Article: Revenge Wasn't A Good Look For the Wild

[Quebec1648]

Given how injury prone the Wild arre, you do not want smaller players getting into fights, especially the key players. Do you want Rossi to risk an injury fighting L'Hereaux?

The Wild should move on from Spurgeon and make a trade with Vancouver for Petterson. The removal of Spurgeons salary cap hit would clear space for a guy like Petterson. If you add a couple picks or prospects, I think Vancouver would do it.

Ek and Rossi are not good candidates for 1C. Let Rossi be the 2C and Ek can be 3C, with Petterson as 1C. That simple change would do wonders for the Wild. Imagine what Kaprizov could do with Petterson as his line partner. This also guarantees, that every line has a player with size. Line 1 has Petterdon, line 2 is Boldy, line 3 is Ek and line 4 is a young prospect.

[Pewterschmidt]

1 hour ago, MNCountryLife said:

I didn't think Ohgren played bad.

I didn’t think he looked bad either.  The red flag for me was that he didn’t do anything to get noticed imo.  He’s a man who still approached the game like a boy in terms of his battle.  He’s not a super skilled player who can get by off his talent.  Rossi has high end hockey skills and he’s proven that he’s also got that dog in him.  Ogz shows neither right now (after nearly a full year).  This is a concern for a 1st rounder.  Guerin figured this out before I did and that’s why I predict ogz becomes the first “high end” prospect that we trade away to get a grown ass top 6’r.  

[OldDutchChip]

16 minutes ago, Tony Abbott said:

Genuinely might be forgetting, but I don't think Kaprizov was taken out by a dirty hit? Spurgeon, of course, and Faber with the elbow, and Johansson, but that didn't happen with Kaprizov or Eriksson Ek? It's a tough game, and you pick up wear-and-tear without anything out of the ordinary.

i am not sure either 🤔

[MNCountryLife]

2 hours ago, OldDutchChip said:

that typically require a bit more patience

You got me there.  Relying on Rookies definitely requires patience.  But I think your odds of a cup are greater year over year when you do that.

[MNCountryLife]

1 hour ago, Pewterschmidt said:

This is a concern for a 1st rounder.  Guerin figured this out before I did and that’s why I predict ogz becomes the first “high end” prospect that we trade away to get a grown ass top 6’r.  

If that is what Guerin is thinking as well it becomes a problem.  We need more than just Yurov coming into the lineup at forward to fill some real needs.  At only 20 yo it seems a bit early to be tossing Ohgren out to pasture.  

[Tony Abbott]

I swear to God, y'all would've traded MacKinnon. 

You can't have a young team if you're not willing to let them develop.

[Citizen Strife]

Petterson for Spurgeon?  Vancouver would laugh that trade away.  You would need multiple firsts, a prospect or two, and STILL need more to make the money work.

I'll keep Spurgeon and the rest, thanks.

Edited Monday at 10:19 PM by Citizen Strife

[Citizen Strife]

Big win against the Avs there.  Phew.

[OldDutchChip]

1 hour ago, Tony Abbott said:

I swear to God, y'all would've traded MacKinnon. 

You can't have a young team if you're not willing to let them develop.

what's the point of this reference to MacKinnon? is this again about Rossi? I think you and your fanboys are the only ones that keep bringing Rossi back to discussion. 

or is this saying that you expect Rossi to be the next MacKinnon? He is not and won't be but okay sure go stat hunting. 

believe it or not - we have a player just as good as MacKInnon but his name is not Rossi. Oh my. Yes. not Rossi. 

[mnfaninnc]

7 hours ago, OldDutchChip said:

I disagree fully. If leaders are not asked to answer for their minions then this won't change. Wild will continue be looked at as prey. When Ovi had enough of Svechnikov both got into it. I need to see it from Ek or from Boldy. And there is nothing of that sort in them. Nothing yet i suppose. Maybe it needs to come out. And i thought it would be a great time for that. PK or not -most of the time both guys are removed. Boldy walks to FF and that's where the code works - FF cannot just walk away - otherwise he is the prey now. 

With Ek and Boldy, neither one are really fighters. Boldy came to Kaprizov's aid against Cageula and showed he is definitely bad at it. But, what Ek was able to do (while hurting himself in the process) was throw his weight around against Vancouver. I felt like that was just as effective. Ek did not throw his weight around against Nashville. Clobbering a guy like Forsberg hard into the boards would have sent the same message when Forsberg got up looking out his ear hole. 

But ODC's point remains, our top 6 (including Johansson) is really too soft. It needs an infusion. I believe Yurov will come in bigger than he's listed, and can definitely make teams pay on the scoresheet. Unfortunately, we are undersized drastically both physically and in courage in the top 6. Tuch helps this a lot. It will take more than a bag of pucks to get him. Maybe doing it in the offseason makes sense, but I do think we can figure out a way this season. Any contract north of his, I think, is completely unreachable during this season. 

