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  • The Wild Had An Insidious Appeal This Season


    Image courtesy of Bruce Fedyck-Imagn Images
    Chris Schad

    You couldn’t have written a better script for the Minnesota Wild to start the 2023-24 season. Coming off a year where they had missed the playoffs for the second time since 2012-13, expectations were low for a team considered a fringe playoff contender.

    However, the Wild changed everybody’s opinion by sprinting out of the gate.

    Kirill Kaprizov became a runaway favorite for the Hart Trophy. Matt Boldy was on his way to completing a superstar turn at age 23. Brock Faber took another leap in his sophomore season, and Jacob Middleton started scoring goals at will

    The Wild surged to the top of the NHL standings, and the message was that this team was different. But on Thursday night, they stood crestfallen again after Vegas sent them home. For the third time in four years, they had blown a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

    In the aftermath of a 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, there are plenty of questions to be asked. It feels different than the playoff losses of the past, where Minnesota effectively melted down on their way to Cancun. But praising them as the team that played hard and never quit also seemed wrong.

    Ultimately, the Wild fooled us again, and we only have ourselves to blame.

    It’s difficult not to reminisce about how this season began. So many good things were happening to a team that has been mediocre throughout its 25 years of existence. They were playing tremendous defense, getting even better goaltending, and scoring in a way that brought plenty of excitement to the Xcel Energy Center.

    Still, even as they feasted on Eastern Conference foes, the question remained:

    What would happen when adversity hit?

    That adversity came in a big way shortly after Christmas. Kaprizov didn’t make a trip to Dallas due to a “lower body injury” that required surgery and knocked him out for a few months. More injuries piled up as Middleton, Jonas Brodin, and other key players missed significant time. Joel Eriksson Ek limped into the 4 Nations Face-Off and limped out of it with an injury that cost him another two months.

    Things were looking bleak for the Wild, and it felt like a replay of previous seasons. During their 3-1 loss to the New York Islanders on April 4, they looked like a team that wanted to go home rather than play for a Stanley Cup. Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek's uncertain status cast a shadow over any hopes of making it out of the first round.

    But just like that, the Wild dragged everyone back in. An overtime win over the Dallas Stars on April 6 started the fire, and Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek returned the following game in an 8-7 win over the San Jose Sharks. Three games later, Eriksson Ek scored a game-tying goal with 22 remaining in regulation against the Anaheim Ducks, and the Wild were on the way to the playoffs.

    National analysts were still on the scent and declared Vegas heavy favorites to defeat the Wild in the opening round. Wild fans quickly noted that the team that surged to the top of the NHL in November was finally at full strength again and could give the Golden Knights a run for their money.

    After a Game 1 win, the Wild stole Game 2 and made a convincing effort in Game 3. Analysts who had dubbed Minnesota a cakewalk apologized for underestimating them, and there were several reasons for everyone to believe.

    Marcus Foligno had recovered from injuries to become a physical force. Ryan Hartman responded from his eight-game suspension for giving Tim Stutzle a DDT in Ottawa by playing some of the most disciplined and productive hockey of his career. Boldy overcame a midseason slump to become a playoff demon and Kaprizov looked like someone who was running away with the MVP trophy around Christmas time.

    But the most encouraging thing was how the Wild acted off the ice. Minnesota’s previous playoff experiences under Dean Evason were chaotic and unhinged. They had mottos like “It’s about winning” and “Grit first” that were immediately thrown back in their face when they lost. But this time, there was no motto, and the “HARD” chain that was prominent throughout the season was temporarily retired.

    Instead, there was a simple case. 16 pucks for 16 wins and a business-like approach to lead it all. It was enough to make you think this team was different until they reminded you they’re the same team they’ve always been.

    A Game 4 overtime loss to the Golden Knights could have gone either way and was marred by some questionable calls by the officials. The Wild appeared to have their breakthrough moment when Hartman scored a go-ahead goal late in regulation.

    However, Gustav Nyquist failed to straddle the line, leading to a brutal offside call that put Minnesota in a 3-2 hole. Hartman scored a game-tying goal late in the first period to make Wild fans believe again, but two unanswered goals from Jack Eichel and Mark Stone sealed their fate.

    You could talk yourself into the Wild’s future with a team that has a new mental approach. You can also point to the influx of talent coming in with Zeev Buium, Danila Yurov, and Liam Ohgren in the pipeline. But for a team with more players in their 30s, do you have to wonder if things are really different?

    Can Foligno play like he did for an entire season? Or will he succumb to the form that saw him miss extended time in three of the past five seasons? Is Hartman really reformed? Or is he another bad game away from throwing a stick or driving someone’s head into the ice?

