Article: The Wild Should Gamble On Alexander Holtz's Upside

[punch_cut]

29 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

I agree with William Karlsson, and would probably also throw in Chandler Stevenson. I don't see it with Nino, I think he stayed about the same. 

I think we can confirm that Nick Leddy sure benefited from it.

You mean the 1 goal Nino scored in his last year with NY (55 games) is the same as the 14 he scored in the 1st yr (81 games)with MN?

[FredJohnson]

16 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

We're going to need all 3 goalies next season. Both GUS and The Wall got hurt, and I'm not sold that Fleury won't either.

Every team's goalies get hurt. Not every team carries 3 goalies.

Look, Gus is getting shopped. If a decent trade value is available, he'll be traded. Then Flower and The Wall will be our goalies. We'd sign a guy that has some NHL experience but is AHL appropriate.

[mnfaninnc]

16 minutes ago, FredJohnson said:

You mean Gus?

Goligoski is (probably) retiring.

We've been through this, Goose2 becomes Goose because of Goligoski retiring. 

[mnfaninnc]

15 minutes ago, punch_cut said:

You mean the 1 goal Nino scored in his last year with NY (55 games) is the same as the 14 he scored in the 1st yr (81 games)with MN?

point ceded!

[mnfaninnc]

4 minutes ago, FredJohnson said:

Every team's goalies get hurt. Not every team carries 3 goalies.

Look, Gus is getting shopped. If a decent trade value is available, he'll be traded. Then Flower and The Wall will be our goalies. We'd sign a guy that has some NHL experience but is AHL appropriate.

That's what we had McIntyre for, but outside of sitting on the bench with a towel draped across his neck, he wasn't very useful for the team. I wouldn't expect that we'd run with 3 goalies, though we easily could. I'd expect that if one got banged up a little, The Wall would be on the I-35 shuttle. 

Montreal had to carry 3 goalies for most of the year because they didn't want to lose one to waivers. If our 3rd goalie is in Iowa and has NHL experience, I'd suggest there is a high probability of this happening to us. At least The Wall is waivers exempt.

Guerin has stuck 2 guys, the Czechian goalie and the WI goalie into the organization to be the goalies of the baby Wild. Your 3rd guy would have to play to be sharp. 

[MrCheatachu]

31 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

I just don't see the organizational log jam. We're going to need all 3 goalies next season. Both Goose and The Wall got hurt, and I'm not sold that Fleury won't either. Hopefully it's not all together at the same time. The Czechian goalie you mentioned has 0 time in the A. I wouldn't be comfortable with him as my 3rd choice, would you?

Going forward, I think it's perfectly legitimate to have a battery of The Wall and Goose manning our net for about $5m for a brief time. Honestly, I don't see Goose having the stamina to go much more than a 1A in goal. When given more time last season, he kind of didn't pass the test. We all know he has struggled with working out. Those things do matter. 

I agree with you wholeheartedly that if I had to pick 1 goalie to win 1 game tomorrow between GusBus/Wall/Anybody in Iowa, it would be GusBus without hesitation.  I also agree that the performance in the Worlds is different than the AHL/NHL.

The root of the discussion is why he's being discussed as someone that we'd trade.  The only players without movement protection or an ELC are:

• Boldy
• Middleton
• Merrill
• GusBus

Boldy probably isn't going to go, Merrill is not a valuable trade chip, so all that's left is either trading Midsy or GusBus.

GusBus has a hot seat right now, and he didn't have a season last year that inspired confidence.  Additionally, it's clear that GusBus ain't going to be a franchise guy here, so why are you wasting the years of MAF mentorship on him?

I think we're spoiled here thinking competent goaltending falls off trees because we've been able to grab competent goalies at ease.  You've got to think that Goalies want to come here as we've got a pretty good history of being able to build up guys resumes.  Dubnyk, Kuemper, Talbot, Stalock, Kahk, etc.

