Article: The Calder Trophy Voters Are At It Again

[Tony Abbott]

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[OldDutchChip]

Give trophy to Bedard

this should hopefully drive Fabers numbers down - try to resign him for 7.5

do not go higher than 8

8 X 8 is a very fair price 

[mnhockeyfan03]

6mm only for him on a 3-4 year deal.  Needs to improve in certain areas first.  

[Citizen Strife]

Faber's getting 8x8 and maybe more.

More importantly, getting Spurgeon back in a reduced role (2nd Line/PK1/PP2) will just help immensely.  Bedard can't say that.  His team is still...him I guess?

[Dean]

Bedard wins it. Just like Chicago magically got that pick in lottery. The league does better if Chicago is good .  Big market will beat small market.  Kinda why I am concerned about kappy. No one around the league cares about the wild or what they do. We are a small stage that only wild fans care about . He probably wants the big stage . 

[Citizen Strife]

I don't see Kaprizov as a Gaborik or Fiala type.  I think if the Wild prove they have valuable pieces, he could stick around and avoid being the center of attention in a big market.  You already have Faber, Ek, Rossi, and Boldy.  That is something you can build with.  Biggest thing is what the next new crop of players bring to even the team out.  If they are all Beckmans and Walkers...forget it.  If they are Rossi and Faber types that solidify the floor with room to spare for a ceiling, Kaprizov could do worse.

Kap couldn't win with Fiala as the secondary scoring option at 80 points one year.  Winning is harder than it looks.  I bet he only ventures if they have absolutely no hope.

Edited May 1 by Citizen Strife

[Dean]

I respect your optimism and hope you’re right.  IMO I don’t think the names you listed are enough to convince him.   But who  knows what kappy is looking for to convince him to stay. Only kappy. Winning is probably the only thing that for sure makes him stay.  Wow it’s going to be a long year an a half wondering what he’s going to do. 
    Watching Dallas and there kids this playoffs is impressive.  20 yr old , I believe 17th overall Johnston making  waves along with Harley. Plus they have that huge d man bishel coming next year.   You watch those kids an watch ours it’s obvious Dallas is better at developing.  The gm,  the scouts , the coaching , the development, and buy in from their vets   is much better than us. It really makes you wonder how  22 yr old Rossi would have developed in Dallas.  They said Jamie Ben took them under his wing on his line. For guidance and protection so they can do there thing. We force our kids to play with Fred on a line that makes no sense then criticize them for not doing more.  Then you have the beckmans who think they have ample opportunities to make nhl so there is no urgency to there game.  Kinda seem entitled to get opportunities.  Is this because of the kids we draft or the horrible development the wild provide?   Is it because our vets aren’t the leaders we thought like a Jamie benn?  Idk. But I do know Dallas is hitting bullseyes with there picks. Robertson, Harley , Johnston , bischell . How much is god given and how much is development in Dallas s kids?   I think it a combination of all plus that veteran help of guys like Benn and pavelski.  Our vets are good at pointing out the local golf course. 

[Stymie]

It surprises me Mr Abbott that seasoned writer like yourself overlooks the time on ice   that faber put in that far exceeds anybody else in the rookie class. He is nearly 3 minutes per game higher than the next rookie. 

I don't have a handle on the stats but I believe he is among the leaders of five on five time on ice and also in shorthanded time on ice. Maybe you could look that up for us.

And you didn't mention that he played against some of the leagues offensive leaders playing in on defense top two with spurgeon and sometimes even brodin   injured throughout the season. That is an almost ridiculous task for a rookie defenseman stepping in to the NHL and this happened at the start of season not at the end of the season or middle where he would   had gotten some feeling for the NHL speed and talent.

 

[mnhockeyfan03]

5 hours ago, Citizen Strife said:

Faber's getting 8x8 and maybe more.

More importantly, getting Spurgeon back in a reduced role (2nd Line/PK1/PP2) will just help immensely.  Bedard can't say that.  His team is still...him I guess?

This will be a mistake at 8x8.  We always overpay guys.  Let him prove it.  He is not close to maker yet and maker gets $9mm and is way way better.  $6mm is fair for 3 years and if he gets better then go to $8-9mm then. No need to over commit.  We overcommitted with spurgeon and now that contract looks terrible for what he brings.  

[Protec]

Wyatt Johnston was taken after MN selected Wallstedt. 

The point is the same. STL, NSH, DAL, all get guys after the Wild who become Wild killers while MN waits years for their players to become decent NHL guys for whatever reason. Kyrou, Thomas, Neighbors, Johnston, Stankoven, Evangelista, Oettinger, Jan Moser, and Josh Doan for Arizona even make MN look foolish based on their success and where they were picked.

I'd rather not have a so called "draft guru". They're too guruey for their own good and perform guru-goofs more often than the few good breaks they catch. Sad to watch though since MN is perennially waiting for their picks to take the next step.

[mnfaninnc]

11 hours ago, Protec said:

The point is the same. STL, NSH, DAL, all get guys after the Wild who become Wild killers while MN waits years for their players to become decent NHL guys for whatever reason. Kyrou, Thomas, Neighbors, Johnston, Stankoven, Evangelista, Oettinger, Jan Moser, and Josh Doan for Arizona even make MN look foolish based on their success and where they were picked.

I think that Shooter likes to marinate his meat a little longer than these other GMs. I'm hoping his grill/smoker has something tastier. Kyrou and Thomas, to me, looked like they might have gotten their big money a little too soon.

 

CHL-

Bad night for Wild prospect teams. Prince George is on the brink of seeing their season end, now down 3-1 to Portland. Heidt had an apple

Moose Jaw is now tied at 2 and Parker had 2 apples. 

[Imyourhuckleberry]

12 hours ago, mnhockeyfan03 said:

This will be a mistake at 8x8.  We always overpay guys.  Let him prove it.  He is not close to maker yet and maker gets $9mm and is way way better.  $6mm is fair for 3 years and if he gets better then go to $8-9mm then. No need to over commit.  We overcommitted with spurgeon and now that contract looks terrible for what he brings.  

The concern with that is that if continues to improve, his next contract will be at $10M+. Locking in at $8M is likely to be a better long-term strategy when it comes to salary cap management.

[Imyourhuckleberry]

Yurov did confirm now that he's going to be in the KHL next year. He's good enough to make the NHL jump, but not in a rush. He'll keep working on improving strength and skill while surrounded by friends and family.

Sounds like he's comfortable there for now, on the team closest to his home town. Once he makes the NHL move, who knows how much he will see those friends and family over the next 20 years, so I can see that impacting the decision. He's 20 years old with a lot of time to make his mark in the NHL. He should be here for 25-26.

[mnhockeyfan03]

6 minutes ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

The concern with that is that if continues to improve, his next contract will be at $10M+. Locking in at $8M is likely to be a better long-term strategy when it comes to salary cap management.

If he improves then do his new contract higher.  Don’t just assume.  it will put us in a bad spot if he doesn’t similar to spurgeon contract.  Rarely do really long contracts work out.  Do 3-4 year deals.  It will also keep the player motivated as they know they have to work towards another contract and can’t coast. 

[Sviginak]

I see everyone is still a genius! Cool.

[B1GKappa97]

Rossi got snubbed!!