    The Wild are also led by a general manager who hasn’t used the cap space he’s had wisely (see Yakov Trenin) and a head coach with a 6-19 record in the playoffs. They play in one of the toughest divisions in hockey and only escaped the blade by falling into the second wild card spot.

    It’s little solace to a fan base that has to stoop to “They played hard” to justify another 2-1 collapse. But it’s common for a team that has tricked its fans into believing again.

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    Has anyone ever heard of Kirby Puckett? He played baseball for a small market MLB team in Minnesota, the State of Hockey, and became the first player in baseball to sign a three million dollar per year contract back in 1989. His team won the world series in 1987 and again in 1991 and his record setting contract was sandwiched in between those two championships, the only two that team has ever won. Sadly, his Hall of Fame career and his life were not nearly as long as they should have been.

    Fast forward to the present while taking a lesson from the past. Kirill Kaprizov is set to make nine million dollars in the upcoming season and that ranks him tied for 34th among the highest paid players in the NHL. Why not do something novel and take a page out of the Twins book and make him the highest paid player in the NHL? It looks like $14M is going to be the top number on the current salary list so give him $15 and show him, the team, the fan base, and the entire NHL that you have a great player and you recognize and value him. He's 28 years old so make it a four year offer and give him or the team the opportunity to change directions when the contract expires.

    Do it today, be positively proactive and sign the deal on July 1. That is what this player, this team, their fans and the entire NHL deserves. Bill Guerin, put your petty, tough guy, hardball GM mentality and attitude aside for now and do the right thing. The fans will be more forgiving when you make the huge mistake of screwing Marco Rossi over if you get the Kaprizov deal done now.

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    29 minutes ago, ArizonaWildFan said:

    Has anyone ever heard of Kirby Puckett? He played baseball for a small market MLB team in Minnesota, the State of Hockey, and became the first player in baseball to sign a three million dollar per year contract back in 1989. His team won the world series in 1987 and again in 1991 and his record setting contract was sandwiched in between those two championships, the only two that team has ever won. Sadly, his Hall of Fame career and his life were not nearly as long as they should have been.

    Fast forward to the present while taking a lesson from the past. Kirill Kaprizov is set to make nine million dollars in the upcoming season and that ranks him tied for 34th among the highest paid players in the NHL. Why not do something novel and take a page out of the Twins book and make him the highest paid player in the NHL? It looks like $14M is going to be the top number on the current salary list so give him $15 and show him, the team, the fan base, and the entire NHL that you have a great player and you recognize and value him. He's 28 years old so make it a four year offer and give him or the team the opportunity to change directions when the contract expires.

    Do it today, be positively proactive and sign the deal on July 1. That is what this player, this team, their fans and the entire NHL deserves. Bill Guerin, put your petty, tough guy, hardball GM mentality and attitude aside for now and do the right thing. The fans will be more forgiving when you make the huge mistake of screwing Marco Rossi over if you get the Kaprizov deal done now.

    I would mostly agree but match the current highest paid guys. No doubt MN would need the extra dough for other players and Kirill has been great but has yet to lead the league in scoring for an entire season. His health has been somewhat of a question. To me 12-13M is a pretty good number. I don't think that's unfair. Are there other contending teams who would match that price? MN shouldn't hold back but perhaps don't go full handicap the remaining cap space. 

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    Draisaitl is scheduled to be the highest paid player in 2025-2026 at $14M per year for eight years. Matthews was on top of the 2024-2025  list at $13.25M for four years. Kaprizov is probably not going to take less than $13M or $14M for 8 years and I don't know if you want to lock in a 29 year old (age when contract begins) for eight years, especially one with a history of injuries.

    The only way you get a shorter term is to pay more up front like Toronto did with Matthews. At $15M for four years, you are only locked into a 33 rather than a 37 year old in the last year of the contract and are locked into spending $60M rather than $104M (8 yrs at $13M) at the very least. You end up saving $36M (difference between $13M and $15M for four years, which is $8M, subtracted from the difference between the $104M eight year deal and the $60M four year deal.

    Kaprizov would jump at the opportunity to be the highest paid player in the NHL and the Wild wouldn't have a mid to late 30's player with term that they may not want (Parise and Suter). If Billy G. jerks KK around between now and July 1 don't be surprised if Kaprizov opts to play his contract out and wait until the 2026 off-season. I guarantee it will cost less to sign him this July 1, even if it makes him the highest paid player in the league.

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    On 5/3/2025 at 9:51 AM, ArizonaWildFan said:

    Has anyone ever heard of Kirby Puckett? He played baseball for a small market MLB team in Minnesota, the State of Hockey, and became the first player in baseball to sign a three million dollar per year contract back in 1989. His team won the world series in 1987 and again in 1991 and his record setting contract was sandwiched in between those two championships, the only two that team has ever won. Sadly, his Hall of Fame career and his life were not nearly as long as they should have been.