For Patrick:  Nobody around here obsesses more about size/strength/weight than I do. I do not believe that shorter guys are small, they can play big as long as they add the necessary strength. Rossi is on his way to doing this. He's not there yet. I've been very consistent and expressed my disappointment at Iowa for not stressing this controllable aspect. In draft conversations with prospects, willingness to do this should be emphasized. We need our kids to both fill out and to gain strength. This is really what's holding them back, their bodies when they get up here are not NHL ready.

[mnfaninnc]

7 hours ago, OldDutchChip said:

i already told you the reason they consider - should they fall in the 1st round and decide a change is needed, they are keeping Aho and Necas and maybe do decide that one star for another is a gamble worth taking.

I believe Necas is more obtainable than you think. However, he is a tall, speedy player, built like Pettersson and not very physical. He would, however, add a lot to our top 6. 

Svech would be a good get, however, checking his injury history might not be the return we want. I'd love to see him in a Wild uniform, but also understand, he scores a lot of ENGs. In Carolina, they are mainly finesse too, so Svech has little help.

[OldDutchChip]

7 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

I believe Necas is more obtainable than you think. However, he is a tall, speedy player, built like Pettersson and not very physical. He would, however, add a lot to our top 6. 

Svech would be a good get, however, checking his injury history might not be the return we want. I'd love to see him in a Wild uniform, but also understand, he scores a lot of ENGs. In Carolina, they are mainly finesse too, so Svech has little help.

I recall a game with Canes and Kaprizov put on a show and Svech looked just as dangerous (if not more....) but that may have been one of those Coyle - Canucks game where you are amazed and then he may revert to the same old....although i doubt it in Svech case - i think you are spot on - his injuries are a concern - but if he is snatched  - that could be good for us long term. Let the two (Kap and Svech) buddy up and let the GFs posh up the Minnesota life style. Win Win. 

[mnfaninnc]

4 hours ago, Tony Abbott said:

Genuinely might be forgetting, but I don't think Kaprizov was taken out by a dirty hit?

I believe it was the Caguela hit (some day I'll spell this right) he was referring too. What we don't know is if his absence has anything to do with that hit and trying to play through it. We assume it's a groin but that's just a thought since all we really get is LBI.

[mnfaninnc]

2 hours ago, Citizen Strife said:

Big win against the Avs there.

Signature win?

[mnfaninnc]

We always knew there would be growing pains when the young guys arrived. I think Rossi is growing and Boldy is too. I still would have drafted differently, but my stance remains, we shouldn't trade Rossi out, we should be patient with him. 

With Boldy, I still don't think he knows just how big and strong he is. Sometimes he shows flashes of that strength, but most of the time he does not. Someone get him a full length mirror and a scale so he can let it sink in. 

But there are others with growing pains too. MaRat still has to find a shot, Jiricek still needs skating lessons, and who knows what Buium and Yurov will need. Ohgren also needs skating lessons, specifically on his edges, they are not good. 

For me, I get a great deal of enjoyment out of watching the team improve in these little areas. It gets a bit frustrating when you see the same mistakes over and over, or wonder why they simply can't build up their strength. But this team is coming together and getting closer.  

If I were Kaprizov, this is what I would notice. Yes, it would be nice to get through to round 2 in the playoffs, but seeing the improvement of the young guys would get me excited about what they could be. This is why I think he will not be looking so much at the past as he will be looking to see into the future. 

When we can add a couple of pieces along the way to help, we should do it. Tuch is the type of player we do not have in our organization. Haight is the closest thing without the mean streak, Stramel may have the mean streak but not the skill. 

Now, I'd also add that we must recaliber our drafting strategy. We don't just need guys who do one or two things well, we need guys who do multiple things well with bodies that can dictate their will. Gone should be the prototype defenders who are great puck movers but undersized. Size should be part of the equation. I'm not looking for a slew of 6'4" guys, but there should be a mix of these guys. Judd has not chosen those guys because they generally don't skate smoothly. We are missing those larger aggressive players who can also undress a decent defender. And, we don't look for them...in the recent past. 

And then for goodness sake be responsible in developing them!

[OldDutchChip]

10 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

We always knew there would be growing pains when the young guys arrived. I think Rossi is growing and Boldy is too. I still would have drafted differently, but my stance remains, we shouldn't trade Rossi out, we should be patient with him. 

With Boldy, I still don't think he knows just how big and strong he is. Sometimes he shows flashes of that strength, but most of the time he does not. Someone get him a full length mirror and a scale so he can let it sink in. 

But there are others with growing pains too. MaRat still has to find a shot, Jiricek still needs skating lessons, and who knows what Buium and Yurov will need. Ohgren also needs skating lessons, specifically on his edges, they are not good. 

