Article: Should the 2024 Draft Change the Wild's Jake Middleton Plans?

[Burnt Toast]

Hoping for an educated, intelligent, well negotiated, nicely timed contract that extends Mids. Give me that at the right price and I’m in. The Wild need to be known as a team that treats its players fairly but the players need to say thanks by compete level and loyalty. We’ve seen that abused by some players recently ( allegedly). Every organization needs an elite, creative and well informed contract negotiator. Wild show me what ya got. 

[Patrick]

2 hours ago, FredJohnson said:

Who? And for how much?

Ilya Lyubushkin just signed for 3x3.3,  Tanev, who is SIGNIFICANTLY better than Middleton just signed for 4.5 million a year. 

[FredJohnson]

30 minutes ago, Patrick said:

Ilya Lyubushkin just signed for 3x3.3,  Tanev, who is SIGNIFICANTLY better than Middleton just signed for 4.5 million a year. 

Lyubushkin signed with the Stars...the team that many (most?) thought would win the Cup this year.

Tanev is 34 and signed a 6 year deal. P r e t t y sure that deal won't age well.

We're not a preferred destination (yet). 

[Patrick]

1 hour ago, FredJohnson said:

Lyubushkin signed with the Stars...the team that many (most?) thought would win the Cup this year.

Tanev is 34 and signed a 6 year deal. P r e t t y sure that deal won't age well.

We're not a preferred destination (yet). 

I looked for 2 minutes and came up with 2 examples. Ian Cole is another. The point still stands.

[FredJohnson]

12 hours ago, Patrick said:

I looked for 2 minutes and came up with 2 examples. Ian Cole is another. The point still stands.

You didn't name a better player we can actually sign. The question still stands.

[Patrick]

2 hours ago, FredJohnson said:

You didn't name a better player we can actually sign. The question still stands.

That wasn't the question and you know it. Incidentally, Tanev IS a better player.

[FredJohnson]

18 minutes ago, Patrick said:

That wasn't the question and you know it. Incidentally, Tanev IS a better player.

You originally posted:

"I'dsay resigning Middleton would be borderline brain dead. Players like Middleton are available every free agency and trade deadline. There is zero reason to sign him now and plenty of reasons not to."

"You didn't name a better player we can actually sign." We're 2-3 years from competing and don't have enough cap to overpay for free agents to entice them to sign here. Midds is probably the best we can get right now. 

[Patrick]

4 minutes ago, FredJohnson said:

You originally posted:

"I'dsay resigning Middleton would be borderline brain dead. Players like Middleton are available every free agency and trade deadline. There is zero reason to sign him now and plenty of reasons not to."

"You didn't name a better player we can actually sign." We're 2-3 years from competing and don't have enough cap to overpay for free agents to entice them to sign here. Midds is probably the best we can get right now. 

Reading comprehension is obviously not a strength for you.  The guys I named were free agents and thus "available".  😂😂😂

[Protec]

Kinda changing the subject since MN didn't sign the older more better Tanev but the younger more mustachey Midds.

What's the deal with the Wild's top 7 defenseman? NHL experience between Bogo, Brodin, Chisholm, Faber, Merrill, Middleton, and Spurgeon. Three rightys four leftys. When Merrill & Bogo expire this year MN will look to Buium and their AHL team for replacements.

It's plausible Buium could join the Wild after college but if not MN will have to wrap up their season with this group where Merrill is arguably the 7th D-man. Between now and then, things can change and injuries can happen but if Bogo & Merrill don't hang around that gives MN five leftys if you include Buium. 

That's an indication that Bogo, if solid this year could be back. If not, will the Wild need a right shot D? Lambos is a lefty, Hunt too, but Spacek shoots right. All three guys are ~ 6' and 190lbs and almost no NHL experience. Will Spurgeon be back to his old self and what happens beyond this year is interesting. 

How will the pairings look down the line?

Faber & Brodin can be a top pairing. 

Spurgeon and Midds have had success but are they a top pairing? 

Finally what do you do with Chisholm Hunt, Lambos, Spacek, and Buium? Seems logical to keep Bogo if he's still goin good and roll with Chisholm on the left side. Problem I kinda foresee is, what if Buium is ready to go or Bogo isn't??? That would give ya too many LD or not enough RD.

Now Chisholm is listed as being capable as a RD but he's a left shot. Does this mean a pairing with Buium is possible or do the Wild need to juggle pairings? Do they need to move Spurgeon or a left shot prospect to bring in a bigger right-handed player like a Bogo who can last more than Spurgeon's aging contract or the Bogo 1-year deals? The newest Finnish RD who shoots right is S. Soini but he's not gonna be NHL ready if Spacek isn't even close. 

