Article: What's Next For the Wild With Brock Nelson Off the Board?

[Quebec1648]

If the Wild trade Rossi, they had better get something good in return. I have repeatedly suggested trading for Brady Tkachuk, but other people seem to think Ottawa would say no. A combo of Kaprizov and Tkachuk would be great.

Leopold wants Christmas in July, so Guerin is likely going to make a deal, it just might not be a good deal.

[mnfaninnc]

31 minutes ago, Quebec1648 said:

If the Wild trade Rossi, they had better get something good in return. I have repeatedly suggested trading for Brady Tkachuk, but other people seem to think Ottawa would say no. A combo of Kaprizov and Tkachuk would be great.

I've been pounding that drum for about a year now. On paper, the Wild would significantly have to lose that deal. Let's just say gross overpay. But, I think it would still help us!

[mnfaninnc]

The top 50 UFA list is out. Interesting is that Breezers is ranked higher than Nyquist. One guy I'd want back who isn't even on the list is Nico Sturm. I think we could get him for a decent price and let him center the 3rd line. 

He's a real center, not a wing converted to a center. He's got size and can skate. He's fundamentally sound and very familiar with a bottom 6 role. He can score. Put him in between a couple of large wings and that line could do damage. I could see a Hartman-Sturm-Foligno line being just a pain in the butt to play against.

Then what? Well, this is where we part ways with Freddy. We've got Kaprizov, Zuccarello, Boldy to use in shootouts which means that Freddy is #4. $500k of his contract is based off of going 3rd in shootouts. Sturm wouldn't be there for a lot of points, but he's a sturdy bottom 6 presence that we've missed since his departure who can win faceoffs. He's 30 so I wouldn't go further than a 3 year deal. While I'm thinking, maybe he goes 4th line with Trenin and Foligno? Freddy still goes. 

Duchene would be another guy who we should call. He's older at 34, still has his speed and would be an upgrade from Hartman who could be traded or kicked out to wing. Hartman has had a couple of good playoffs, so we might want to keep him here + he is flexible and can center if there are injuries. Duchene has played on a cup contender for 2 years for $3m. I think he still gets a check from Nashville. 

Those 2 guys could move the needle on the center position. Yurov gets first crack as the 4th center on the list, but 2nd line. Duchene and Sturm give Ek help. Both could probably be signed to $6m combined if Duchene likes our roster. We've got a lot of dead weight from some guys who were value signings, but we have to give the 5 rookies a place to play. I think we need to do a lot more trading out than signing in, since we've got 5 spots taken on ELC/low level deal. 

What we don't want is having to elevate people into the lineup and then have an AHL 4th line as we have for the past 2 seasons. Let's reshape this roster into one who can make a run. Playoffs should be a given. Those 2 signings + 5 rookies is a lot of turnover for an NHL squad. They will need some time to mesh. We need to give them a long runway and start transitioning into win now from building cupboards. Marinating is done, it's time to cook the meat!

[OldDutchChip]

22 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

The top 50 UFA list is out. Interesting is that Breezers is ranked higher than Nyquist. One guy I'd want back who isn't even on the list is Nico Sturm. I think we could get him for a decent price and let him center the 3rd line. 

He's a real center, not a wing converted to a center. He's got size and can skate. He's fundamentally sound and very familiar with a bottom 6 role. He can score. Put him in between a couple of large wings and that line could do damage. I could see a Hartman-Sturm-Foligno line being just a pain in the butt to play against.

Then what? Well, this is where we part ways with Freddy. We've got Kaprizov, Zuccarello, Boldy to use in shootouts which means that Freddy is #4. $500k of his contract is based off of going 3rd in shootouts. Sturm wouldn't be there for a lot of points, but he's a sturdy bottom 6 presence that we've missed since his departure who can win faceoffs. He's 30 so I wouldn't go further than a 3 year deal. While I'm thinking, maybe he goes 4th line with Trenin and Foligno? Freddy still goes. 

Duchene would be another guy who we should call. He's older at 34, still has his speed and would be an upgrade from Hartman who could be traded or kicked out to wing. Hartman has had a couple of good playoffs, so we might want to keep him here + he is flexible and can center if there are injuries. Duchene has played on a cup contender for 2 years for $3m. I think he still gets a check from Nashville. 