[FredJohnson]

14 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

That's what we had McIntyre for, but outside of sitting on the bench with a towel draped across his neck, he wasn't very useful for the team. I wouldn't expect that we'd run with 3 goalies, though we easily could. I'd expect that if one got banged up a little, The Wall would be on the I-35 shuttle. 

Montreal had to carry 3 goalies for most of the year because they didn't want to lose one to waivers. If our 3rd goalie is in Iowa and has NHL experience, I'd suggest there is a high probability of this happening to us. At least The Wall is waivers exempt.

Guerin has stuck 2 guys, the Czechian goalie and the WI goalie into the organization to be the goalies of the baby Wild. Your 3rd guy would have to play to be sharp. 

All of this makes me even more sure that Gus gets traded. (Note: I don't think there are many good reasons for having The Wall in the AHL.)

[FredJohnson]

"Goose2 becomes Goose because of Goligoski retiring."

 

[FredJohnson]

19 minutes ago, MrCheatachu said:

GusBus has a hot seat right now, and he didn't have a season last year that inspired confidence. 

And he's only had one "good" season. (But he is young.)

[mnfaninnc]

21 hours ago, MrCheatachu said:

Additionally, it's clear that GusBus ain't going to be a franchise guy here, so why are you wasting the years of MAF mentorship on him?

I don't think this is absolutely clear. He's only 25, and as a goalie is still on an improvement line. The Wall is expected to be that franchise goalie, but there's nothing in the cards that says we can't have 2. I don't expect us to pay Goose in 2 years like a #1, especially with this past year behind him, but I do think that throwing out The Wall and Goose any given night in '25-26 will give us a shot at winning. Having 2 like this (and not playing Goose like a true #1) will have them with plenty in the tank come playoff time. 

I also think that either of them can go on extended hot streaks, and that's what we'll need to break through the 1st round barriers.

[mnfaninnc]

21 hours ago, FredJohnson said:

 

I've always loved this commercial.....but, yes, in my world this is exactly how it works! Next we'll be asking "Where's the Beef?"

[FredJohnson]

5 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

I've always loved this commercial.....but, yes, in my world this is exactly how it works! Next we'll be asking "Where's the Beef?"

[mnfaninnc]

2 hours ago, FredJohnson said:

Believe it or not, It frightens most of those around me too!

[FredJohnson]

On 5/21/2024 at 9:31 AM, mnfaninnc said:

Where's the Beef?

That's Stramel's nickname.

[Protec]

Interesting fact, Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer's nephew is Marcus Foligno.

😁

[Pewterschmidt]

14 minutes ago, Protec said:

Interesting fact, Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer's nephew is Marcus Foligno.

😁

This explains alot.

[FredJohnson]

26 minutes ago, Protec said:

Interesting fact, Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer's nephew is Marcus Foligno.

😁

Poor Marcus. 😬

[PiranhasOnIce]

On 5/20/2024 at 11:21 AM, FredJohnson said:

Every team's goalies get hurt. Not every team carries 3 goalies.

Look, Gus is getting shopped. If a decent trade value is available, he'll be traded. Then Flower and The Wall will be our goalies. We'd sign a guy that has some NHL experience but is AHL appropriate.

What about that new guy from Slovokia...Hlavaj?  Where do you figure he fits in the mix?  Having a pretty good run at the world's. 

[Mateo3xm]

On 5/20/2024 at 9:11 AM, MrCheatachu said:

Last season GusBus put up a rather pedestrian 3.06 gaa and 0.899 SV% over 45 games, with some stretches where he really stunk.

I don’t particularly think it was his fault. Our defense was not very good or injured. When you have crappy defense, goaltending is never where it should be. You don’t throw a rookie goalie in and expect him to take the majority of the games in the regular season. It’s been done before but it’s never a great option. You risk hindering his development or destroying his confidence.

In my opinion the only good thing about doing that would be that we would probably get a higher draft pick.

[FredJohnson]

17 hours ago, PiranhasOnIce said:

What about that new guy from Slovokia...Hlavaj?  Where do you figure he fits in the mix?  Having a pretty good run at the world's. 

Looks good...hope he can compete against bigger better competition.