Article: Mikhail Gulyayev Can Be the Wild's Quinn Hughes

[Tony Abbott]

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[Protec]

I find it in terrible taste to suggest another puck moving defenseman who has an offensive bent and lacks size to defend in the NHL. 😁
 

Spurgeon who plays NHL defense by proving it, earning a spot, and being effective as a smaller player deserves credit. Do you look for that in the draft though? Especially in the 1st round?

Hughes is an awesome offensive, puck-moving guy, but Vancouver sucks and he’s not known for stout defense. Never was. Any comparisons are gonna be met with some resistance, I think. Vegas, FL, Dallas, and Carolina just showed that having larger defense groups who can chip in some while defending is the way to do it. Slavin, Montour, Ekblad, Pietrangelo, Heiskinen, etc. Guys like Hughes, or Ghost at one point for Philly don’t carry a team. It has to be done by committee. This is why Merrill, Giligoski, Addison upgrades would be nice but it wouldn’t come from this deep draft anyway. Just ask this, does a top pick on a Russian defenseman in a deep draft sound right? Maybe in the top five for Darius Kasparitis kid who just scored 40 points in the KHL at age 17 or something? At 21st overall, I don’t get it.

I’ll be frustrated if the Wild don’t take some well-evaluated and safe-consensus NA centers. Players that are most likely to be successful in the NHL. No, high-ceiling guesses, or against the grain guruisms. Think Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Robertson, Johnston, just to name a few from the Central. Should solid be historical comparisons for MN to have in mind. Pastrnak is another example of a player late in the first. It’s possible. It can be done.

[Protec]

Then to take it a step further let’s entertain hypothetical-world scenario. Wild trade Zuccarello, Addison, a 2024 2nd, and a 2025 3rd to San Jose for Erik Karlsson. Chip in some random prospects with all the teams who GMBG helped out in recent years to pick up some Zuccarello, and Karlsson salary. 
 

No Dumba but they add to the top 4 where Karlsson would already have some familiarity with Middleton. MN suddenly has five really good defenseman. Really good.

Yeah it leaves a hole at the top of the lineup but Zuccarello isn’t Kaprizov. If San Jose is on the Hobbit’s list not to go, trade him elsewhere. Rossi & Duhaime or some other combination to get Karlsson for around 6M. 
 

Yes, it would be giving up a lot but somebody is gonna do it. Karlsson would give you so much on the back end and for the PP that MN could plug in anybody for their final defense slots. Young forwards or cheaper NHL vets wouldn’t be too bad especially if MN could sign Barbashev. If you’re forced to trade Foligno for cap so be it. 
 

I’d take one Norris guy over Norwegian Hobbit, AHL phenom, offensive defenseman with greasy-mustache, Moose, and some future picks at this point. Make this draft good and lean on Beckman, Walker, Faber, Dewar, Steel, and Boldy to step. Sign Barbashev to play center and the Wild would look pretty good til some of their prospects arrive and penalties disappear.

[Pewterschmidt]

59 minutes ago, Protec said:

I find it in terrible taste to suggest another puck moving defenseman who has an offensive bent and lacks size to defend in the NHL. 😁
 

Spurgeon who plays NHL defense by proving it, earning a spot, and being effective as a smaller player deserves credit. Do you look for that in the draft though? Especially in the 1st round?

Hughes is an awesome offensive, puck-moving guy, but Vancouver sucks and he’s not known for stout defense. Never was. Any comparisons are gonna be met with some resistance, I think. Vegas, FL, Dallas, and Carolina just showed that having larger defense groups who can chip in some while defending is the way to do it. Slavin, Montour, Ekblad, Pietrangelo, Heiskinen, etc. Guys like Hughes, or Ghost at one point for Philly don’t carry a team. It has to be done by committee. This is why Merrill, Giligoski, Addison upgrades would be nice but it wouldn’t come from this deep draft anyway. Just ask this, does a top pick on a Russian defenseman in a deep draft sound right? Maybe in the top five for Darius Kasparitis kid who just scored 40 points in the KHL at age 17 or something? At 21st overall, I don’t get it.

I’ll be frustrated if the Wild don’t take some well-evaluated and safe-consensus NA centers. Players that are most likely to be successful in the NHL. No, high-ceiling guesses, or against the grain guruisms. Think Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Robertson, Johnston, just to name a few from the Central. Should solid be historical comparisons for MN to have in mind. Pastrnak is another example of a player late in the first. It’s possible. It can be done.

Great take Protec.  Agree 100% on every detail.  If agreeing with this take is wrong I don't want to be right.

