Article: The Wild Can Use This Season To Set Up Success Next Year

[Kalisha Turnipseed]

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[Tom Gribalski]

It would be cool if the Wild made a run this year (maybe even win the Stanley Cup) and then got even better next year!

[Willy the poor boy]

18 minutes ago, Tom Gribalski said:

It would be cool if the Wild made a run this year (maybe even win the Stanley Cup) and then got even better next year!

They can do it with hot goaltending. There is always a team or two that goes on a run with a hot goalie.

They have to get in though. They'll need to stay relatively healthy throughout the season.

Let's show the 'Champs' whose boss tonight!!

[TheGoosesAreLooses]

Yurov and Dino come over 24-25, Jojo doesn't come off the books until 25-26. The only ones that could be let go after the season are the Dewy bros and Maroon. Not sure how that all fits in if you expect them to keep the Dewy bros and Yurov and Dino to play in the big show as rookies. Especially when you allude to them keeping Maroon for another couple years.

I love the ideas you're laying down, but the timelines do not line up for our forwards unless we bury Yurov or Dino in the A for a year. I also have trouble believing that Deano will love their game considering they are both smaller forwards who play fast paced skill game. Will Billy be okay with fielding a team that gets smaller as the years go on? Or will he pick up more Khaira's of the hockey world to keep us bigger and gritty? If he does, who moves down into the A to make room? 

Our D core should come along nicely for where they need to be. We have a stock of 20-22 yr olds in Iowa, some of which should make it to the big show. 

[Protec]

Defenseman prospects look close to ready. I don't think the Wild will need Merrill after this season. Goalies are good. Faber will get better this year, Rossi too.

Staying healthy and getting a gamebreaker type guy before the deadline would help if the Wild are in a position to truly contend for the Western Conference title. 

Doing that could certainly help them be better next year if they can extend that player. If it was Brock Nelson or another guy with a year left on their deal and MN traded for NYI to retain salary, there's a nice upside. Maybe a prospect or two leave, but the Wild are a win now team until proven otherwise.

[mnfaninnc]

21 hours ago, Protec said:

Staying healthy and getting a gamebreaker type guy before the deadline would help if the Wild are in a position to truly contend for the Western Conference title. 

Doing that could certainly help them be better next year if they can extend that player. If it was Brock Nelson or another guy with a year left on their deal and MN traded for NYI to retain salary, there's a nice upside. Maybe a prospect or two leave, but the Wild are a win now team until proven otherwise.

I still think that Shooter is going to target Pettersson as the trade target. Apparently, Vancouver and Pettersson are going to see how this season goes because Pettersson wants to win. He could win here!

It would likely cost some significant assets to acquire him, unless Vancouver is backed into a corner and knows they have to sell (like Fiala). I do think we have more to offer than Boston who will be hot on that trail and we'll need to win a bidding war unless Pettersson sees Boston as on the downside. 

But, that aside, this was the best place to summarize the game last night. I would say that game pretty much looked like what the title of this article says.

1. Rossi looked like a completely different player and his goal, even though disallowed, should help him loosen his stick. It was a nice goal. But, he was very noticeable in a good way last night, and I felt like he outplayed Lundell which was a very good sign. 
2. Goose2 was stellar. He looked quicker, more balanced, and stronger. Of course it was only game 1, we'll see if he wears down at all. 
3. Maroon was interesting to watch. He is faster on ice than Reaves which should help. He's also got crazy eyes, and I think that is what we need. 
4. Score was 2-0 but could have easily been higher. 41 save SO, but, many of the shots were not dangerous. Faber-Brodin is a fun pair to watch. Addison was quite as scary, he's still got a lot of work to do defensively but at least he got in the way a couple of times, though, defending on the PP was a bit of an adventure.
5. Foligno continues to get targeted by officials for doing something they thought they saw but really didn't. At some point, this is going to escalate.
6. I thought Goose looked better playing with Middleton. 
7. I wonder about Johansson. He got hit and went straight down the tunnel not looking good. 
8. Using 4 forwards on the 4-3 PP was brilliant, and the skill Ek showed on the goal was very good. 

[Backwoodsbob]

On 10/13/2023 at 9:03 AM, mnfaninnc said:

Maroon was interesting to watch. He is faster on ice than Reaves which should help. He's also got crazy eyes, and I think that is what we need.

🤣 "Crazy Eyes" That is something I also noticed during the game.

[Tony Abbott]

On 10/13/2023 at 2:03 PM, mnfaninnc said:

Foligno continues to get targeted by officials for doing something they thought they saw but really didn't. At some point, this is going to escalate.

Only 409 games of this to go.