For me, I get a great deal of enjoyment out of watching the team improve in these little areas. It gets a bit frustrating when you see the same mistakes over and over, or wonder why they simply can't build up their strength. But this team is coming together and getting closer.  

If I were Kaprizov, this is what I would notice. Yes, it would be nice to get through to round 2 in the playoffs, but seeing the improvement of the young guys would get me excited about what they could be. This is why I think he will not be looking so much at the past as he will be looking to see into the future. 

When we can add a couple of pieces along the way to help, we should do it. Tuch is the type of player we do not have in our organization. Haight is the closest thing without the mean streak, Stramel may have the mean streak but not the skill. 

Now, I'd also add that we must recaliber our drafting strategy. We don't just need guys who do one or two things well, we need guys who do multiple things well with bodies that can dictate their will. Gone should be the prototype defenders who are great puck movers but undersized. Size should be part of the equation. I'm not looking for a slew of 6'4" guys, but there should be a mix of these guys. Judd has not chosen those guys because they generally don't skate smoothly. We are missing those larger aggressive players who can also undress a decent defender. And, we don't look for them...in the recent past. 

And then for goodness sake be responsible in developing them!

If I were Kaprizov, this is what I would notice. Yes, it would be nice to get through to round 2 in the playoffs, but seeing the improvement of the young guys would get me excited about what they could be. This is why I think he will not be looking so much at the past as he will be looking to see into the future. My friend you are looking at it through your own eyes and not thinking like Kap. Of course no one knows what he is thinking but given that this will be his likely last chance to dictate the future (for his prime years), do you think he is going to pick a mentorship? To onboard and show other baby wild how things are done? To go through yet more growing pains? Why? Yikes, that's not for him!  NOT A CHANCE.

He is a winner. No way he is fine with again taking a step back to reload. Nope. This retreat will mean failure as a unit. It will not help with certainty, it will only add frustration and hazy up that direction. With uncertainty and Zuccy gone, he will go with familiarity. And that means East Coast. 

If Billy wants to keep his job past next year, he needs to get out of round 1 this year and have a blue print as to how he'll win for Kap. There is no more next year, it must be this year. No more excuses about Cap and Roster flexibility - it does NOT matter now. Kap does not care about that. That i believe. 

[Pewterschmidt]

1 hour ago, mnfaninnc said:

Boldy came to Kaprizov's aid against Cageula and showed he is definitely bad at it.

Asking Boldy to fight is like asking Pasta to fight.  Why?  Makes no sense to ask a top offensive player to break his hand on a bottom 6rs helmet

[OldDutchChip]

4 minutes ago, Pewterschmidt said:

Asking Boldy to fight is like asking Pasta to fight.  Why?  Makes no sense to ask a top offensive player to break his hand on a bottom 6rs helmet

no, not bottom 6

boldy can fight top 6

but not to be

 

[Pewterschmidt]

4 hours ago, Tony Abbott said:

I swear to God, y'all would've traded MacKinnon. 

You can't have a young team if you're not willing to let them develop.

Walz made a point that jirizy “flashed” tonight.  I agree he did.  Ogz hasn’t flashed in a full calendar year.  If Guerin wants to maximize his trade value he deals Ogz while he’s still got  potential

[Pewterschmidt]

2 minutes ago, OldDutchChip said:

no, not bottom 6

boldy can fight top 6

but not to be

 

I’m down with odc, but not on the Boldy fighting situation. He needs to make his statement on the score sheet.  

Edited yesterday at 02:14 AM by Pewterschmidt

[Tony Abbott]

3 hours ago, OldDutchChip said:

what's the point of this reference to MacKinnon? is this again about Rossi? I think you and your fanboys are the only ones that keep bringing Rossi back to discussion. 

or is this saying that you expect Rossi to be the next MacKinnon? He is not and won't be but okay sure go stat hunting. 

believe it or not - we have a player just as good as MacKInnon but his name is not Rossi. Oh my. Yes. not Rossi. 

Everyone wanted to cast off Rossi, now everyone is piling on Ohgren, and next year, when Yurov has his growing pains, everyone will want to trade him. Even All-World players take some lumps, that's part of having a strong prospect pool. 

[Pewterschmidt]

2 minutes ago, Tony Abbott said:

Everyone wanted to cast off Rossi, now everyone is piling on Ohgren, and next year, when Yurov has his growing pains, everyone will want to trade him. Even All-World players take some lumps, that's part of having a strong prospect pool. 

Fair point.  I’ll lay off ogz for awhile but he’s very underwhelming so far.  

[Sam]

Ohgren must’ve went to CostCo and got dat Kirkland signature cuz he got that dog in him. Woof!

[Tony Abbott]

Looked good today! 

[OldDutchChip]

37 minutes ago, Pewterschmidt said:

I’m down with odc, but not on the Boldy fighting situation. He needs to make his statement on the score sheet.  

either Boldy or Ek, there is no one else on top 6 😞