than forwards. They take longer to develop to NHL level. If he can make it after next year that is very quick.

[mnfaninnc]

19 hours ago, MNCountryLife said:

Let Beckman, Walker, Ryan O'Rorke and Wallstedt play up next season and I think the Wild will be in playoff contention with a better chance of advancing. 

From what I saw, The Wall and O'Rourke are not ready to move up yet. For O'Rourke's game, he needs a lot more added muscle to play in the N, and for The Wall, I would think rebound control is going to be his main issue to work on.

From the highlights, especially the 2nd half of the season, The Wall had eliminated most of the strange angle goals he let in. Most of the damage was done while shorthanded and off rebounds. Of course it was hard to see the numbers of the defenders since their backs were not showing in the camera angles, but some of the problems, I believe, were defenders not being quick enough to rebounds. 

Also, The Wall, essentially, came in as 1B and ended the season as 1A. I'd like to see him take over the clear #1 role in Iowa before promoting him. 

[MNCountryLife]

3 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

Also, The Wall, essentially, came in as 1B and ended the season as 1A. I'd like to see him take over the clear #1 role in Iowa before promoting him. 

I don't disagree with anything you mentioned.  But the Wild have some extremely tough decisions to make.  Our existing prospect pool is the only real viable solution and we need our prospects the next 2 years.  When Cap purgatory eases up a bit things can change.  But we need 2F, 1D and 1G from the pool... and it needs to be this year.  It leaves a little change in our pockets to handle some trade deadline options and when we exit purgatory we will have a better understanding of our needs.  I also like the idea of Fleury having a chance to Mentor the Wall.

[mnfaninnc]

We'll get our guys, and Duhaime/Shaw will not be expensive to resign. 

1 hour ago, MNCountryLife said:

When Cap purgatory eases up a bit things can change.  But we need 2F, 1D and 1G from the pool... and it needs to be this year. 

I don't think we need the goalie yet from the pool. I see us running with Fleury/Gustavsson again. We will likely be able to sign a cheap UFA to play 3rd pairing LD if need be, especially with the cap only moving $1m this season. Most teams are underwater once they sign their RFAs.