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HAHA has this guy ever written an article with a positive outlook? Yeah we lost a few to a hungry NJ and WIN team. They needed it more than us, have a hungry team and we didn't counter properly - that's on us - we'll get better. This is NHL and it's a roller coaster - not a cruise to the end. I still stand by my call that we will beat stars in R1. We are still top3 in pts. Kap has yet to be Kap (likely due to cohesion and health). QH is still adjusting. Boldy is just starting his dominance (ascension to top 10 status). So yes - call out the last few games as duds. But to say we are tumbling like Jenga pieces is crazy.

Watched the Buffalo game today. Hunt-Jiricek was the 3rd pair. Overall, I think they did a fairly good job. Hunt i think may be regressing a little bit or may have a nagging injury. He doesn't seem to have the same pop in his skating. Jiricek played a pretty good game. He did get aggressive in the OZ one time and nearly was trapped but it wasn't a poor play IMO. I thought Midzy had more errors than Jiri.

It's a little early to scapegoat but damn that was an ugly game. This common theme of starting out dominant and then falling apart is an issue but the complete lack of focus to end the 1st was pathetic. Wally had the puck on his stick behind the net with 15 seconds left. The score was 1-0. Period ends and it is 3-0. I swear that Brodin is the only guy that knows to work clock in the corner at this point.

Some interesting notes from last nights game. Hartman is not capable of replacing Ek. There is a steep drop off between these two. We are very dependent on Ek. Bogo and Brodin really solidify 3 D pairs. Without them our skill on the backend drops off dramatically and struggles. We need Johansson producing like he was in Nov and Dec. Without him playing to his potential our top 6 is not top 6 quality. We need Mojo... not Nojo.

I've been impressed with Yurov. He has already come a long ways in half a season. Keep rolling him out and we may need to recognize him as 1C quality by the end of the season... next year for sure.

We talk about this often. We need a 1C. How many 1Cs are out there? We see what happens to this team when Ek is out. He may not be fancy... but he does it all... including making everyone on his line better. How many teams have a 1C that is as important to them as Ek is to the Wild?

Give that game and the assist to Gus

Well, the Av's just lost to Nashville 7-3. Maybe their Jenga tower is swaying too. Also Panthers lost 9-1 yesterday. Point is....it's hockey.

Jeez. Ya’ll are crying. Ebs and flows in a season. Injuries happen and we will play better soon. Let the boys figure it out. We don’t have to be perfect until May. Stop crying.

Holy ouch Tom. We are still 4th in the entire league in points. The sky isn't falling quite yet. Ek is a top 6... not middle 6 center. I would classify him as better than the majority of 1Cs out there. He may be our most important player including over Hughes and Kirill. Brodin is one of the best shut down D-men in the entire league with elite skating ability. He may be playing 2nd fiddle to Faber and Quinn but he takes a back seat to nobody on that team when it comes to his defensive prowess. It certainly tells us that we can't just stroll out there and expect to win.. we have to give everything we got and play defense first. we get back to that and we should be okay.

Bro had one outlier season (GREEF line) and since he’s reverted back to the player he’s always been. Big body, low skill vibes guy. That meatball happens to love. He should have been traded at peak market value a few years ago, instead of extended , for a young ish middle six forward. Instead we have a broken down vibes merchant. Fuck’n meatball.

With the Olympics train having left the station, nojo’s drive goes with it. I bet he retires after this season. Enjoy the one handed water ski back check while it lasts

We need to talk about the elephant in the room: Eriksson Ek is still the most irreplaceable player on this team. Is there any doubt that his absence was the difference in the NYI game? Would his presence have affected the outcome in last night's NJD game? I think the answer to both is yes. The trouble is that even collectively, the Wild have nobody who can do what he does. He can score goals, is a real handful around the net, can pass, and defends like few other centers. When he's missing, Hartman cannot pick up the offense and is way behind defensively. Yurov is exposed for his greenness which is not the color of his jersey. Sturm moving into the 3 hole does not possess what Hartman could give and Jonesy is not Sturm. Of course, we knew this when we were trading Rossi to Vancouver, but we never really backfilled the position. Are there any solutions? ROR would be nice except that Nashville has played itself back into playoff contention. ROR has also said he doesn't want to leave there thinking he is part of the solution. There is a name out there that could help out and take more pressure off of Ek. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who, apparently has asked for a trade and would come with little compensation. In fact, the real compensation might be to get Carolina to retain money, and they have a lot of cap. Kotkaniemi needs a change of scenery pretty badly. He's got a 10 team trade list, but is willing to consider many destinations. At 6'3" 212 he is a large bodied center. His normal FO% is around 51.5%, but is down this year. He plays a similar game to Eriksson Ek, with the exception that he scores about 10 less goals a year. He's 25 and has lost his way. His contract is $4.8m/yr. Kotkaniemi has spent the last couple of years as a #4C. Why? Because the Canes have one of the best #3Cs in Jordan Staal. Kotkaniemi did not work out as the #2C, and I'm not sure why. Carolina plays a structured style like the Wild. It appears as if his progression has stalled, but could a change of scenery change that? More importantly, could Kotkaniemi be that pain in the butt center we could use come playoff time? Is his game, perhaps, better suited for the Western Conference? Could Eriksson Ek unlock some potential that has yet to be realized? In the area of assets to give up, I don't think there is much. It's the retention part that may require a pick. From what it looks like, he is playing uninspired in Carolina, and his play reflects that. Take away that he was a #3 overall pick in '18. This guy could help us, and more importantly may be able to help take wear and tear off of Ek. This team runs on 200' players, and this is one of those. Right now, Kotkaniemi is playing at his floor. He is a buy low type of asset. Even with Hartzy here, he replaces him at C and allows him to move to wing. The team gets younger and bigger, and likely faster.