Those 2 guys could move the needle on the center position. Yurov gets first crack as the 4th center on the list, but 2nd line. Duchene and Sturm give Ek help. Both could probably be signed to $6m combined if Duchene likes our roster. We've got a lot of dead weight from some guys who were value signings, but we have to give the 5 rookies a place to play. I think we need to do a lot more trading out than signing in, since we've got 5 spots taken on ELC/low level deal. 

What we don't want is having to elevate people into the lineup and then have an AHL 4th line as we have for the past 2 seasons. Let's reshape this roster into one who can make a run. Playoffs should be a given. Those 2 signings + 5 rookies is a lot of turnover for an NHL squad. They will need some time to mesh. We need to give them a long runway and start transitioning into win now from building cupboards. Marinating is done, it's time to cook the meat!

not sure if i'd want to spend 10MM for Sturm and Duchene and that's what that pair will cost you (minimum). not to mention Duchene is 34 and the age will catch up to him any moment now..... do you want to commit 3-4 years at 7 per for Duchene? yuck 

instead i'd do an aggressive push with teams that failed in the PO. let's not settle for nostalgic reunions or players with best days behind them. see if some GM wants a change - canes may reached their peak and half of their defense is either gone or old - maybe they'll be a good partners? 

or (and now i am getting nostalgic) we move out fat ass faber and rossi for tkachuk, and then bring back burns for 2 years at 4 per to finish it off where it all began? obviously winning the cup along the way. 

it be a great team - kap - burns - tkachuk - ek - boldy .... (it be sad to say good bye to faber and rossi HAHAHA no it won't)

[1Brotherbill]

The thing with Bennet is he would be taking a pay cut to come to Minnesota.  Even if he AAV is higher than it is right now.  Florida is a tax friendly state, probably the best in all of the NHL.  I read somewhere that he makes more money take home that Mitch Marner does.  Not sure if that is the case but the tax differences are massive.  

Guerin kind of handicapped himself by publicly saying he wanted Centers.  He knew that there were none available in the Free Agent market.  Which meant if he wanted one he would have to trade for one.  That instantly caused the asking prices to go up for 31 other teams.  

He is going to have to bite the bullet and sign Rossi to a 7 million 7 year contract now. 

[mnfaninnc]

13 hours ago, OldDutchChip said:

not sure if i'd want to spend 10MM for Sturm and Duchene and that's what that pair will cost you (minimum). not to mention Duchene is 34 and the age will catch up to him any moment now..... do you want to commit 3-4 years at 7 per for Duchene? yuck 

instead i'd do an aggressive push with teams that failed in the PO. let's not settle for nostalgic reunions or players with best days behind them. see if some GM wants a change - canes may reached their peak and half of their defense is either gone or old - maybe they'll be a good partners? 

or (and now i am getting nostalgic) we move out fat ass faber and rossi for tkachuk, and then bring back burns for 2 years at 4 per to finish it off where it all began? obviously winning the cup along the way. 

it be a great team - kap - burns - tkachuk - ek - boldy .... (it be sad to say good bye to faber and rossi HAHAHA no it won't)

Duchene plays his best on a year to year type of deal, so you'd have to convince him this team could go on a run. 3 x $7m is not what I had in mind, and not something I would do. Sturm has been playing at $2m/season, and based upon stats, probably doesn't get much of a raise. So, my proposal was $3.5-4m for Duchene, 1 year, and $2-2.5m for Sturm, I wouldn't mind a 3 year deal on this one. 

I'm all in on getting Tkachuk. I just don't see how Ottawa even takes offers. It's like the guy who calls you and wants to buy your house that isn't on the market. Do you even listen to what he has to say beyond him wanting to buy your property? No, you do not. You hang up as quickly as possible. 

As for Burns, he played very slow this past season and wasn't particularly good in the playoffs. He was taken off of the Canes top PP unit, doesn't take much of the body and has lost steps in his skating. He'll be 40 and plays like it. I think there would be better options, and think Faber isn't going anywhere. Even with a Rossi/Faber offer, I don't think Ottawa blinks, especially now that they have made the playoffs. I also don't think Tkachuk wants to leave. I think he sees unfinished business.

 

[Citizen Strife]

Is it weird that it's taken me this long to notice Faber licking Nelson's jersey in the picture?

