Minnesota's Continuity Contrasts St. Louis' Changes

You could make a case for a variety of answers, but judging by the moves that General Manager Chuck Fletcher has made in the past few days, the Wild's official stance appears to be, "Meh. It was four bad games." The Wild have made just two (one-way contract) UFA signings this offseason, both moves bringing back players they employed last season. There's still plenty of offseason left, but the Wild appear to be sticking with the core of players they had last year.

For those who find this approach to be frustrating, the Wild will have a counterpart that is taking the opposite tack. After winning the grueling Central Division, the Blues' disappointment after falling to the Wild in April was obvious and understandable. The same questions the Wild were asking were asked down there.

If chemistry, having the attention of the locker room, "sending a message" to your team matters, St. Louis definitely accomplished that. But at what cost? Over the last two seasons, Oshie's been one of the most productive (per minute) scorers in the NHL, was this really a piece that the Blues needed to part with? Oshie's lack of playoff production is well-documented, but very good Top-6 options don't grow on trees. Is whatever gain you get in "Culture Change™" going to be worth getting an older grit guy and a decent goalie prospect?

It's too early to tell which team is going to get the most success out of their approach. Anything can happen, and if either- or both- of these teams win a Cup in the near future, there'll be many other factors leading to that success than two days in July.

But in the meantime, it'll be fascinating to see how the fortunes of these two teams play out, given their different approaches to the offseason.