EEK is absolutely needed for our success.

If this team is running a system the addition of Hughes nullifies any system’s and instead makes every shift pond hockey. Endless series of button hooks, blue line bobbles and 75 ft passes. It’s high risk high reward hockey with 43 in lineup. It’s 43’s world and everyone else (including 97) is just living in it. I’ve yet to see this group level up with Hughes. But P-break the record and the standings? I’ve watched this movie where this group owns the league in January only to be out in 6 games round one. only way the Hughes Hail Mary ™️ works is if 97/12/36/38/14 get onto 43’s page

Especially since it’s a back to back.

He is a 22 goal pace guy with good skating who can play on the PK. He doesn't have the size, but he is almost certainly better than Haight will ever be, and probably Stramel as well. Definitely don't trade Yurov! Trochek's 11 goals have come in just 35 games. He gets assists too, so might be a longer term answer for Zuccarello aging out, or Tarasenko not returning. Also note that Trocheck has won over 54% of his faceoffs on high volume for 6 straight seasons. And his contract only takes him through his age 35 season. It's not like he would be an old man when it ends.

And the refs. Another mild infraction gets called for us to get a 4 on 3 PP in overtime. Glad we won, but kind of feels greasy to me.

Gus with the assist...

Since preseason I've thought he might be our best prospect in Iowa.

I like what I’m seeing from 37

Answered by Hughes.

Hell yeah. Nice look by Yurov too. He's still improving noticeably.

That 5v3 pk really turned the game. Great goal by Vlady.

We scored at the end of the first and now at the beginning of the second. It's about time.

Moose sighting!

It is never a smart bet to depend on this particular scenario.

He really doesn't fit the system that the Wild have always employed. Defensive structure. They are now stuck in the middle and Hughes still doesn't look that comfortable to me. He wants to drive offense, but holds back to be true to the Wild's system. Something has to give, either take off the leash or he adapts to defense first, and then it was a horrible trade for something that doesn't fit.

Wild now have fallen behind the points pace they had through December 13th. Quinn Hughes first hit the ice for them on December 14th, and they have a 102 point pace since that point. Still good, but the details seem to have fallen off in their game after the initial goal scoring bonanza when Quinn Hughes arrived. Obviously, when the Wild are without Eriksson Ek and Brodin, they lose a lot of what makes them a top level team on the defensive side. Hopefully their recoveries goes well and they can join the lineup again soon.

With Rossi and Ohgren gone, there aren't too many players left in the Wild organization who could reasonably be asked to replace Johansson in the lineup. His resurgence has been surprising and commendable. We will see how he plays after the Olympic fire goes out. He only has 1 point in his last 7 games, which does make you wonder if it's fading already... He should be trying even harder to possibly be the first add in case of injury. 11 games left until the olympic break. Hopefully the Wild get better results than they have the last 5 games, and maybe Johansson can get back near the pace he had in the first half. If he can play the 2nd half somewhat close to his first half scoring pace, he will have earned some of the money from his last contract with the Wild. He's clearly outproduced the $800k, but he still owed a bit from his prior 2 seasons where he finished with the same points that he has through 45 games this year. He already has the most goals he's ever scored in a year with the Wild. On a line with Boldy and Eriksson Ek, it's virtually guaranteed that he'll finish this season with the most assists he's had since he was 26 and playing with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Bäckström. He's basically playing the same role he has the last 2 years, which begs the question, where was this effort/game before he turned 35?

I've been pleasantly surprised at Hunt's play this year. He's definitely taken a step forward from last year. While last year he had moments where Merrill looked better than him, this year he has proven to be the better player. He's still young and learning, but the way he can be plugged in for most situations and typically not miss a beat makes him a good depth defender who maybe someday displaces one of the other bottom 4 if he keeps developing. I think the Wild would be wise to re-sign him.

