Wilderness Walk: No Offense

Wild GM Paul Fenton said he was going to let the players dictate his moves prior to the deadline with their play on the ice.

Mr. Fenton, you’ve got your mandate.

The hockey world does have some good/intriguing/funny storylines. The Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournaments begin with the girls this afternoon. Ottawa’s Matt Duchene will ride the pine as the Senators look to move him. And Columbus coach John Tortorella told us way more about Artemi Panarin’s gastro-intestinal system than we ever wanted to know.

Let’s walk.

Wild News

Wild's scoring drought reaches 156 minutes in loss to Anaheim - StarTribune.com
Ducks goalie Ryan Miller stopped all 31 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season – the second netminder in as many games to blank the Wild, which hasn't scored in 156 minutes.

Wild goalie Dubnyk hasn't lost confidence, gets vote of support - StarTribune.com
Devan Dubnyk's self-esteem has remained unshaken, and he is expected to be back in the net Tuesday against Anaheim as the team wraps up a four-game set at Xcel Energy Center.

Struggling Wild focusing on wins, not counting points - StarTribune.com
While the Wild is aware it's received breaks from other teams' losses in staying ahead of the curve, players aren't glued to the scoreboard between games.

Wild GM Paul Fenton still undecided on whether to stand pat or deal – Twin Cities
Still trying to figure out this enigmatic Wild team? Get in line. Right behind Paul Fenton.

Wild’s collapse continues in 4-0 loss to Ducks – Twin Cities
First the Wild couldn’t win at home. Now they can’t even score.

Wild's Pontus Aberg finally gets another chance with new team
Pontus Aberg made his Wild debut Jan. 17 against his former team, the Anaheim Ducks, so perhaps it was fitting that he rejoin the lineup Tuesday against the Ducks.

Tending the Fields

Wheeler: An early look at the top 20 prospects for the 2020 NHL draft – The Athletic
An exhaustive (though early) look at the top-20 prospects, as well as the top-ranked goalie, for the 2020 draft, according to Scott Wheeler.

On Frozen Pond

Silver 25: Minnesota's best girls' hockey players on the biggest stage
The Star Tribune's top 25 performers when it mattered most -- on the ice at the state tournament.

Girls Hockey: Meet the 2019 Star Tribune All-Metro first team

Madeline Wethington of Blake is the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year
The Minnesota-bound defender amassed 150 career points, helped the Bears win three state championships and built a legacy of dominating games at both ends of the rink.

New 'Eveleth Trophy' will go home with anniversary tournament winners
In the spirit of the Stanley Cup, the four winning teams in the girls' and boys' tournaments will be able to take it home with them to their communities this spring and summer.

Six things to know about the girls' hockey state tournament
What to watch for as the girls' hockey tournament celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Pioneer Press girls hockey player of the year: White Bear Lake goalie Calla Frank – Twin Cities
White Bear Lake girls hockey coach Jerry Kwapick sensed trouble coming.

Burke, Reedy Earn Big Ten Weekly Accolades - University of Minnesota Athletics
A pair of Gopher Hockey players earned recognition on Tuesday following Minnesota's sweep at Ohio State as Nathan Burke was named Big Ten First Star of the Week

Off The Trail

How the salary cap could affect trade deadline moves of teams trying to win now – The Athletic
Tampa Bay, Toronto and Winnipeg all want to win now, but salary cap constraints may be a serious consideration at the trade deadline

What really happened to Ray Emery? – The Athletic
Ray Emery’s NHL career and life were defined by constant adversity but those who knew him say there was more to him than the headlines.

Dellow: Do left-shot defencemen produce less on their weak side? – The Athletic
Tyler Dellow takes a deep dive into D-men who play on their weak side to see how they perform.

Trade Deadline Dandies: Five budget buys that provided big value - TheHockeyNews
We’re all awaiting the blockbuster deadline deals, but it turns out that some of the best buys have historically been those that have cost very little.

Trade Deadline Duds: Five recent deals that flopped for playoff-bound teams - TheHockeyNews
Not every major deadline deal is guaranteed to be a smashing success for contending teams. One week out from the trade freeze, here are five headline-making swaps that flopped.

Q&A - Tom Dundon on $250 million well spent, and his 'bunch of jerks'
The Hurricanes owner is now the chairman of the AAF. How will that impact his hockey team? And what does he think of Don Cherry's comments?

The most lopsided deadline trades in NHL history
Filip Forsberg for Martin Erat is the clear modern champ, but some historical swaps were just as bad as that robbery. Here are the top 20.

Around the League

Matt Duchene may have played his final game for Ottawa
It appears that the end of the Matt Duchene era (can we call it that?) in Canada’s capital is nigh.

Insider Trading: Duchene not expected in the lineup on Thursday - TSN.ca
How much longer can the Ottawa Senators keep playing Matt Duchene, Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel before they say ‘we’ve got to take them out of our lineup’?

John Tortorella gives way too much detail about why Artemi Panarin won't be playing
Nobody can deny that Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella is a straight shooter.

The Bruins are being overlooked as a potential Eastern Conference contender - TheHockeyNews
The Bruins have rattled off six-straight victories and enter into the pre-deadline week in second spot in the Atlantic Division. Boston doesn't have the hype, but they have many of the necessary pieces to contend in the Eastern Conference.

Nikita Kucherov hasn't earned a penny of his contract extension yet and he's already hugely underpaid - TheHockeyNews
The Tampa Bay Lightning superstar will have his eight-year, $76-million contract kick in next season, but just imagine what he could have earned if he was set to become a free agent this summer.