Article: Signing Aaron Ekblad Would Spur Jiricek’s Development

[Kalisha Turnipseed]

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[Scalptrash]

Sure, why not.

[Dean]

How are you going to pay for this? Trade Spurg? Who wants an undersized  injury prone old right hand d man when they could just go sign ekblad  Billy is sitting at the kids table while the rest of the nhl is making moves. Rossi is proving size does matter. It wins games, cups an increases your value in a trade . We’re told by clowns at athletic we have top 3 prospect pool. So what it doesn’t translate into nhl players developed by wild.. it also doesn’t mean you will get fair value in a trade when your prospects are undersized dented cans . Nobody is clamoring for our undersized prospects but Judd said he’s sticking to his guns on draft. Small weak players that fall due to size is Judds cup of tea. However nobody wins playoff rounds with this type of team or can they trade them for a fair return.  
  Billy’s x mas is looking pretty sad. 

[Dean]

I will give Billy props for getting rid of Fred and him holding others back. Thank god ! He also won a trade. Fleeced the kraken. That’s not hard but at least Billy did it . He’s a magician trading bottom six players . Haha 

[Willy the poor boy]

1 hour ago, Dean said:

How are you going to pay for this? Trade Spurg? Who wants an undersized  injury prone old right hand d man when they could just go sign ekblad  Billy is sitting at the kids table while the rest of the nhl is making moves. Rossi is proving size does matter. It wins games, cups an increases your value in a trade . We’re told by clowns at athletic we have top 3 prospect pool. So what it doesn’t translate into nhl players developed by wild.. it also doesn’t mean you will get fair value in a trade when your prospects are undersized dented cans . Nobody is clamoring for our undersized prospects but Judd said he’s sticking to his guns on draft. Small weak players that fall due to size is Judds cup of tea. However nobody wins playoff rounds with this type of team or can they trade them for a fair return.  
  Billy’s x mas is looking pretty sad. 

[1Brotherbill]

Do you even watch the Wild?  I'm serious.  Most of your articles are about players that we don't need.  Of all the areas that the Wild appear to be strong in defenseman is one of their strongest.  So, why spend money that they really don't have on something that they have a relative wealth at?

[Burnt Toast]

14 hours ago, 1Brotherbill said:

So, why spend money that they really don't have on something that they have a relative wealth at?

It’s a new NHL phenomenon called “Double Dipping on D.” How to take down Billy Z. 

[TCMooch]

LOL just drafted a guy that’s 5’7”. Way to go Billy!

[NoJoSux]

Ekblad is good but he's like a Dion Phaneuf at this point in his career like DP who got signed to good money and went on to be slow and injured. Do not sign guys like this period. 

The articles last Summer were saying the Wild should trade for Jiricek. Everyone agreed that was not gonna be a great idea. It happened and the Wild now have plenty of defensemen. 

Their rolls of the dice need to shake out positively. Their need for center depth should be a caution against more sideways moves and project players. 

[Daraincher]

Wild aren’t making any splash. No

xmas or whatever Billy claimed

 no big name free agent wants to come here. Sure give the thrill 15 mil. We are an entertainment team. We are not built to win the cup. Spend your $500/$1000 bucks to see a game and be entertained and be content. 

[SkolWild73]

58 minutes ago, Daraincher said:

Wild aren’t making any splash. No

xmas or whatever Billy claimed

 no big name free agent wants to come here. Sure give the thrill 15 mil. We are an entertainment team. We are not built to win the cup. Spend your $500/$1000 bucks to see a game and be entertained and be content. 

All big name free agents, besides Marner. have resigned with their current clubs.  They haven’t wanted to go anywhere.

[Imyourhuckleberry]

Quote

Guerin said Jiricek, whose season ended with a lacerated spleen, will spend a good portion of the summer working out in St. Paul. He’s not here yet but will be. Guerin said top prospect Zeev Buium, who headlines next week’s development camp, will also spend a lot of time in Minnesota this offseason.

--The Athletic

As for the Benak pick, the 5'7" C can also play wing, and he's been the top scorer for virtually every team he's played on, when playing with players his age.

