Article: Maybe Christmas Just Isn't the Wild's Thing

[Chris Schad]

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[FredJohnson]

Maybe Christmas Just Isn't the Wild's Thing

Maybe GMBG and OCL should STFU and do the best, right things.

[FredJohnson]

[SkolWild73]

I read that Boeser was actually offered his contract one hour before free agency started and he was happy to accept it, and he never really wanted to leave.  Also read that Ehlers wants to play somewhere warm.  

[Sam]

1 hour ago, SkolWild73 said:

I read that Boeser was actually offered his contract one hour before free agency started and he was happy to accept it, and he never really wanted to leave.  Also read that Ehlers wants to play somewhere warm.  

I think he chose the wrong sport. Hockey arenas tend to be a bit cool. 

[ArizonaWildFan]

I read that Nyquist signed with the Jets so that helped my Christmas spirit. At least he won't be on the Wild roster.

One move that would make me happy would be to bring back the Iron Range Red uniforms this season. Why not put the Red Army line of Kaprizov, Yurov and Tarasenko in red uniforms.

Love the red and green. Very much in line with the spirit of Christmas.

[B1GKappa97]

Guys, guys. C'mon. How materialistic are you??

Christmas isn't about presents, okay? Geeze, Craig is teaching y'all a valuable lesson about the holiday spirit!! 

[goaliemon]

It really is like Christmas for the Wild this Free Agency this year.  They have the ability to actually do substantial things day one this year.  The Problem is that the FA market was so bare that having money meant nothing this year. 

It's like Christmas morning in Berlin in 1943.. You were expecting awesome Christmas presents early in the year, and then life happened and there were no awesome charismas presents left to be had.  

It sucks the way it all happened, but I'm glad management is keeping a level head in playing the crap hand they were dealt. (I.e. not overspending for free agents or making desperate trades)

[ArizonaWildFan]

19 hours ago, SkolWild73 said:

Also read that Ehlers wants to play somewhere warm.

Isn't St. Paul a warmer climate than Winnipeg?

Would love to see the Wild take a run at Ehlers. Carolina sounds like the frontrunner and Colorado sounds like they have interest. It's a win-win when you pluck a top player from a division rival in that it should help your team and hurt theirs.

[SkolWild73]

1 minute ago, ArizonaWildFan said:

Isn't St. Paul a warmer climate than Winnipeg?

Would love to see the Wild take a run at Ehlers. Carolina sounds like the frontrunner and Colorado sounds like they have interest. It's a win-win when you pluck a top player from a division rival in that it should help your team and hurt theirs.

St. Paul isn't that much warmer than Winnipeg and definitely not a warm climate.

[SkolWild73]

1 hour ago, ArizonaWildFan said:

Isn't St. Paul a warmer climate than Winnipeg?

Would love to see the Wild take a run at Ehlers. Carolina sounds like the frontrunner and Colorado sounds like they have interest. It's a win-win when you pluck a top player from a division rival in that it should help your team and hurt theirs.

Well he signed with Carolina for 6 years and $8.5 AAV.

[Willy the poor boy]

All we wanted was just one big beautiful signing.  😵‍💫

[mnfaninnc]

What's more adorable than puppies for Christmas, and we could have 5 of them. The Wall, Jiricek, Buium, Ohgren, and Yurov. A whole litter of puppies.

And, just as puppies do, they grow into being dogs. I'm very hopeful we're getting big dogs and not those little yappy ankle biters. 

In addition to those, we've added to strong NHL bodies. We subtracted some guys in Freddy and Merrill who really weren't (Merrill had height, but he was not very physical). Our 4th line will have an identity and not look lost in the wind. Our 2nd line has got some bite to it. 

I'm wondering about this top 6:

Boldy-Rossi-Kaprizov

Zuccarello-Ek-Tarasenko

My expectations aren't SCF this season, and I think we probably squeak into another WC spot. But I do think we can get through the 1st round. If we're healthy, I think we go into the playoffs hot and are a team nobody wants to face. 

I'm anticipating 1 more subtraction, I don't know who it will be. 

[Enforceror]

59 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

I'm wondering about this top 6:

Boldy-Rossi-Kaprizov

Zuccarello-Ek-Tarasenko

I like this. I think Rossi has shown more ability to be a workhorse. Less minutes for Ek but he gets the harder assignments. You can flip in game as needed. Rossi can score goals but Boldy and Kaprizov both have better finishing skills. I'm listening to Zucc when he says pass more. 

Tarasenko has Zucc to get passes from. Ek to cleanup the garbage.

My biggest question is how/do Ohgren and Yurov fit in?

[mnhockeyfan03]

1 hour ago, mnfaninnc said:

I'm wondering about this top 6:

Boldy-Rossi-Kaprizov

Zuccarello-Ek-Tarasenko

To get past first round and go further Rossi can’t be on the team and either can Zucc.  Spurgeon and Brodin also need to be upgraded.  Just the honest truth.  Our top 6 is way too small and doesn’t have speed.  Rossi is not fast at all and small and Zucc is way too small and loosing a step.  We need 2 more big trees on our D to help clear front of net on PK.  Our lack of size back there is why we suck so bad on the PK

[mnfaninnc]

16 hours ago, Enforceror said:

My biggest question is how/do Ohgren and Yurov fit in?

