Article: Filip Gustavsson's Playoff Performance Is Creating A Complicated Future

[Robert Brent]

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[Citizen Strife]

If Hill can make $6m+, there's no reason Gus can't.  Wallstedt can't stay healthy.  If he proves that wrong and is a viable backup, fine.  But you go with the guy who is keeping you in the series.  Not saying you give him the $8.25m special that a lot of goaltenders are getting.  But $6-8m is probably the range for what a good Gus Bus gets you.

Edited April 28 by Citizen Strife

[Protec]

Maybe another reason behind the Rossi-slight? 

If they extend Gus and reward his great season where is the money gonna come from. 

Only so much to go around. 

[hydguy75]

With all of the post season chatter about the Wild, thee most under-talked story is how well Gus the Bus is playing.  I haven't been a Gus fan, but this season he's also stepped up when asked, and doing more than we've expected of him.  He, along with a few other PO surprises, have stepped up when needed most.  This wouldn't even be a series without Gus.  At least the Wild are sniffing some early PO success.  Let them savor it, make them want more of it.  Instead of the traditional Wild that goes into hibernation come Round 2.  

[Citizen Strife]

1 hour ago, Protec said:

Maybe another reason behind the Rossi-slight? 

If they extend Gus and reward his great season where is the money gonna come from. 

Only so much to go around. 

Maybe they want Gus's extension in place over banking on Rossi.  Thing is, that is the play.  I'm taking this Gus over Rossi if push comes to shove.

[Protec]

Just now, Citizen Strife said:

Maybe they want Gus's extension in place over banking on Rossi.  Thing is, that is the play.  I'm taking this Gus over Rossi if push comes to shove.

Just don't go full Euro on us after the big extension. 

[hydguy75]

For any PO GT with more than 15 saves, Gus is ranked 3rd in Save %, and 1st in total saves thus far this postseason.  I'm not sure if Gus is the real deal or not, as I certainly don't have the eyes or experience to know, but his stats seem 100% legit.  

[MacGyver]

2 minutes ago, Protec said:

Just don't go full Euro on us after the big extension. 

This. Seems to happen with the Wild. Dubnyk got too much money and too many years after saving the Wild's ass for a half of season. Then what happened? We have seen the Gus we have now and we have seen the other Gus that couldn't stop a beach ball. I'd like him to repeat this year next year before we throw too much money at him. Kaprizov is the hinge pin here before the Gus or Rossi domino fall. Nothing happens until Kaprizov is either in or out. 

[RedLake]

5 minutes ago, MacGyver said:

This. Seems to happen with the Wild. Dubnyk got too much money and too many years after saving the Wild's ass for a half of season. Then what happened? We have seen the Gus we have now and we have seen the other Gus that couldn't stop a beach ball. I'd like him to repeat this year next year before we throw too much money at him. Kaprizov is the hinge pin here before the Gus or Rossi domino fall. Nothing happens until Kaprizov is either in or out. 

Kaprizov is out.

[M_Nels]

13 hours ago, RedLake said:

Kaprizov is out.

Please share some of your insider knowledge before pulling statements like that out of your arse and saying it like it's a fact.

[Willy the poor boy]

13 hours ago, MacGyver said:

This. Seems to happen with the Wild. Dubnyk got too much money and too many years after saving the Wild's ass for a half of season. Then what happened? We have seen the Gus we have now and we have seen the other Gus that couldn't stop a beach ball. I'd like him to repeat this year next year before we throw too much money at him. Kaprizov is the hinge pin here before the Gus or Rossi domino fall. Nothing happens until Kaprizov is either in or out. 

Gus has the talent, the quickness, the instincts. In my view it's been psychological. I don't know of course, but I feel this playoff series (which hopefully continues beyond round 1) with Flower in his corner is going to pay Yuge dividends for him in the future. It all comes down to his desire to stay driven. His soft spoken demeanor does give pause to that, at least in my eyes.

[Willy the poor boy]

13 hours ago, RedLake said:

Kaprizov is out.

