Wilderness Walk: Modano joins the Wild and Kessel Rumors

Happy Friyay Wilderness!

In what turned out to be a pretty eventful Thursday for the Minnesota Wild, the team topped the headlines during the waiting period before the Stanley Cup Final kicks off on Monday. Thursday morning the Wild announced the hiring of Hall of Famer Mike Modano as Executive Advisor. He is back in the State of Hockey! Then later in the day a trade rumor broke, involving the Wild’s Jason Zucker and Victor Rask for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Phil Kessel and Jack Johnson, per Josh Yohe of The Athletic.

Friyay Fun Fact: The original Stanley Cup had much smaller rings than the ones you see today. After a while it got so long and skinny people called it the “Stovepipe Cup.” It was redesigned in 1958 to its current, broader shape.

Taking us through the Walk is Breakeven by The Script.

Wild News

Penguins, Wild in trade talks revolving around Phil Kessel – The Athletic
The Penguins and Wild are in trade talks regarding Phil Kessel.

Gentille: Why it’s time to trade Phil Kessel – The Athletic
Why one Phil Kessel defender believes the proposed Wild/Penguins trade makes a lot of sense for Pittsburgh.

‘Excited to get back in it’: Mike Modano joins Wild in new business position – The Athletic
The most popular face in Minnesota's NHL history is joining the Wild in a business capacity as the team searches for a spark.

Report: Minnesota Wild discussing trade for Phil Kessel with Pittsburgh Penguins - TSN.ca
The Minnesota Wild have a trade proposal on the table with the Pittsburgh Penguins for forward Phil Kessel, according to Josh Yohe of The Athletic.

NHL Off-Season Watch: Minnesota Wild ready to further revamp roster? - TSN.ca
Each day through the NHL Draft on June 21 and free agency on July 1, TSN.ca breaks down the latest news and rumours around the NHL.

Would the Penguins get good value by trading Phil Kessel to Minnesota? - PensBurgh
With a potential deal on the table, what would the value in a return look like?

Update: Phil Kessel unwilling to go to Minnesota? Pens and Wild talking trade.. - PensBurgh
Is Phil Minnesota bound? Seems like it

Wild missed out on wide open playoffs at worst possible time - StarTribune.com
Every few years or so, the NHL playoffs turn into a ridiculous free-for-all where seeding doesn’t matter. The Wild is missing out on this season's Stanley Cup fun.

Mo's back: Modano's Minnesota return is a quarter century in the making
Mike Modano has always wondered what it would have been like to parade the Stanley Cup through the Twin Cities.

Suter leading American contingent in more than just ice time
Really, he could be back home by now, feet up, cold one in hand, watching over a still lake, reflecting on a season that had him as not only the busiest member of the Wild but also most active player in the National Hockey League.

On Frozen Pond

WILD REFLECT ON HISTORIC 2018-19 SEASON | Iowa Wild
When Iowa Wild fans talk about the recently completed 2018-19 season, a discussion about the most important win of the season likely will begin.

Off the Trail

New York Islanders extend C Brock Nelson on six-year deal - TSN.ca
The New York Islanders signed centre Brock Nelson to a six-year contract extension on Thursday.

According to Arthur Staple of The Athletic, Nelson will carry a $6 million cap hit on his new deal, for a total value of $36 million.

Patrick Roy says he's returning to the QMJHL's Quebec Remparts - TSN.ca
A few days after interviewing for the Ottawa Senators' head coaching position, Patrick Roy confirmed on Thursday that he will be returning to the QMJHL's Quebec Remparts.

Pittsburgh Penguins extend defenceman Chad Ruhwedel on two-year deal - TSN.ca
The Pittsburgh Penguins signed defenceman Chad Ruhwedel to a two-year, $1.4 million contract on Thursday.

Senators 'a perfect fit' for new head coach D.J. Smith - Sportsnet.ca
Despite the off-ice drama of the past year, D.J. Smith said he didn't hesitate to choose the Ottawa Senators, calling it the perfect fit for a new head coach.

World Championship Roundup: Heartstopping win for Canada, breakthrough for Jack Hughes - TheHockeyNews
Canada advanced to the semifinal in dramatic fashion and tight victories for Russia and Finland highlight quarterfinal Thursday at the World Championship in Slovakia.

Ottawa hires D.J. Smith to lead rebuilding Senators, but off-season work doesn't end there - TheHockeyNews
With Guy Boucher and Marc Crawford out, D.J. Smith has been hired as the new coach of the Ottawa Senators. Smith, who won the Memorial Cup with the Oshawa Generals, spent the past four seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

GM Dorion 'pumped' to have D.J. Smith behind Senators bench - TSN.ca
Shortly after the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated by the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of their playoff series last month, D.J. Smith went to work breaking down game tape.

Former Los Angeles Kings defenceman Slava Voynov's one-season suspension reduced to 41 games - TSN.ca
LOS ANGELES — An arbitrator upheld Slava Voynov's one-season NHL suspension Thursday but is giving him credit for serving half of it in 2018-19.

How the Bruins and Blues were built, and who has the edge
Roster construction is a never-ending debate. We examine how the GMs assembled the Stanley Cup Final teams -- and identify where one team is better.

NHL Rumors: Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Coyotes, More
In today's NHL rumors, there is news out of Edmonton, Washington, Tampa Bay, and Arizona where the teams are looking for young talent or moving on from old.

2019 Stanley Cup final preview: Bruins vs. Blues – The Athletic
It’s fitting that these two square off now, but in the end, there can only be one winner. And right now, it’s the Bruins’ Cup to lose.

Conn Quest: Five frontrunners for post-season MVP as Bruins, Blues prepare for final - TheHockeyNews
With the post-season trimmed down to two teams, the Conn Smythe Trophy field has narrowed to the best of the bunch from the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues. Who wins the MVP honor? The final will tell all, but there are a few obvious frontrunners.

Signings, trades and drafts: How the Stanley Cup finalists were built - Sportsnet.ca
It takes some big moves and a lot of fine-tuning to make a Cup contender. Here's how the last two GMs standing built their squads.

Six contracts with cap concerns that could be traded this summer - Sportsnet.ca
One team's bad contract can be another's way of picking up an extra asset or two. As teams start thinking about making moves around the salary cap this summer, we look at six contracts that could get traded away from teams looking for more room, even if it means sweetening the deal.

Pronman’s 2019 NHL Draft Board: Top goalie prospects – The Athletic
Corey Pronman ranks the best goalie prospects for the 2019 NHL Draft.