Ohgren-Yurov-Foligno

Hartman-Sturm-Trenin

[mnfaninnc]

16 hours ago, mnhockeyfan03 said:

To get past first round and go further Rossi can’t be on the team and either can Zucc.  Spurgeon and Brodin also need to be upgraded.

I think we can get to the 2nd round with all these guys, but to go further you're probably right except for Brodin. While St. Louis appears to be Brodin's Kryptonite, Brodin can shut down some pretty good forwards. 

I think if Rossi does decide to have another big offseason and comes in around 195, he will be hard to handle. Zuccy and Spurgy, however, are probably not on this team for the cup run. 

As noted either above or a different thread, Detroit is looking for a guy who fits Spurgeon's description. Danielson would be the trade, a center just about ready to come up. Yes, it's futures, but Danielson is about ready to contribute with the core that Guerin built. He's a '23 draft choice so he fits in that group.

Zuccy has a full NMC. I think we're going to have to just let his contract fall off. However, Zuccy in the regular season is very valuable for paying it forward and mentoring these puppies. While I see a top 6 like it is, on that 2nd line, I'd like to see Hartzy get a couple of extra shifts while Zuccy is just being rested. I'm still not quite sure how to do it, but I'd say 2 extra shifts for Hartman in the 1st & 2nd periods, and then we'll see how the 3rd period plays out. So, Zuccy would get 4th line minutes + PP time, but play in the top 6 if that makes any sense.

I think a Hartman-Ek-Tarasenko line could play pretty physical if it needed to, and throw a little different look at some other teams. 

[Up North Guy]

37 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

Ohgren-Yurov-Foligno

Hartman-Sturm-Trenin

I have seen lots of lineups lately showing Ohgren on the 4th line. I believe that is certainly not the best place for him. He is a scoring power forward that needs ice time to prove or disprove his abilities. With that, a 4th of Hartman-Sturm-Trenin could be a beast.

[mnfaninnc]

2 hours ago, Up North Guy said:

I have seen lots of lineups lately showing Ohgren on the 4th line. I believe that is certainly not the best place for him. He is a scoring power forward that needs ice time to prove or disprove his abilities. With that, a 4th of Hartman-Sturm-Trenin could be a beast.

I think both Yurov and Ohgren need to get acclimated. What better way to do this than on the 3rd line with Foligno (A). If Foligno's leadership can bring these 2 guys into playing the right way and not making mistakes, then they can take that lesson and perhaps build into top 6 guys. IMO, while Ohgren's game will tend to look like Nino's, his physical game in the N was pretty non-existent. He needs a guy in the trenches with him throwing some haymakers. Equally, though, that line also has some skill and can pop in some secondary scoring. 

[Mateo3xm]

On 7/3/2025 at 7:03 PM, mnhockeyfan03 said:

To get past first round and go further Rossi can’t be on the team and either can Zucc.  Spurgeon and Brodin also need to be upgraded.  Just the honest truth.  Our top 6 is way too small and doesn’t have speed.  Rossi is not fast at all and small and Zucc is way too small and loosing a step.  We need 2 more big trees on our D to help clear front of net on PK.  Our lack of size back there is why we suck so bad on the PK

On Rossi

”He is in the 75th percentile for top skating speed and the 89th percentile for skating distance. The Austrian native is only 23 and is already faster than 80% of the league. Along with his skating, he excels in taking accurate shots. He's in the 86th percentile for shooting % and is in the 85th percentile for goals scored.”

-Jordan Manny Preds line 

 

If you’re going to rip the guy at least know what you’re talking about. I agree the team needs to get bigger but Rossi is one of the last players we need to look at getting rid of.

[mnhockeyfan03]

11 minutes ago, Mateo3xm said:

On Rossi

”He is in the 75th percentile for top skating speed and the 89th percentile for skating distance. The Austrian native is only 23 and is already faster than 80% of the league. Along with his skating, he excels in taking accurate shots. He's in the 86th percentile for shooting % and is in the 85th percentile for goals scored.”

-Jordan Manny Preds line 

 

If you’re going to rip the guy at least know what you’re talking about. I agree the team needs to get bigger but Rossi is one of the last players we need to look at getting rid of.

I do know what I am taking about.  Watch him.  His take off speed is not high.  Very slow.  When he gets going it’s fine but it takes him doing circles and he needs space to do it, but in the playoffs when space is tight and get checked a lot he can’t pick up speed fast enough and falls behind.  Stop and start speed is where it matters.  No circles. 

[Scalptrash]

I love the comments that excuse, or even defend, the Wild’s mismanagement. The same people will be the ones cheering the loudest when Billy is ultimately fired. This team has become the joke of the NHL. Only old, washed up players want to come here so they can coast into retirement.