Article: The Wild Are Where They Need To Be

[M_Nels]

4 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

Fully healthy, does this look like our lines?

• Zuccarello/Rossi/Kaprizov
• Boldy/Ek/Nyquist
• Trenin/Hartman/Foligno
• Breezers/Freddy/Vinny
• Johansson eating nachos

Can that hang with Vegas?

IF the Jojo-Freddy-Zucc line keeps playing like they did last game here's how I see it.

• Boldy-Ek-Kap
• Nyquist-Rossi-Moose
• Zucc-Freddy-Jojo
• Breezers-Hartman-Vinny

As it stands right now if everyone was healthy this gives the most balance IMO.

[mnfaninnc]

4 minutes ago, M_Nels said:

IF the Jojo-Freddy-Zucc line keeps playing like they did last game here's how I see it.

• Boldy-Ek-Kap
• Nyquist-Rossi-Moose
• Zucc-Freddy-Jojo
• Breezers-Hartman-Vinny

As it stands right now if everyone was healthy this gives the most balance IMO.

So, you've got Trenin in the Prossbox? I look at that, and while they've had a nice couple of games, I see the 3rd line consistently being trapped in our zone. Throw in a Bogosian-Merrill D pair and that looks like a lot of trouble. 

[M_Nels]

4 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

So, you've got Trenin in the Prossbox? I look at that, and while they've had a nice couple of games, I see the 3rd line consistently being trapped in our zone. Throw in a Bogosian-Merrill D pair and that looks like a lot of trouble. 

Yes, unless Trenin goes on a major tear down the stretch he just isn't cutting it right now. That is fluid depending on how new fella does but if he's even a shade better than Trenin then Yak's destined for the pressbox.

[bisopher]

41 minutes ago, M_Nels said:

IF the Jojo-Freddy-Zucc line keeps playing like they did last game here's how I see it.

• Boldy-Ek-Kap
• Nyquist-Rossi-Moose
• Zucc-Freddy-Jojo
• Breezers-Hartman-Vinny

As it stands right now if everyone was healthy this gives the most balance IMO.

I could see this working, but only if you swap L2 and L3.  

[Imyourhuckleberry]

1 hour ago, AKwildkraken said:

Hang with Vegas, absolutely.  Beat Vegas, maybe?  Win a series with a hot goalie? Possible.  

But I don't think it makes them a better team than Vegas.  Our ok still sucks

This season, sure, but the Wild are top 10 in points despite 25 games without their top player and finally get to a more even playing field in terms of cap space next season. Most teams are playing with an extra Leon Draisaitl(contract-wise) worth of talent this season.

People can be unhappy the Wild aren't a top 5 team, but what GM could have built a top 5 team and had a top 5 prospect pool given the $14M hole in cap space that were Suter and Parise?

Next season, the Wild will start putting together Guerin's vision and let's judge his impact in the next 2 years, not this one.

We should also remember that Winnipeg had one of the best starts ever, but the Wild actually surpassed them to take the lead in points% in early December when they had been mostly healthy.

I was critical of Guerin early on, but I want to see where this goes once the shackles of old contracts fall away.

[SkolWild73]

1 hour ago, Dean said:

Johnston is better than bolds . He plays big bolds plays small . 
  I don’t get why the wild  won’t do anything to upgrade center. What free agents are they going to get next year? The big names are gone.  Two division rivals just cemented there playoff runs for next few years . We still think Rossi , Hartman , Fred  and ahler shore is center depth for a Stanley cup team. Ridiculous. 
   Dal has    Hintz , duchene, Harley , steel . Col  Nate m , Nelson, coyle and face off specialist drury. . Vegas.  Winnipeg , la , Edmonton all have legit center depth . We think another 4 th liner is the answer.  It isn’t this year or next. How are they going to upgrade center depth? The kids are nowhere close. The Russian hasn’t played in the nhl yet. Why would kappy sign here when he looks around the division. There are good gm s in our division and it isn’t our gm. Money is better in other states with no tax . We aren’t a destination our do we have anything close to cup contender. We are  as we always are pretenders.  Billys done great at keeping us mediocre.  

Not sure if Dallas cemented anything after this year.  They have no money left to sign any of their FA's after this year.  Will see what they do after the year, but with only just over $5M left in cap space next year and 16 players signed, they are going to have to dump a bunch of salary.  Not sure how $5M retains Duchene, Benn, or anyone of their free agents.

[AKwildkraken]

1 hour ago, AKwildkraken said:

I was just thinking the same thing.  Hang with Vegas, absolutely.  Beat Vegas, maybe?  Win a series with a hot goalie? Possible.  

But I don't think it makes them a better team than Vegas.  Our ok still sucks

 

Meant to say our PK still sucks.

