Article: Wilderness Walk: Pierre-Luc Dubois To Minnesota?

[Thomas Williams]

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[Up North Guy]

MLD is immensely talented and is a prototypical center. He would be great for the Wild, perhaps. First, I wonder about his head. He seems (and I have no evidence) to be divisive in the locker room. That worked out great with Suter. Second, I just don't see how the team could afford him. If they couldn't afford Michael, how does MLD work? What contracts would they move to make it happen? I assume they would not unless he signed a longish term contract. A one year rental makes no sense. And finally, what would the Wild have to send to the Peg for this to happen?

[Up North Guy]

Just now, Up North Guy said:

MLD is immensely talented and is a prototypical center. He would be great for the Wild, perhaps. First, I wonder about his head. He seems (and I have no evidence) to be divisive in the locker room. That worked out great with Suter. Second, I just don't see how the team could afford him. If they couldn't afford Michael, how does MLD work? What contracts would they move to make it happen? I assume they would not unless he signed a longish term contract. A one year rental makes no sense. And finally, what would the Wild have to send to the Peg for this to happen?

Not sure why I wrote MLD when i mean PLD. It's Monday is my excuse!😎

[mnfaninnc]

1 hour ago, Up North Guy said:

Not sure why I wrote MLD when i mean PLD. It's Monday is my excuse!😎

I thought PLD had a twin brother named Michael. Probably just as big and good, just an RHS! 😁

[mnfaninnc]

I asked this question a few days ago when I read the rumor of PLD wanting to leave. The response was not overwhelmingly in favor of obtaining him. Just a couple of questions: We know he didn't like playing for Tortorella. Could he handle playing for Evason? Both do demand effort on shifts, though, Torts may be a little harder on his players.

2nd, how would PLD respond to playing with Kaprizov? Is the 'Peg on Zuccarello's list? I see him having to go to make the money work....or maybe Spurgy.

We all know that PLD knows how to sulk well. Would Foligno cast that out of him? Would playing with Boldy on his left and Kaprizov on his right do that? I could see PLD's numbers going up. Is $9m even affordable? (keep in mind, money would need to be moved around. 

Could you do a sign and trade with Winnipeg retaining money for 2 years? I think there are all sorts of creative things we could do with the money, and I'm not sure Shooter is the most creative guy when it comes to deals. 

[mnfaninnc]

After reading Tony's article just above this one, his comments section was turned off. So, I guess I'll comment here.

Tony does a nice job of breaking down the difference between Tkachuk and Eichel and then what PLD brings. I suspect that the cost to obtain PLD will be similar to Eichel, since Eichel was a huge risk/reward acquisition. 

But, without Eichel, Vegas still had very good center depth, just not a #1. The Wild have a #2 & #4, the other guys are players who CAN play there. Would PLD cost Rossi as one of the prospects? I'd think that would be one of the guys.

We could fit in a sign and trade with a couple of years of cap retention. We'd need to get pretty creative in a deal. However, does PLD and JEE check the top 6 center boxes that can compete in the SCPs? I think that's 2 big centers down the middle and we have to find a 3rd center guy if Rossi is gone. Could that guy be Nosek?

This will require some other reactionary trades too to find cap room. Zuccarello will need to go a year early, but giving Kaprizov that top center should buffer the blow to losing his friend. Plus, it helps the team win on paper! It likely costs us Spurgeon too, at some point, due to his elevated contract. Tony says that PLD should get a 5 year $6.5m contract according to stats. I'd say that would be a bargain but would want to push it out to 7-8 years. 

But, I think the real question we need to ask is:  Is this team ready for the big center trade? Vegas, on paper, was loaded up more. Arguably, Florida had a better team too when it traded for Tkachuk. Are we ready as an organization to swing for the fences on this one?

I think our defense has played well defensively in the postseason, until they get pushed around due to size. But defending hasn't generally been our problem, it's been the scoring at the right times. PLD would help that. He's also be bigger, stronger down the middle than we've got. Torts drilled into him the defensive side of the game, so adapting to our structure should not be a problem. PLD was merely good in Winnipeg, a place where he hasn't really been motivated. I do not believe he is filling the #1C role there. Could a jump to that be better for his stats? Does he need to feel like he's the guy? Maybe!

[mnfaninnc]

I keep seeing mock drafts having us take a left wing. We're not playing "Pit" where we have to corner the market on positions. I've had to chalk it up to idiot national people who have no idea what we need. In some of these, Danielson and Moore are going pretty early, but Ritchie seems to be coming in later. If Ritchie's there and we don't take him, I'll be very disappointed.....unless it's Danielson or Moore. 

I've got to say, if a LW is what we can get in our slot, I'd be all in favor of a sign and trade for PLD. We've got to figure out the centers, and we just need to deal with the consequences later. Last season, Shooter said Dumba was a helluva player and he wasn't willing to trade out 2 or 3 players to save Fiala (which I believe was cover for Fiala not wanting to come back longterm). I think if he can't get Moore, Danielson, or Ritchie (and I believe concentrating on 2 of those 3) maybe our 1st could be used better to obtain the elusive C.

If 'Peg is doing this, I think they're tearing it down and having a fire sale with Hellebuyck, Scheifele, and Wheeler too. I also think they'll take on salary for 1 year, unless it's a player they can move forward with. While we might hate to see it, I do think that Spurgeon fills a need for Winnipeg, and if all are willing, that might be one of the position players that heads north. While Tank has a true NMC for another year, he'd have to be involved in the discussions. 

[mnfaninnc]

This is from NHLRumors.com. I thought you guys might enjoy how someone outside of our area views Marco Rossi.

Quote

Marco Rossi: Rising Star

At just 19 years old, Marco Rossi has already shown immense promise as one of the top Austrian prospects in the NHL. Born September 23, 2001, in Feldkirch, Austria, Rossi’s passion and determination for the game have propelled him to heights. He was selected ninth overall by the Minnesota Wild in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, making him the highest-drafted Austrian player in NHL history.

Rossi’s playing style is characterized by his exceptional offensive instincts, sublime playmaking abilities, and a knack for finding the back of the net. Before his NHL debut, Rossi showcased his skills in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he earned the title of Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the 2019-2020 season, leading the league in scoring.

While his professional career has been hindered by an unfortunate battle with COVID-19 and subsequent complications, Rossi’s resilience and determination continue to drive him forward. With his incredible potential and unwavering dedication, Rossi is poised to become a future star in the NHL.

It seems like his value as a quality prospect is still intact. I'm excited to see what he can do next year in the big Wild, and I'm interested in what kind of trade chip he could be.

 

[mnfaninnc]

I also saw a rumor about Marco Scandella getting bought out. I'm not sure on Pizza's health, but could he be that big bodied 3rd pairing defender we need on a veteran minimum deal? I've always liked Pizza's game, but he seems to have had a run of bad injury luck since leaving.