Kinda wonder what the Wild see happening with Buium? How would the Wild look with these pairs and are they realistic when the penalties drop off with Spurge or does MN need to find a RD in the coming year? Thinking out loud and guessing these pairs could have some balance of offense and defense on the back end. Size or snarly toughness is not amazing but it's a nice group.

Brodin - Faber

Chisholm - Spurgeon

Middleton - Buium

[Tony Abbott]

3 minutes ago, Protec said:

What's the deal with the Wild's top 7 defenseman?

They can't all be on top. Only one of them can be. That's why it's the "top."

*slap bass solo*

[Protec]

Depth chart. Meaning of all the defenseman in the organization, some are not really viable at the NHL level today for various reasons.

Some could be sooner than later but based on who's healthy now and who is under contract, the seven are the top group most likely to be considered for next season's pairings.

[Protec]

I gotta be your favorite guy to argue or give shit to...

🤣

[Pewterschmidt]

1 hour ago, Protec said:

Kinda changing the subject since MN didn't sign the older more better Tanev but the younger more mustachey Midds.

What's the deal with the Wild's top 7 defenseman? NHL experience between Bogo, Brodin, Chisholm, Faber, Merrill, Middleton, and Spurgeon. Three rightys four leftys. When Merrill & Bogo expire this year MN will look to Buium and their AHL team for replacements.

It's plausible Buium could join the Wild after college but if not MN will have to wrap up their season with this group where Merrill is arguably the 7th D-man. Between now and then, things can change and injuries can happen but if Bogo & Merrill don't hang around that gives MN five leftys if you include Buium. 

That's an indication that Bogo, if solid this year could be back. If not, will the Wild need a right shot D? Lambos is a lefty, Hunt too, but Spacek shoots right. All three guys are ~ 6' and 190lbs and almost no NHL experience. Will Spurgeon be back to his old self and what happens beyond this year is interesting. 

How will the pairings look down the line?

Faber & Brodin can be a top pairing. 

Spurgeon and Midds have had success but are they a top pairing? 

Finally what do you do with Chisholm Hunt, Lambos, Spacek, and Buium? Seems logical to keep Bogo if he's still goin good and roll with Chisholm on the left side. Problem I kinda foresee is, what if Buium is ready to go or Bogo isn't??? That would give ya too many LD or not enough RD.

Now Chisholm is listed as being capable as a RD but he's a left shot. Does this mean a pairing with Buium is possible or do the Wild need to juggle pairings? Do they need to move Spurgeon or a left shot prospect to bring in a bigger right-handed player like a Bogo who can last more than Spurgeon's aging contract or the Bogo 1-year deals? The newest Finnish RD who shoots right is S. Soini but he's not gonna be NHL ready if Spacek isn't even close. 

Kinda wonder what the Wild see happening with Buium? How would the Wild look with these pairs and are they realistic when the penalties drop off with Spurge or does MN need to find a RD in the coming year? Thinking out loud and guessing these pairs could have some balance of offense and defense on the back end. Size or snarly toughness is not amazing but it's a nice group.

Brodin - Faber

Chisholm - Spurgeon

Middleton - Buium

Lots to digest here.  It helps me understand why mids got extension.  I think Mids is stapled to spurge as long as spurge is in lineup.  One of either Brodin or Faber should sheppard Z-nith when he arrives.  Mids is not equipped for this job IMO.  Bogo obviously a placeholder for one more year in hopes that Lam-O-Hunt can win that role in next year.  Merrill needs to go soon.

[Protec]

I see Beev coming in on the left side and being a good fit with a guy like Bogo. He's a stay at home guy, hard, and has experience. He plays the right side but I'm not sure he's the mentor. More of a protector for a rookie.

I see the Wild looking for a left shot PP-QB that would give them two different looking PP-units. Zzz's-nuts would do nicely in that role.

What about Chisholm though? Is he gonna establish himself for that role this year? Da Buoy was unexpected and probably more NHL ready than other defenders who were available.(Yakemchuk,Dickinson,Parekh) You could guess MN didn't expect to get Buium but now they technically have a good problem. 

That is how do you plan around this defense group? The top 7-8 on the depth chart that is. IA needs good defense true, but only 6-7 guys are gonna play consistently for the big club. 

[FredJohnson]

3 hours ago, Patrick said:

Reading comprehension is obviously not a strength for you.  The guys I named were free agents and thus "available".  😂😂😂

Okay...they didn't want to sign with us or signed for term we didn't (shouldn't) want. Thus what "available" means. Do you think we can make Lyubushkin, Cole, Tanev or others sign here? How attractive do you think the Wild is for free agents?

[Tony Abbott]

3 hours ago, Protec said:

I gotta be your favorite guy to argue or give shit to...

🤣

Whenever someone says what's the deal I gotta do Seinfeld