Article: Minnesota's Injuries Highlight Why They Must Hold Onto Their Surpluses This Summer

[Pewterschmidt]

I say keep Rossi at least one more season.  If he makes another stair step in his development he becomes a very legit middle six C.  He needs to get sturdier (and that’s not complicated) but I like the kids motor and he’s got finishing ability which cannot be taught (just ask NoJo).  If Rossi comes back next year at same weight then I’d entertain a TDL move because his promise works still tantalize GM’s.  Dealing him this summer might be premature and regrettable. 
 

Spurg is too small, too old, too injured and too expensive to have much value.  We’re stuck with that contract 

#spurgyhottake

[mnfaninnc]

1 hour ago, Pewterschmidt said:

Spurg is too small, too old, too injured and too expensive to have much value.  We’re stuck with that contract 

Maybe, but if he's too injured, giving him LTIR time could help better than a buyout. Personally, I feel like he'll be a shell of himself once he's back on the ice and I do not have confidence he will be ready to go in training camp. I think he'll try, but I just don't think the body will be ready. Those were 2 major surgeries back to back.

[Protec]

I suggested trading Spurgeon a couple weeks ago because he is elite and he still has both rubber on the tires and term. How he'll be coming back should be pretty interesting.

I hadn't really been thinking Rossi can get traded too, but I think either guy, although unlikely would be okay to trade if it improved the team. Each guy does have a lot of value.

Can the Wild get better with these guys, yeah I think so. Can they get bigger & heavier, no. That's why I am pretty open to the Wild shopping both guys. Ya gotta give something to get something. Both guys carry the weight of their AAV or their future signing.

Guerin could be looking at lots of young drafted players in different positions who will need contracts coming up. A young scorer like Rossi is gonna need to get paid. Is Guerin's plan to sign EVERY guy? Is he gonna allocate cap towards defense or the forward group as the penalties come to an end?

I'm looking forward to this off-season already since MN can't beat anyone above them in the Central plus STL and LA. If the Wild can win tomorrow, maybe I'll change my mind.  😁
 

[FredJohnson]

salary cap artificially deflated by $14.7 million due to the Zach Parise/Ryan Suter buyouts. 

Sounds like Suter may get bought out in Dallas, too. Good going GMRS!

[FredJohnson]

wrote Smith. "Rossi could be a player the Wild move this offseason if the right deal comes up."

Isn't it the case for any player not named Kiril?

[Penigma]

I certainly HOPE Guerin has learned his lesson from the Johannson and Gaudreau signings that aging veterans with clear ceilings at a level below where you need them to play are NOT a substitute for injections of talent.  Rossi should not, not in a million years, be under consideration for a trade.  The fact that it was a discussion at the trade deadline means perhaps we have good scouts but we apparently do not have a managerial vision or discipline about how to get to a better team, a team with enough defensive depth to withstand injury and enough forward depth to have at least two scoring lines.  Rossi is part of that second scoring line, a vital part honestly.  Khusnutdinov looks to be "Ek light" but he's not as skilled a skater as is Rossi, nor as skilled a passer.  He is willing to get in front of the net and fight along the boards in a way that Rossi is not, and he wins faceoffs, but that means he's a great center on a checking (meaning 3rd) line center.  Far better than Gaudreau.  Freddie s/b nothing more than playing the 4th line.  Johannson should be moved, no ifs, no ands, no buts.  This team needs his roster spot.  Trade him and pay much of his salary if you need to.   This team HAS the parts coming to be a good to great team but only if they stop dumping younger talent while signing relatively limited talent vets (Zuccarello is not who I mean).  Last, while I like Hartman's grit/net front presence, either he stops taking stupid penalties or he's got to go too.  He teaches teammates to be undisciplined and that includes taking plays/games off.  So, I think you keep Hartman but incentivize him to be more disciplined.  In a couple of years he'd be a great RW (assuming he increases his poise) to Foligno's LW on a 3rd checking line with Marat playing center.  Next year it probably should be Hartman RW, Zuc LW and Rossi on the 2nd line because Yurov, Ohgren, Heidt, Haight, Kumpulainen, Bankier, aren't going to be ready.   In 2 years it probably is Zuc/Ohgren (maybe), Rossi, Yurov.   If you want better scoring/deeper into your 3rd line, then Beckman plays 3rd line - he's good enough to do that - he's fast, plays with real effort every night, has nose for getting off his shot.    The point is, this team does NOT need veterans, it needs actually to shed itself of a couple and KEEP young talent, esp Rossi.

[Will D. Ness]

I think Rossi has way more upside than Granlund.  He already seems stronger on the puck and is actively trying to be more physical.  Granlund was so passive... I don't see that with Rossi.

You gotta give it to Rossi.  By putting in the work last off season and reaping the rewards this season he probably is hooked and will come back next season even better.

[UncleWalt]

Trading Rossi would be dumb. You can’t trade from a position of strength until you have center depth on the team.

 

Presumably, they'll want to improve this bubble team but will have only around $2 million to fill four or five roster spots.