Kaprizov is out shopping for houses...

Fixed it for ya...

🙃

[M_Nels]

5 minutes ago, Willy the poor boy said:

Gus has the talent, the quickness, the instincts. In my view it's been psychological. I don't know of course, but I feel this playoff series (which hopefully continues beyond round 1) with Flower in his corner is going to pay Yuge dividends for him in the future. It all comes down to his desire to stay driven. His soft spoken demeanor does give pause to that, at least in my eyes.

People forget he had his 1st kid in 2023. Pro athletes aren't robots and kids do add a level of stress, fatigue and distraction from your sports career. I think Gus can be a feature goalie but as you said it's his desire to stay driven is key, his conditioning was the issue when he had his down year but I have no doubt Flower has mentored him and has taught him how to be a pro.

Wally got an extremely raw deal this year IMO but hopefully he regains his form. Also hoping Flower stays on in some sort of advisory role.

[Willy the poor boy]

1 minute ago, M_Nels said:

People forget he had his 1st kid in 2023. Pro athletes aren't robots and kids do add a level of stress, fatigue and distraction from your sports career. I think Gus can be a feature goalie but as you said it's his desire to stay driven is key, his conditioning was the issue when he had his down year but I have no doubt Flower has mentored him and has taught him how to be a pro.

Wally got an extremely raw deal this year IMO but hopefully he regains his form. Also hoping Flower stays on in some sort of advisory role.

I had heard Flower's plan was to move into his house in Vegas in retirement, but that plan had changed to a permanent residence in Minnesota. So I'd bet he could become part of the Wilds staff if that rumor is true.

[Patrick]

Gus at $6 million a year or less. Absolutely!  But I don't think the Wild should pay over that for goaltending.  Its too unpredictable to pay top dollar for all but a few guys and Gus isn't one of them.  

Decent goalies are available every offseason and with the MN Wild's system they will always play better here. 

That additional 2 mil a year could be the difference we need to keep KK and get him a legitimate top line running mate.  If we do that we are contenders.

[raithis]

1 hour ago, Patrick said:

Gus at $6 million a year or less. Absolutely!  But I don't think the Wild should pay over that for goaltending.  Its too unpredictable to pay top dollar for all but a few guys and Gus isn't one of them.  

Decent goalies are available every offseason and with the MN Wild's system they will always play better here. 

That additional 2 mil a year could be the difference we need to keep KK and get him a legitimate top line running mate.  If we do that we are contenders.

I agree with this.

He's a good goalie, but I feel like it's mostly our 5v5 defense that's made the difference.  As soon as we go 4 players, our defense isn't nearly as good unless we have our absolute best players out there.

To me the most damning evidence for that is our PK.  Without our best players, Gus struggles like an average goalie.  A good goalie can seem average in those situations.  An elite goalie makes more of those saves despite it.  Yes, they'll still let goals in, but the PK isn't as much of a liability because that elite goalie is still on the ice even though you are down a skater.  Gus is a good goalie, not an elite one.

 

[Scalptrash]

Billy has his favorites, Gus and Rossi are not one of them. Hopefully his mind has changed on Gus, but who knows, it may be too clouded with alcohol.

[Protec]

^^^

Maybe true, Cross-eyed Bill likes to tip em back but either way he's got some good players or trade assets. 😁

[mnfaninnc]

This may sound harsh, but I don't think Goose has complicated anything. He has played well in 4 games of this series, and we are tied at 2. He's doing what he should be doing but has let in a couple of softies too.

My recommendation is not to dial up Goose's agent and quickly sign an extension. We don't even know if Goose is an every other year goalie? I am ready to concede a raise in the neighborhood of $4.5-5m, but that's as high as I go. He's not nearly in the $8m neighborhood, and it would be silly for his agent to demand that. Ask, yes, demand, no. 

Furthermore, Goose knows what it's like to play for a team lacking defense, he doesn't do well. There's nothing complicated about it. MN's structure makes goalies look better than they really are. So if we need to trade Goose in for another $5mish goalie, we can do that too.