He's described as the fastest and best hockey IQ player for any team he's on, and he's not soft. Likely to play wing if he elevates to the NHL. Some comparisons to Zuccy or Stankoven. Described as 1st round skills and late round size.

Quote

“Benak’s lateral skating is a standout component of his game, showcasing his ability to maneuver in dynamic, multi-directional patterns. Rarely does he move in a straight line; instead, he’s constantly shifting weight, employing crossover acceleration and varying his pace and path. His quickness in small spaces enables him to burst into acceleration with minimal room, making him one of the most agile skaters among his draft class.” -- TheHockeyWriters

Edited Sunday at 12:22 PM by Imyourhuckleberry

[Pewterschmidt]

1 hour ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

Described as 1st round skills and late round size.

Have we heard the “we were surprised he was still there” from Judd yet

[Up North Guy]

2 hours ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

--The Athletic

As for the Benak pick, the 5'7" C can also play wing, and he's been the top scorer for virtually every team he's played on, when playing with players his age.

He's described as the fastest and best hockey IQ player for any team he's on, and he's not soft. Likely to play wing if he elevates to the NHL. Some comparisons to Zuccy or Stankoven. Described as 1st round skills and late round size.

No team in the NHL can have more than a couple small players. If Rossi resigns I doubt he is still on the team if/when Benak would be there. Benak still has time to add strength and mass (or even height) but won't make league average. If he is as good as reported, he could be a steal. The odds are not in his favor, however. The other draft picks appear to all have or have the potential for good size. Chances are, none of them ever make the big club, but nobody knows that for sure.

[Imyourhuckleberry]

2 minutes ago, Up North Guy said:

If Rossi resigns I doubt he is still on the team if/when Benak would be there

Zuccarello would almost certainly be gone, and Rossi could be too. Benak might grow yet to 5'9" or so like his father. Seems worthy of a 4th round flyer given his work ethic and high skill level, but definitely understand the general skepticism of a 5'7" player, especially if thinking of him at C.

Lots of 4th rounders never make NHL ice, but he has a shot, and could be tradeable later on even if he's not getting beyond the AHL.

[mnfaninnc]

I have been in favor of acquiring Jiricek even from last season. A large prospect's footwork takes longer to establish, but I'm pretty sure our skating whisperer can get this done. I do disagree with Button on Jiricek only being a #5. I think he can be 2nd pairing and while Faber eats minutes, he'll be next over the boards. But that's likely not this season. 

Trade Spurgy to the Ducks? I think he could also go to the Canes and the Red Wings. I haven't seen our draft yet. I suppose I'll dive into that next. 

Oh, and we wouldn't be trading for Ekblad, we'd be signing him as a UFA, and why would we do that when we need forward help with our cap freedom? Even with Spurgy gone, I think Ekblad isn't going to come here.

[mnfaninnc]

I can't believe all those guys were available! Wow, we even got some size! My guess with the Chissy trade was that they feel Lambos is about ready and he needed somewhere to play. 

So, all these guys are making the N, right? 😉for P-Sarcasm

[Micah]

The wild needs a goaltender like the Florida panther  the wild should trade jasper to Florida and get  the starter goalie that will make a Stanley cup champion for Minnesota 

[mnfaninnc]

16 hours ago, Micah said:

The wild needs a goaltender like the Florida panther  the wild should trade jasper to Florida and get  the starter goalie that will make a Stanley cup champion for Minnesota

Welcome Micah,

Bobrovsky has 1 year left (wow, just 1 year), at $10m and is 36 years old. I think he's got a lot of wear on his tires. The Wall is just starting out. If the Wild were in a position to win it this season, that might make some sense, but they're not. They're in trying to get out of the 1st round mode. 

I think the tandem of Goose and The Wall will work just fine this season, and if we can't resign Goose to a reasonable extension, then maybe we go after Bob in free agency. I suspect, Bob will sign a team friendly extension with FL, and he currently has a 16 team M-NTC. I think he likes it in FL and will retire as a Panther.