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-2 on the whole year isn't horrible, especially if there was a run of injuries that affected things. When Faber was merely eating minutes, to get us through games, that was useful too. Personally, I felt that the 4 nations tournament was too much for Faber with his responsibilities on the team. I thought he came back looking drained, more so than Boldy did. I do think Buium will help, but I still see a logjam at the position. I'd really like to see a Jiricek-Brodin pairing, and a Buium-Spurgeon pairing. That leaves Middleton-Faber as a pairing that has been successful in the past. I think with those pairings, you could probably just role the pairings and give them pretty much equal time. This will help Faber with his minutes and probably give him more in the tank as the season goes on. There is also the possibility Faber simply went through a sophomore slump and will be better next season. Remember, in '24, Midsy had a pretty bad +/-, but he rebounded this season.

Is that so he can be ~20lbs heavier than Cale Makar? Because Makar should get cut he's so worthless (sarcasm...)

The Wild as a whole were pretty icky. You can make the excuse that they battled injuries and whatever. But -2 is pretty bad, I’ll give him the pass this time. Hopefully Middleton stays offensive and it’s not just a unicorn of a year.

Offensive totals and +/- by the defensemen this season. Spurgeon: 32, +8 Faber: 29, -2 (ick) Middleton: 21, +11 Brodin: 20, +10 Bogo: 16, -6 Chisholm: 12, -5 Merrill: 6, -8 I mean...Buium had to help, right?

Really your going compare Zeev and Makar? Let’s see how Zeev develops he is very raw. The is small that is a fact

Keep in mind that while Rossi was drafted at 185 lbs, he lost most of that weight and muscle mass due to Covid. By the time he started skating again, he was down to the 160's. And had lost all of his built up muscle mass. It literally took him 2 and a half years to just get back to his draft weight, and the past two to get back to the muscle mass he was at prior. I think he'll start to actually build it to closer to the 190-200 lbs mark over the next couple of years. Which is where he would of been at now if not for Covid.

I wouldn’t read anything into how anyone played at the worlds. I watched several games. It’s played on Olympic ice (15 feet wider) and there was no checking at all. Basically glorified scrimmages to put on a show and not get hurt. Zeev needs to add 20lbs at least of muscle this summer. We need beef to be able to clear the front of the net. Right now only Middleton and jiricek have that ability. Faber, Spurg and Brodin don’t and thus our penalty kill is terrible. Other teams know they don’t have to pay a price to go to the dirty areas against us.

People around the league know what Rossi is. His value isn’t going to change significantly based on where Geurin and Hynes decide to slot him in the lineup. The guys running these teams aren’t casual fans. They have years of data on Rossi. They can talk to former coaches on the Wild’s staff. He’s played internationally. There’s nothing to hide here. Rossi clearly isn’t viewed much differently than he is by Guerin if they can’t even get a late 1st rounder for him. The concerning thing to me is their judgment. No matter what they think of Rossi, he was one of their most effective offensive players. Slotting him in for 4th line minutes behind Hartman and Gaudreau is just a dumb decision. Not so much for his trade value, but giving the team the best chance to win. I’m not confident they won’t continue to make dumb moves going forward no matter how the Rossi trade situation shakes out.

That's an interesting thought, but I also don't know if Hlavaj has ever reached the level of play that Wallstedt has when he's been at his best. Prior to this season, Hlavaj's highest level of play, besides short international tournaments, was in the Czech league. Wallstedt had two seasons of high-level performance in the Swedish league as a teenager, and that league is a giant step above the Czech league. He also was mostly excellent in the AHL last season. All this to say that while Hlavaj had the better season this year, Wallstedt has the better track record, and also high a higher ceiling. BUT, if he does come in and outplay Wallstedt early next season, I don't doubt the org would seriously consider giving him a look if needed. A lot will hinge on whether they sign a veteran too, and on who that vet is.

Trade Faber, Ohgren, and Rossi for a true 1C. This franchise has been missing that since its existence. If we do that consider we traded Fiala (Faber abd Ohgren) for a true 1C. We are strong a D and need scoring forwards. This is Billy’s true way to getting out of the doghouse and building a contender. I know people like Faber but with his salary and lack of offense we cannot be contenders. Be Bold bill and take a risk

They aren’t trading Thompson and Tuch for that. There isn’t even any credible reports that they want to trade Thompson. I don’t even know why people are even bringing up his name.

I'll be contrary and say Hlavaj could have the inside track as Gus' backup in 25-26. He had a better season than the Wall, and he's two years older. Give the Wall a full year in Iowa to show he's capable of being a #1, and then move to Wall + Vaj as the tandem after Gus leaves as a FA or is traded. Or, swap Wall and Vaj and keep the same (Wall + Vaj) long-term plan.

Buffalo wants him? Perfect! Rossi + Yurov + Brodin + 2026 1st to them Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch back to us. They get younger, cheaper, and upgrade their blueline. We get size and skill in the top-6 and kick open the contending window. Chisholm re-signs as an RFA to take Brodin's vacant spot in the lineup and stops making so many stupid gaffes. Win-win.