Article: Wild Keep Mats Zuccarello In Minnesota For Two More Years

[Thomas Williams]

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[vonlonster67]

Interesting his deal coincides with the end KK's contract. I don't want to read into that right? Yurov and Dino will be here and we'll be one more step closer to a Cup?

Edited September 29, 2023 by vonlonster67

[M_Nels]

11 minutes ago, vonlonster67 said:

Interesting his deal coincides with the end KK's contract. I don't want to read into that right? Yurov and Dino will be here and we'll be one more step closer to a Cup?

Very interesting, maybe the speculations do have some truth to them. 

I am not a fan of this signing in the least, was hoping for 1yr max. I don't know if I can handle 2 more years of post All-Star break Zucc. At least I hope Dean has the stones to take him off the 1st line if he struggles. 

Edited September 29, 2023 by M_Nels

[mnfaninnc]

Chalk me up on the "this is a bad deal, I don't like it" side.

But, I never liked the original deal either. And it's not really a dislike for the player, I think Zuccarello has outperformed his original deal here. I really just want to see the kids have opportunity. This suggests they don't unless there is an injury.

[vonlonster67]

7 minutes ago, M_Nels said:

Very interesting, maybe the speculations do have some truth to them. 

I am not a fan of this signing in the least, was hoping for 1yr max. I don't know if I can handle 2 more years of post All-Star break Zucc. At least I hope Dean has the stones to take him off the 1st line if he struggles. 

I'm there with you one year, $3M max, but being realistic from Zucci's prospective it was never gonna get done.

I could live with a $4M/1yr before going for a two year deal. At least we are protected if he decides to call it after this year, but highly unlikely knowing his relationship with KK. I understand Zucci is uber talented, but as you pointed out, the regression at the end when we really need it. DE needs to recognize this and limit the play here and there. Fat chance of him adapting though.

Edited September 29, 2023 by vonlonster67

[Will D. Ness]

One year @ 4M... cool.  Two years... mistake IMO.  

[Beast]

Why tho?

[Adamada]

In a vacuum this would be fine, a little pricey given age and the NMC. But given that the wild will still be dealing with cap hell next year and have a logjam of contracts and prospects it seems odd to do this now at best.

[TheGoosesAreLooses]

I have a sneaking suspicion we will see Hartman and Foligno resigned as well. BG seems to love his pensioners and have no faith in the kids. If he expects to make a run before Kap's contract runs out, something needs to change. We aren't winning a cup with wheelchairs and walkers(not Sammy) on the ice. Vets are important but not at the cost of blocking our prospects further. 

I'm tapped completely out of faith in DE and don't know how much I trust BG's vision anymore either. Hoping he can see the writing on the wall.

I'm with most of you, this deal won't age well.

[Protec]

Kaprizov and the Norwegian Hobbit baby!

[MrCheatachu]

I honestly don't hate it.  It probably means we're going to ship somebody out still (Addison/Duhaime would be my guesses)

If Fleury is done ($3.5M) and the Goose is cooked ($2M) it looks like next season with the same country club fees, we will have $3.5+2+1.975 = $7.475M to sign Moose, Hartzy, Duhaime, Dewar (RFA), and Addison.

 

Side note, with the NMC, this will make Zuccarello a MN wild player for 7 years 😲 which is close to as long as he was a Ranger (9 seasons).  For some reason he still feels like a short-term rental here...

[MNCountryLife]

With so many good prospects it stuns me that BG keeps closing down roster spots.

 

[Protec]

Probably cause unproven rookies aren't wise to bank on.

People around here pencil in KHL, and injured Swedes, along with AHL players who've done almost nothing in the NHL. I'm not ragging on these players or the comments about their potential. I just don't think Guerin operates that way at all.

GMBG has flexibility. I'm sure they've worked out the options and potential with the cap.

[vonlonster67]

8 minutes ago, MNCountryLife said:

With so many good prospects it stuns me that BG keeps closing down roster spots.