[mnfaninnc]

12 hours ago, 1Brotherbill said:

He is going to have to bite the bullet and sign Rossi to a 7 million 7 year contract now.

I still fail to see how this makes any sense to Guerin. At least for next season, Guerin's got 3 aces and 2 queens and Rossi is sitting there with a pair of deuces. Guerin pretty much can tell Rossi and his agent what he's getting next year and there is very little Rossi can do about it other than go get an offersheet (which I think Guerin is secretly hoping for) or deciding to play his next 4 years in Europe which would effectively ruin his NHL career. 

Rossi has absolutely no leverage for 7 x $7m unless he brings an offersheet which Guerin will match. A serious offersheet will need to be >$7.2m/season from a weak team. Guerin shouldn't offer 7 x $7m at all. He should just qualify him and wait. If Rossi chooses to play unmotivated hockey for the '25-26 season, he simply gets qualified again with a weak arbitration case. If he plays really well, he may get his big deal, or may go through and win an arbitration case. But that is not this year.

[mnfaninnc]

4 minutes ago, Citizen Strife said:

Is it weird that it's taken me this long to notice Faber licking Nelson's jersey in the picture?

I noticed it too. It was kind of yucky, but at the same time, a little Michael Jordanesque. 

[Pewterschmidt]

14 hours ago, OldDutchChip said:

let's not settle for nostalgic reunions or players with best days behind them

Halle-f'n-luyah.  Let's all stop talking about Sturm, Donato, Duhaime etc...They were bubble NHL'rs when they were here.  No more recycling of the players we didn't want in the past.  Let's go get 25 yr old who are about to break out (ie Geeke, McTavish, Stank types etc) to start creating the next core around Faber, Boldy and Ek.  We need the next wave of alpha dogs.  No more beta's (ie Fred, Nojo, regular season Trenin)

[Dis-allowed display name]

13 hours ago, 1Brotherbill said:

The thing with Bennet is he would be taking a pay cut to come to Minnesota. 

Its probably about a half mill a year less in take home depending on schedule as most states now have athlete pay income tax on road games played in their state.   Half a million a year on a long term contract is a big deal.

[Imyourhuckleberry]

2 hours ago, Dis-allowed display name said:

Half a million a year on a long term contract is a big deal.

Depends somewhat upon how the contracts are structured. If well over half of the contract is paid in the early years for a MN player, compared to even payouts elsewhere, you could make up some of that difference through investment income.

[Willy the poor boy]

4 hours ago, Citizen Strife said:

Is it weird that it's taken me this long to notice Faber licking Nelson's jersey in the picture?

Anyone know if he hangs out with Marchand during the summer?

[hydguy75]

20 hours ago, Quebec1648 said:

A combo of Kaprizov and Tkachuk would be great.

As MN sports luck would go, this would be Kap donning a Sen's sweater for the next several years and MN Wild ended up with the washed out lockerroom guys. 

[OldDutchChip]

7 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

Duchene plays his best on a year to year type of deal, so you'd have to convince him this team could go on a run. 3 x $7m is not what I had in mind, and not something I would do. Sturm has been playing at $2m/season, and based upon stats, probably doesn't get much of a raise. So, my proposal was $3.5-4m for Duchene, 1 year, and $2-2.5m for Sturm, I wouldn't mind a 3 year deal on this one. 

I'm all in on getting Tkachuk. I just don't see how Ottawa even takes offers. It's like the guy who calls you and wants to buy your house that isn't on the market. Do you even listen to what he has to say beyond him wanting to buy your property? No, you do not. You hang up as quickly as possible. 

As for Burns, he played very slow this past season and wasn't particularly good in the playoffs. He was taken off of the Canes top PP unit, doesn't take much of the body and has lost steps in his skating. He'll be 40 and plays like it. I think there would be better options, and think Faber isn't going anywhere. Even with a Rossi/Faber offer, I don't think Ottawa blinks, especially now that they have made the playoffs. I also don't think Tkachuk wants to leave. I think he sees unfinished business.

 

Duchene is not settling for a bargain to play for us. And if you think he is - well let's add Kane to the list and Tavares. But we know better - they won't go here (and thats a good thing!) They can take their old talents and bodies back to TOR or DET or join CHI and get more. They are a bit overdone for my taste.