    Fast forward to the present while taking a lesson from the past. Kirill Kaprizov is set to make nine million dollars in the upcoming season and that ranks him tied for 34th among the highest paid players in the NHL. Why not do something novel and take a page out of the Twins book and make him the highest paid player in the NHL? It looks like $14M is going to be the top number on the current salary list so give him $15 and show him, the team, the fan base, and the entire NHL that you have a great player and you recognize and value him. He's 28 years old so make it a four year offer and give him or the team the opportunity to change directions when the contract expires.

    Do it today, be positively proactive and sign the deal on July 1. That is what this player, this team, their fans and the entire NHL deserves. Bill Guerin, put your petty, tough guy, hardball GM mentality and attitude aside for now and do the right thing. The fans will be more forgiving when you make the huge mistake of screwing Marco Rossi over if you get the Kaprizov deal done now.

    No to Kaprizov. Trade him this summer for Brady Tchauck and a prospect. He's injury prone and not worth 14mil. 

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    Reports I'm reading are the offer is going to be between $15M and $16MX8! You know what owners do when they dump that much money on one guy? The wallet slams shut.  The Wild have locked themselves out of any negotiating by saying up front they will not be out bid. I would be honestly concerned with his injury history. Nor did he get the Wild over the hump in game six. 

    Has anyone heard of Joe Mauer? The Twins gave him $23MX8! What did they do after that? Absolutely nothing! How long was Joe out with various injuries including the infamous leg weakness? He was MIA a lot. I'd be careful giving Kaprizov all that money because it may lead you to nowhere other than having an over paid player just because you committed yourself to over paying. Right now there is no logical thinking or reasoning going on with the Wild in regards to Kaprizov. It's a whatever it takes even if we have to sell our souls to Lucifer himself if need be approach.  Flirting with disaster. 

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    23 hours ago, MacGyver said:

    The Wild have locked themselves out of any negotiating by saying up front they will not be out bid.

    I don't know. They are the only team who can bid for his services with an extension while he is under contract with the Wild, so that doesn't seem to be as damning as it may sound.

    It's possible Kaprizov signs somewhere in the $12.5M-$14M range. A little more wouldn't surprise me. Something significantly above $15M would be a surprise unless another player or two had already signed for $15M or more by the time he were to sign an extension.

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    28 minutes ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

    I don't know. They are the only team who can bid for his services with an extension while he is under contract with the Wild, so that doesn't seem to be as damning as it may sound.

    It's possible Kaprizov signs somewhere in the $12.5M-$14M range. A little more wouldn't surprise me. Something significantly above $15M would be a surprise unless another player or two had already signed for $15M or more by the time he were to sign an extension.

    I was thinking the same.  I think McDavid and Eichel are both up for extensions on July 1.  Those contracts if signed first would help gauge where Kap lands.  Obviously more than Eichel and probably less than McDavid

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    On 5/4/2025 at 6:12 PM, MacGyver said:

    Reports I'm reading are the offer is going to be between $15M and $16MX8! You know what owners do when they dump that much money on one guy? The wallet slams shut.  The Wild have locked themselves out of any negotiating by saying up front they will not be out bid. I would be honestly concerned with his injury history. Nor did he get the Wild over the hump in game six. 

    Has anyone heard of Joe Mauer? The Twins gave him $23MX8! What did they do after that? Absolutely nothing! How long was Joe out with various injuries including the infamous leg weakness? He was MIA a lot. I'd be careful giving Kaprizov all that money because it may lead you to nowhere other than having an over paid player just because you committed yourself to over paying. Right now there is no logical thinking or reasoning going on with the Wild in regards to Kaprizov. It's a whatever it takes even if we have to sell our souls to Lucifer himself if need be approach.  Flirting with disaster. 

    Owner Chuck Leotard spouting-off way too early is gonna cost the team. Just like when he pushed to sign the last two albatross contracts. I'm sure Lazy-Eye Bill likes being an NHL GM but I'm not happy with OCL. He setup a problem, fired Fletcher, hired big doofus Paul Fenton, then realized that was a disaster and fired him. Hiring Cross-Eyed Bill was good but OCL has forgotten his place and role. 

    Wild are at a crossroads here. Let's see which way it goes...

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    I would put out the feelers for a blockbuster Kaprizov trade. See what you can get. If they resign him for $15M+ for a long term, that puts them in another Parise/Suter situation when he ages. It's a big risk, especially now that he's so injury prone. It also limits the team from becoming better overall and deeper.

    If he truly wants to win a championship, he should sign a team friendly contract, ala Tom Brady. Either way, Billy is beyond his depth and will screw it up one way or another.

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