 

I don’t understand this. CapFriendly has $9.5 million in cap next year with 17 players under contract. Chisholm will be cheap. The Wild need a goalie and three Fs. 
 

[Protec]

Cap increase plus MAF & Goligoski money = ~ 9M. 

If they buyout NoJo, that's 700K against the cap for 2 years.(Probably won't happen.) I doubt NoJo plays hard for a new NHL contract. He's just going through the motions til his career ends. Screw that guy. Guerin's most worthless signing of all without question.

If MAF gets another deal for 1-2 years then the leftover cap space goes to sign Chisholm and perhaps a mid-level guy like Foegele. Big-body, 30-50 points guy who's way more effective than Swedish neck-beard #90. There's also guys like DuClair, Bertuzzi, DeBrusk, Trenin, and Dumba that could all help the Wild if the money worked. 

[Tony Abbott]

1 hour ago, UncleWalt said:

Trading Rossi would be dumb. You can’t trade from a position of strength until you have center depth on the team.

 

Presumably, they'll want to improve this bubble team but will have only around $2 million to fill four or five roster spots.

 

I don’t understand this. CapFriendly has $9.5 million in cap next year with 17 players under contract. Chisholm will be cheap. The Wild need a goalie and three Fs. 
 

Doesn't count Spurgeon's LTIR, I believe.

[Tony Abbott]

If I miscalc'd, I miscalc'd. 

[Protec]

If Capfriendly is showing ~ 9.5M for next year, the cap increase is 4.5M + 3.5M for MAF + 2M for Goligoski so that gets pretty close.

I haven't studied it too close though either.

[Protec]

If MAF, Beckman, Shaw, and Chisolm sign, that will eat up at least half. If the Wild didn't have NoJo, that would be great but it probably won't happen.

If MAF signed for 2M let's say, the Wild might have 3-4M leftover if nothing else changed. That could allow them a little room to sign somebody, but not much.

[mnfaninnc]

3 hours ago, Protec said:

If MAF, Beckman, Shaw, and Chisolm sign, that will eat up at least half. If the Wild didn't have NoJo, that would be great but it probably won't happen.

If MAF signed for 2M let's say, the Wild might have 3-4M leftover if nothing else changed. That could allow them a little room to sign somebody, but not much.

I'm also seeing about $9.5m and that includes Spurgeon's deal. Looking at the roster, I'm thinking Shaw, Chisholm will be signed cheap. I believe that The Wall should get first shot as the backup goalie, another cheap signing. 

Hunt gets promoted, another cheap contract. Beckman resigned to a 2-way deal, probably with a raise in the A. Lucchini probably also gets a 2-way extension. I think S. Johansson has shown enough improvement to get a 2-way deal, and Butcher probably a 2-way deal. What do we do with Mermis?

I wouldn't really go after UFAs this time around, I'd want to promote from within. Better to save the cap space and have something at the TDL if we rebound. If you're going to work towards '25-26, a lot of these guys need experience, and it's why you promote from within even though there may be a bit of changing on the I-35 exchange. Filling from within makes for a hungry bottom line. You could have several players vying for that spot. Let's see who makes it impossible for the team to send them back down!

With this plan, it is obvious that Zane McIntyre does not have a future in the N, and has kind of played himself out of the A. Hunter Jones has played himself out of the E. We need an influx of goalie futures right now. I'd look for one to be grabbed as a college FA, and I'd look for us to draft one with one of our 5th round picks. Shooter has already stated that he's not a goalie guy, so we need some tremendous scouting on that front.

Edited March 23 by mnfaninnc

[mnfaninnc]

One thing I do notice about this team is the lack of balance between L and RHS. Simply put, we do not have forwards who can, at the very least, make teams respect Ovechkin's office area on the PP. Of course, this also is a problem 5v5. If we were going to try an upgrade a spot, I'd think getting a guy who can really fire the puck accurately as an RHS forward would be the paramount improvement we could get. 

To me, I like Patrick Laine for that spot. Laine has not been very good for CBJ and has spent time in the league assistance program for mental health. It seems to me that a change of scenery could be in order, and if you can get CBJ to swallow 1/2 the salary, he could come in at a reasonable price. 

The eye test for me, both in Winnipeg and CBJ has been effort. The guy's still young, has a hard accurate shot and I think could be encouraged to put forth a better effort on a winning team and with his fellow countryman Mikko Koivu mentoring him. It would be a reclamation project, but he's very talented and what he can do helps this team. 

Why put so much stock in Koivu's ability to mentor him? It is my belief that Koivu was one of his national heroes growing up, so Koivu's words would carry some weight. 

I'm sure there are other suggestions out there who would be good, I just can't think of them offhand. I don't know if any are UFAs. But, I think Laine would be a good fit within this team's culture.

[Burnt Toast]

WOW I can’t believe the trade Rossi takes agreeing with this article. Who’s #1 in drawing opposing team penalties? Rossi. Who goes into corners aggressively and consistently wins battles and makes a great pass to open linemates? Rossi. He can’t pass to himself and score too. Who’s the second best net front guy on this team? Rossi Dude can squat more weight and reps than most of the players on this team. He’s 22 Please don’t go Granlund on this guy.