Hunt is 23 while Jiricek is 22. Yes, I do think a year matters for most players. Hunt is the better option right now. Hunt is also 6'1'' and 200 pounds. A decent size. Jiricek is bigger and likely won't be ready until he is 24. We just need to be patient.

I know a hot November had a lot of people talking about a changing of the order that they rank the Wild goaltenders, and some even started talking about trading Gus. Unsurprisingly, more data has poured cold water on those hot takes. Since December 1st, the wild goalies have 10 or 11 starts, so fairly even minutes. In the Wild's most recent 21 games: Gus has a .921 save percentage, 2.20 GAA, and attained 72.7% of available standings points. Wall has a .909 save percentage, 2.88 GAA, and has gained 70.0% of available standings points. Still good, but not #1 on the team. Wallstedt certainly had a November to remember with shutouts in half of his 6 games played, and another in his first December start, but has an .899 save percentage since that 1-0 shutout of Edmonton on December 2nd. He also was hot early on with shootout stops, but has cooled off a bit. Gus has multiple seasons with strong play. Wallstedt likely will have some better seasons than Gus throughout their long careers, but it's very wise to keep both for quite a while. Too many great goalies is never a problem, as injuries or down years can force you to rely on guys who may not be atop your goalie depth chart to start a season...or a playoffs. Fleury, for instance, only won it all while playing a game in the finals 1 season in his career even though his team won 3 Stanley Cups. Matt Murray played all goalie minutes in the final round for two of those cup runs. I'm not suggesting that Wallstedt cannot reach a higher level, but it's nice to have a strong option in Gus that they can rely on, particularly with the condensed schedule this season.

You playing NHL 26 again with trades set to easy and no trade/movement clauses?

Panthers got Marchand for a 2nd round pick. If we are looking for a rental I'm not sure why we would have to give up a #1 all the time.

Future hall of famer. Surprised you didn't know.

I can see that but when Foligno is reserved for 4th line, that really helps no one. He'll protect Sturm and Ben Jones? They are not the ones that are going to be targeted. He needs to be on the ice, along side our elite producers, to deter any violence on our top guns. But he is not and won't be. He is essentially Reaves. Barking from the bench playing 5-7 mins a night. No one will likely fight him. Maybe someone will bite or more likely - he will force an opponent and initiate the fight - costing us goals/game/series - which he's done before in previous POs.....so is that really what we need? Don't we have enough bottom 6 enforcement in Harty and Trenin? I think we do.

Fewer minutes or fewer dollars? He's under a show me contract. Billy will give him big money again, and once he's comfortable, his true colors will reappear.

I have mixed feelings on both Foligno(2g) and Trenin(3g). They are board hounds that check ... and while I like that... they have little to no upside. I would be okay if they were 4th liners. 3rd line wingers with only 5 goals between them in 47 games. That isn't good. At what point do you look at production and say it just isn't enough and move on.

Agreed. The guy really is crucial to our success. How many goals do we score when he is screening the goalie? Lots. He does so many little things right at the C position that everything becomes just a bit easier for the players around him. Anyone know if he will be back by the 15th?

An ongoing cat and mouse type of issue. Playmakers, have to show they can shoot, and will shoot and constantly have to know when they're getting played to pass. That probably would explain when Zuccy gets hot with goals. But, he's back into that passing state. Probably the best example of this was the Seattle game. I think I remember Stalock/LaPanta talking about how Zuccarello is back to himself with the OT goal there. This is not at all the case, and anyone who was watching and analyzing would note that he should have had a hat trick before OT but CHOSE to pass up high danger chances with a pass that was blocked or tipped to Kaprizov. You have to bury those! And, this specifically falls under the coaching staff not telling him he HAS TO SHOOT to back off the anticipation of pass. It should have been done after the 1st debacle in Seattle. It NEEDS to be done now.

I guess you don't know Billy (2nd for Nyquil).

I'd say anyone is on the table after last nights performance against the Devils. Blech.

Trade Kaprizov. Free up cash and get a premium player in return. Something like Jack Hughes to MN, KK to San Jose, Boatload of assets from San Jose to New Jersey. We would then have enough cash to sign anyone we want.

It’s only button hooks when NoJo does it. It’s “edge work” when QH does it.

You remove Wally and Gus will fall down. Yurov is getting better every single game. The guy is potentially a better version of Ek. BG Gave up so much for Jiricek I don't see how he lets that go without looking the fool. He made his bed with the Jiricek trade. When you are 2nd or 3rd in the league in points you could also sit still if the right trade doesn't present itself. Although I doubt BG will sit still.

Another issue, is that Zuccarello prioritizes being the setup man for Kaprizov, so that takes away the need for other teams to guard against a Zuccarello scoring play. If you know Zuccarello is going to pass, you can rotate an extra defender to help cover Kaprizov or Yurov. Zuccarello does score some goals, but he should put more emphasis on shooting the puck, to make it more confusing for the defenders.