[Enforceror]

1 minute ago, SkolWild73 said:

Not sure if Dallas cemented anything after this year.  They have no money left to sign any of their FA's after this year.  Will see what they do after the year, but with only just over $5M left in cap space next year and 16 players signed, they are going to have to dump a bunch of salary.  Not sure how $5M retains Duchene, Benn, or anyone of their free agents.

Well, they do have 10 players listed as centers. That might allow them to pick and choose, especially since several are in their mid thirties. Rantanen obviously going to replace someone. Not a bad problem to have unless they end up needing to go the buyout route but I sure doubt it. 

[SkolWild73]

The article states that we have only played Vegas once this year, a 3-2 loss.  In that game we were missing Ek, Midds and the Wall played goalie.

The second game in January we lost 4-1.  We were tied at 1 after 2 periods.  We did play that game without Kap, Spurge, Faber and Brodin, so I guess it is like we have not played them twice.

[SkolWild73]

5 minutes ago, Enforceror said:

Well, they do have 10 players listed as centers. That might allow them to pick and choose, especially since several are in their mid thirties. Rantanen obviously going to replace someone. Not a bad problem to have unless they end up needing to go the buyout route but I sure doubt it. 

I was using info from here:

Dallas Stars Contracts, Cap Hits and Salary Cap | Puckpedia

5 of their players are UFA's and one an RFA, just for forwards.  Only 8 forwards signed for next year, rest are in the AHL.  $5M is to fill out 7 players.  Unless they resign nobody and rely on AHL players.

 

[Enforceror]

27 minutes ago, SkolWild73 said:

I was using info from here:

Dallas Stars Contracts, Cap Hits and Salary Cap | Puckpedia

5 of their players are UFA's and one an RFA, just for forwards.  Only 8 forwards signed for next year, rest are in the AHL.  $5M is to fill out 7 players.  Unless they resign nobody and rely on AHL players.

 

Copy. Yeah I wasn't disputing the $ figures, just that they have quite a few centers to choose from and a fair amount are getting "old."

[mnfaninnc]

I'm guessing that Benn, Granny, Duchene and Dadonov are probably gone. I'm not optimistic that Seguin will return as the same type of player. That may be the buyout. They'll still be paying Suter too, I think!

[RedLake]

What's the word on Yurov and Buuim coming aboard this year?

[SkolWild73]

7 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

I'm guessing that Benn, Granny, Duchene and Dadonov are probably gone. I'm not optimistic that Seguin will return as the same type of player. That may be the buyout. They'll still be paying Suter too, I think!

That ends up being a lot of players to give up for Ranty.  I know most are getting older, but Duchene has been playing great. Maybe we can get him.

[mnfaninnc]

16 hours ago, SkolWild73 said:

That ends up being a lot of players to give up for Ranty.  I know most are getting older, but Duchene has been playing great. Maybe we can get him.

I've always liked Duchene's game, specifically his speed. I don't think he's a #1C, but I think he fits great as a #2.

 

[mnfaninnc]

18 hours ago, RedLake said:

What's the word on Yurov and Buuim coming aboard this year?

I think Yurov is unlikely, he still has playoffs and I expect his team to make at least the 2nd round, maybe the 3rd. His contract ends May 31st.

Buium is in an interesting place. If Denver bows out early in the NCAA tournament, he could become available with some games to play before the end of the Wild season. The tournament starts March 27th. If they don't make the Frozen Four, Buium could be available at the end of March. They are looking at being a #2 seed in the tournament. This should mean they will be in their regional finals. 

The Wild have 7 regular season games left in April. I'm hoping they'd be pretty close to clinching an invitation to the dance by then. Do you burn a year of ELC on Buium for 7 regular season games + playoffs? 

Now, if Denver makes it to the Frozen four, that starts April 10th. At the end of the Frozen Four, the Wild have 1 more regular season game left. Of interest, the Wild will have just gotten done playing Calgary and Vancouver on the road. Kings are March 17th at home. Do we want to burn 1 yr. of an ELC for 1 regular season game + playoffs? Will Buium want to head back to Denver if he doesn't win another national championship? Those are the lingering questions.

[Scalptrash]

Since this article was posted the Wild have dropped from third to Wild Card and both Vancouver and St. Louis are only 7 points behind. Read it and weep, the Wild will NOT make the playoffs this year. Unless....by some miracle....all injured players return within a week and are in mid-season form from game one. But we all know better.

And that's ok. I don't know why everyone thinks it's so important to make the playoffs every year with a lower than average roster that gets bounced in five games. The Wild need better draft picks so Guerin has more leverage to give them away for nothing burgers.

Wouldn't you rather have the GM from Florida, Dallas, or Colorado right about now?