If this org. takes a D-man in 1st round I'm officially done with 'the Pud' and I'm also putting BG on notice.  I don't think we take a D in 1st due to glaring needs at forward and our full stable of D prospects, but i'm going on record. 

[MNCountryLife]

I would like to see a 6' 2" or taller center.  I would be fine with another Ek type player.  We have plenty of prospects everywhere else.

[Protec]

There's a really nice selection of centers who will be around at 50-65. 

I could see the Wild taking Beckett Hendrickson or a few other MN guys. It's hard to say how the different teams evaluate and rank players but it would also be nice if the Wild could get the 40th pick from Detroit. A few bigger centers or defenseman could be added nicely with another 2nd rounder. Maybe a team like Pittsburgh or Washington that's trying to keep their hopes alive would trade a 2nd? GMBG has got a lot of opportunities and potential targets amongst players wanting trades, UFAs, internal signings & prospects, and three decent picks that need to pay off. 

[Quebec1648]

This Russian defenseman sounds good, but the Wild have more pressing needs. We desperately need quality centers, so that should be priority number one. Don't waste a pick on a defenseman until after a quality center is drafted. I would be ok taking him in round 2, but not round 1.

Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson were both top 7 picks, so I would hope Judd Brackett made good choices at #5 and #7. I don't consider anyone a genius or wizard if they have a top 10 pick and draft a good player. A genius scout, would have a draft pick much lower, yet draft a guy who ends up being top ten material. If Brackett had drafted Pettersson and Hughes at 25 or 30, then it would look more impressive.

[Imyourhuckleberry]

4 hours ago, Quebec1648 said:

Don't waste a pick on a defenseman until after a quality center is drafted.

If an elite two-way defenseman with size were available late in the 1st, I wouldn't be horrified by that. The Wild do have greater current needs, but it's hard to say that a top line defenseman will not be a major need in a few years.

Spurgeon is 33, and none of these guys are likely going to be on the Wild in the next 2 seasons. By the time they are ready, the Wild may have a need for a top end defensemen, and they may sign a top line C just before that 3rd season.

[Protec]

Nashville has a a lot of picks and since they traded Ellis, I could see Giloolyayev going there with the semi-rebuild.

[Protec]

I realized Pittsburgh doesn't have a 2nd this draft.(Already traded it to NSH.)

There are a bunch of teams outside the Central who might be good trade partners to pick up another 2nd if the Wild wanna go for one. Seattle, Edmonton, LA, NYI, NJ, FLA, Buffalo, and like I said before Washington all might move a 2nd rounder to get Steel, Addison, or a young NHL guy off the Wild's roster while they are a playoff team. I'm saying Buffalo makes the playoffs next season. NYI will be on the edge as will Washington but some of these teams might be willing to use a 2nd to get a player who can help them now. Maybe Addison to Chicago for 44th overall? The Wild just need to stack up the center prospects. If he becomes Duncan Kieth, bummer but the Wild need to turn Addison into a center for the future IMO.

[mnfaninnc]

We cannot draft another short-light defender. We've got Lambos, Peart, Spacek, and Masters who can handle that, we don't need Gulyayev too.

We need centers. We need centers bad. We also could use some size on defense, especially the right side. But, centers should be the focus of the front office right now as it is the most glaring need this roster has. 

Get us 2 of Moore, Ritchie, Danielson.

[Protec]

25 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

We cannot draft another short-light defender. We've got Lambos, Peart, Spacek, and Masters who can handle that, we don't need Gulyayev too.

We need centers. We need centers bad. We also could use some size on defense, especially the right side. But, centers should be the focus of the front office right now as it is the most glaring need this roster has. 

Get us 2 of Moore, Ritchie, Danielson.

You and I were the most outspoken about Lundell, Mercer, Jarvis, and Holloway when the Wild had the 9th pick. It would be nice to get a player we actually have in the consensus sights.

Based on the draft being as deep as it is, I think the Wild can get a nice center at 21st. I hope we get lucky with the right guy. It's likely Danielson, Honzek, and Moore will be gone. Probably gonna be looking at Yager, Heidt, Musty, Gauthier, Ritchie, Nelson, Cristal, or Nadeau for NA forwards. Sawchyn isn't too small and was rising during the year. I would prefer the Wild get the bigger bodies but Fiala was very good at 5'10" so could the Wild see Cristall as a guy with high hockey IQ that will be like Marner or Kaprizov who doesn't have to be big and puts up big numbers.

Of course there's a handful of elite Swedes between Stenberg, Edstrom, and Molgaard. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Wild take one. Will Chicago take another center at 19th? Same with Detroit at 17th? If those teams go after defenseman, might the Wild get lucky with who's there or simply feel happy that they can pick from a few nice options? Those elite options are good and if the Wild could get Molgaard with a pick near or at 53rd, I would certainly approve of that. Have a feeling he'll be a player that goes to Detroit if they keep their picks in the mid 2nd.