 

Let's see what term.he does for Moose, I can see Hartzy for 3 years, but Moose will be blocking someone. I still trust BG's vision and knowing the behind the scenes on the prospects. 

Remember he wasted no time with Boldy in signing him, getting him to and from IA, to the Wild, and resigned long term to a hell of a deal for the Wild in our cap crunch years

 

[IllicitFive]

So I may be mistaken but my understanding is we have 2 years of buy out left at almost a 15mil hit/year. Does Lizards contract then end at the same time as the end of the buyouts or is it two years starting after this years contract ends?  Perhaps, if ending at the same time, its to allow more long term prospects get to Iowa, let the chemistry build there, and then go with a major youth movement in 2 years, have tons of cap space and possibly bring in a major FA or 2. (If his contract end date coincides with buyouts being gone) If not then I am not a fan of the 2 year deal. What do I know I am not a GM but was a conversation my buddy and I were having, the importance of chemistry on a team.  Realistically we are not competing for a cup the next two years but also don't want to have a culture of losing. You want hungry players who feel they have a chance if cards fall right but also create the best chemistry you can for the future. 

 

Also while everyone is champing at the bit, including myself, to see what the kids can do in the show, what if confidence is shattered, sticks are gripped too tight and it hinders their development causing much longer term issues?  Was just an interesting convo over a few cold ones and curious what the die hard fans here think.  I fully am on the "IBGIT" group until proven otherwise.

[Will D. Ness]

10 minutes ago, IllicitFive said:

So I may be mistaken but my understanding is we have 2 years of buy out left at almost a 15mil hit/year. Does Lizards contract then end at the same time as the end of the buyouts or is it two years starting after this years contract ends?  

Nope it extends one year past.  (Which is why I don't like it)

[IllicitFive]

1 minute ago, Will D. Ness said:

Nope it extends one year past.  (Which is why I don't like it)

Well, dang, was hoping I wasn't understanding it and that it voided the final year of current contract and the new one kicked in. So much for that, now I can also ask why the 2 years at this price point. (I now don't like it much either and hope to be proven wrong)

[Pewterschmidt]

1 hour ago, Protec said:

Kaprizov and the Norwegian Hobbit baby!

We can begin referring to these two as Ace and Gary

At this point Zucc is 97's emotional support animal and the two are good together at ice hockey when Zucc's sock's are pulled all the way up.

[Adamada]

2 hours ago, vonlonster67 said:

Let's see what term.he does for Moose, I can see Hartzy for 3 years, but Moose will be blocking someone.

 

Looks like 4x4 for Moose

[vonlonster67]

Absolute insanity  4Mx4 🙄

[TheGoosesAreLooses]

5 minutes ago, Adamada said:

Looks like 4x4 for Moose

🤮

[vonlonster67]

So that mean Hartzy for $4M x5????😳🤕

Edited September 29, 2023 by vonlonster67

[M_Nels]

12 minutes ago, vonlonster67 said:

Absolute insanity  4Mx4 🙄

Man this one is a GIANT head scratcher! Man Billy kinda stumped me on this one. I just don’t see it, can’t make it make sense. 

[TheGoosesAreLooses]

Someone remind Billy we still have the cap hit next year. We won't even be able to field a squad of AHLer's at this rate. We have ~16M left in cap space to fill 5 forward spots, 2 D spots + 7 RFA's in Iowa and 5 UFA's. Foligno was an utter garbage move with the term considered.

Say goodbye to 2 of the only players Deano actually brought up out of Iowa in the Dewy Bros

Edited September 29, 2023 by TheGoosesAreLooses

[Willy the poor boy]

This plays into the opinion I've held all along which is in the minority. DE has been saving BG with his coaching. BG has stumbled, IMO, into success as GM for the Wild all along with the help of Evason. I think it's been pretty apparent all along also.

Soft fruit only please...