I just don't see how Ottawa even takes offers. why wouldn't they at least listen? you don't think Brady wants to win like his bro and win on home soil? It'll be foolish NOT to inquire at least. Faber stock is pretty high - after that nations tournie. and he wears glasses! 

I also don't think Tkachuk wants to leave. I think he sees unfinished business. pretty sure playing for his country is more important to him than other players. one tkachuk left canada, why won't the other? you are saying Ottawa won't blink for Stud Center (Rossi) and Super Stud D(Faber)? are we undervaluing our players..... i personally would laugh at the offer if i'm OTT - but you never know what's behind close doors and how others value players (some here think the world of Rossi and Faber so.....).

give OTT a choice

• Rossi, Faber, Ohgren, Pick or
• Rossi, #2 Prospect in the WORLD (Zeev), Spurge (Captain!) and one of the prospect whose name starts with "H"

Burnsy i admit was a joke - but i think he'll do fine with us as a Merrill and Bogo replacement and would be a good farewell for him. We all miss him. 

 

[Dis-allowed display name]

3 hours ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

Depends somewhat upon how the contracts are structured. If well over half of the contract is paid in the early years for a MN player, compared to even payouts elsewhere, you could make up some of that difference through investment income.

Sure structure matters, but the Wild would not do it grossly different than another team.  Lets say you get and extra $5 million front loaded.  At 10% annual return you might make a couple million in income, but if you want access to it, and living in Minnesota, you will again pay 10% tax on it plus 15% capital gains.  You are just never going to get the same money, and you risk actually losing money if those investments go down.  Hoping to "get close" through structure is the best you can do, so you have to put more on the table against the Florida or Texas teams.  I can see some people might want to live in Minnesota because they are from here,  and a few million is enough, but its is the exception probably more than the rule.

There is just no getting around the fact that the tax rate in Minnesota sucks for high earners compared to many other pro sports destinations.  New York, Jersey and Cali are probably worse but are bigger markets and offer more opportunities for other income.  The Canadian dollars has been doing poorly so we got that going for us, but I thought players were signing contracts for US dollars up there, though I could be mistaken.

But the tax implication is just one factor for a free agent, total lack off playoff success is also a biggie.

[Enforceror]

46 minutes ago, OldDutchChip said:

and he wears glasses! 

Yep, Faber doesn't pass the eye test 😜

In case nobody figured it out, yes, I'm a Dad...

[1Brotherbill]

11 hours ago, Dis-allowed display name said:

Its probably about a half mill a year less in take home depending on schedule as most states now have athlete pay income tax on road games played in their state.   Half a million a year on a long term contract is a big deal.

Florida has no state tax.  All endorsements are not taxed in Florida.  They have to pay taxes in states that have state taxes.  

Minnesota has a 9.85% tax rate for resident athletes.  

[mnfaninnc]

On 6/9/2025 at 10:30 AM, Pewterschmidt said:

Let's go get 25 yr old who are about to break out (ie Geeke, McTavish, Stank types etc) to start creating the next core around Faber, Boldy and Ek.

I'd love to have McTavish. I doubt he's available. Not much on Geekie or Stankoven.

[mnfaninnc]

On 6/9/2025 at 1:11 PM, Imyourhuckleberry said:

Depends somewhat upon how the contracts are structured. If well over half of the contract is paid in the early years for a MN player, compared to even payouts elsewhere, you could make up some of that difference through investment income.

If the contract is structured to be more signing bonus and signed in, say, Florida, I think you can squeeze through a tax loophole. 

[mnfaninnc]

On 6/9/2025 at 5:06 PM, OldDutchChip said:

Duchene is not settling for a bargain to play for us. And if you think he is - well let's add Kane to the list and Tavares. But we know better - they won't go here (and thats a good thing!) They can take their old talents and bodies back to TOR or DET or join CHI and get more. They are a bit overdone for my taste.

I read Duchene is looking for term this go around and didn't like the 1 year deals. I'd stay away from term with him.

[mnfaninnc]

On 6/9/2025 at 5:06 PM, OldDutchChip said:

It'll be foolish NOT to inquire at least.

I'm all for inquiring and if there is a shred of hope, pursuing. I just think he's an untouchable there. I was willing to go Rossi + Boldy and a couple of other assets last summer. I think Boldy played more physical last season and I might take him off that list, but Tkachuk is a player you overpay for if you get the chance. I'm just not sure that chance is there.