My prediction is the Wild take Edstrom with the Ek similarities.

[Tony Abbott]

4 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

We cannot draft another short-light defender. We've got Lambos, Peart, Spacek, and Masters who can handle that, we don't need Gulyayev too.

Question here: Which of these guys are running a power play anytime soon?

Lambos is also 6'1" 200 lbs. Hardly shrimpy!

[Mateo3xm]

I would much rather have Dmitri Simashev.

we can’t have the smallest d corp in the nhl and expect to be competitive.

I know this guy is very talented but we absolutely need size

[Mateo3xm]

On 6/19/2023 at 10:33 AM, Protec said:

Then to take it a step further let’s entertain hypothetical-world scenario. Wild trade Zuccarello, Addison, a 2024 2nd, and a 2025 3rd to San Jose for Erik Karlsson. Chip in some random prospects with all the teams who GMBG helped out in recent years to pick up some Zuccarello, and Karlsson salary. 
 

No Dumba but they add to the top 4 where Karlsson would already have some familiarity with Middleton. MN suddenly has five really good defenseman. Really good.

Yeah it leaves a hole at the top of the lineup but Zuccarello isn’t Kaprizov. If San Jose is on the Hobbit’s list not to go, trade him elsewhere. Rossi & Duhaime or some other combination to get Karlsson for around 6M. 
 

Yes, it would be giving up a lot but somebody is gonna do it. Karlsson would give you so much on the back end and for the PP that MN could plug in anybody for their final defense slots. Young forwards or cheaper NHL vets wouldn’t be too bad especially if MN could sign Barbashev. If you’re forced to trade Foligno for cap so be it. 
 

I’d take one Norris guy over Norwegian Hobbit, AHL phenom, offensive defenseman with greasy-mustache, Moose, and some future picks at this point. Make this draft good and lean on Beckman, Walker, Faber, Dewar, Steel, and Boldy to step. Sign Barbashev to play center and the Wild would look pretty good til some of their prospects arrive and penalties disappear.

This is a ridiculous idea.

you think they are going to think that’s a fair trade to give us Karlsson???

why even entertain such a goofy trade like that?

[Tony Abbott]

Everyone forgets how small the Avs defense corps was when they won the Cup. 

[Protec]

12 hours ago, Mateo3xm said:

This is a ridiculous idea.

you think they are going to think that’s a fair trade to give us Karlsson???

why even entertain such a goofy trade like that?

San Jose is gonna trade him. Mike Grier is a new GM and needs to get out from under that deal. Karrlsson wants to go to a playoff team and cap space is gonna be an issue for those types of teams.

You think they're gonna have tons of leverage? SJ is in a bad spot and playoff teams would be adding a luxury player. Yeah, he's really good but a playoff team isn't gonna trade their 1C and take on 11M.

How would you like to see him end up in Vegas, Colorado, or Dallas? If Vegas has showed us anything in the last 5-6 years, it's that some creative GMing and a big move here or there can work.

In MN we have a stoicism and risk aversion that has lasted two decades and gotten nowhere. Right now, the best offensive defenseman is being shopped. #65 is gonna move this off-season. Let's see what the price is when it's over and how far off I am.

[mnfaninnc]

23 hours ago, Protec said:

San Jose is gonna trade him. Mike Grier is a new GM and needs to get out from under that deal. Karrlsson wants to go to a playoff team and cap space is gonna be an issue for those types of teams.

You think they're gonna have tons of leverage? SJ is in a bad spot and playoff teams would be adding a luxury player. Yeah, he's really good but a playoff team isn't gonna trade their 1C and take on 11M.

Since Nashville just gave away Johansen for nothing and retained 50% of the contract, I'd say the market is set on these players. 

• Nashville accelerates the dead money into 2 yrs instead of 4
• San Jose needs money off the books. A trade for nothing and retaining 50% isn't ideal but it beats a buyout.

Especially competing teams, nobody has money. Therefore this is a bad year to try and trade Karlsson. They'll eat a lot of money and get hardly anything back in return. Gaining cap space is a legitimate asset. 

But, personally, I don't think Karlsson fits in with this group and I'd shy away from it. 

[mnfaninnc]

On 6/24/2023 at 6:39 PM, Tony Abbott said:

Question here: Which of these guys are running a power play anytime soon?

Lambos is also 6'1" 200 lbs. Hardly shrimpy!

Lambos and Peart both show good offensive ability. Spacek also seems to have some offense to him. But, why does the PP QB have to be a defenseman?