Wilderness Walk: Guerin Gets Additional Role With Wild

GMBG baby!

Mr. Leipold setting the table for a Cup run.

We can sing the praises of Billy G (IBGIT) and it is all well deserved, but we would not be where we are without an owner who has followed the script after the Fletcher Storm and the Fenton breeze.

He has provided when needed and allowed Guerin to make moves unquestioned. Most people didn't really know the relationship Leipold had with Suter, which was a deep rooted friendship going back to Nashville. Imagine that conversation when Billy had to tell Leipold, "no more".

It was clear this team couldn't even begin to heal or build our group without the removal of the cancer that Suter was. I give Leipold credit for standing by his GM and supporting a friend out the door at a significant cost to the franchise, probably some harm to his friendship and a pause on the cup run without 14 million average for three years. Leipold takes his hockey seriously and has a competitive spirit.

So on the ice we cheer on KK, EEK and Boldy and the crew....laud the moves by Billy G, watch the growth of the prospect pool by Judd, but where would be without a man like Owner Craig Leipold! 

2 hours ago, vonlonster67 said:

So on the ice we cheer on KK, EEK and Boldy and the crew....laud the moves by Billy G, watch the growth of the prospect pool by Judd, but where would be without a man like Owner Craig Leipold! 

I was super critical of XGMCF and especially big doofus XGM Fenton which went hand in hand with ripping on OCL. I have said his bribe game is super weak as Chicago continues to blow doors off everybody in Central in the corruption department. I would like to point out OCL criticism is way down since he admitted his mistake with Fenton. The reverse course and subsequent Guerin hiring changed the trajectory for the Wild so I’d like to give OCL credit for that move and the autonomy given to Guerin to rebuild on the fly. It’s been good.

Why do I bother clicking on BSPN links? (no answer needed) I don't and won't have a subscription to them. Also, do they really know and care about hockey? The way they have been cutting staff tells me that any contracts the NHL has with them the league will need to suck every ounce of profit from.

Guerin has done a very good job turning the ship around, but until we see some progress in the postseason, it's premature to give him a new title.

On the other hand, the owner Craig Leopold should be applauded for letting Guerin remain GM despite the continued early playoff exits. Many NHL owners would not be as forgiving. I would commend Leopold for letting Guerin do the Suter and Parise buyouts, but he's the one who approved those monster deals. Hopefully Leopold learned something from the Suter / Parise contract mistakes. 

1 hour ago, Quebec1648 said:

Guerin has done a very good job turning the ship around, but until we see some progress in the postseason, it's premature to give him a new title.

On the other hand, the owner Craig Leopold should be applauded for letting Guerin remain GM despite the continued early playoff exits. Many NHL owners would not be as forgiving. I would commend Leopold for letting Guerin do the Suter and Parise buyouts, but he's the one who approved those monster deals. Hopefully Leopold learned something from the Suter / Parise contract mistakes. 

One thing that doesn't get mentioned, but those contracts are mostly paid for. Leo gets a pretty nice financial windfall from those deals for the next 2 seasons.

Does anyone know if ZP is signed? I think if he retires early that could throw another wrench into the Wilds cap situation by increasing the cap hit.

24 minutes ago, Willy the poor boy said:

Does anyone know if ZP is signed? I think if he retires early that could throw another wrench into the Wilds cap situation by increasing the cap hit.

Willy, it doesn't matter at this point what happens to ZP, since his contract was bought out, not traded. There is no further damage to be done. 

Now, had he been traded like Luongo was, both FL and Vancouver had to pay.

14 hours ago, Willy the poor boy said:

One thing that doesn't get mentioned, but those contracts are mostly paid for. Leo gets a pretty nice financial windfall from those deals for the next 2 seasons.

Does anyone know if ZP is signed? I think if he retires early that could throw another wrench into the Wilds cap situation by increasing the cap hit.

 

If ZP had not been bought out and he retires the Wild would have had to get rid of about $9.5M in cap dollars. If that happened next year ('24) the team would have had to cut about $19.5M cap dollars. Can you imagine if both of them were retained and both retired next year? That would be $39M cap dollars having to be cut. Try to ice a team with that hit.

22 hours ago, Quebec1648 said:

Guerin has done a very good job turning the ship around, but until we see some progress in the postseason, it's premature to give him a new title.

On the other hand, the owner Craig Leopold should be applauded for letting Guerin remain GM despite the continued early playoff exits. Many NHL owners would not be as forgiving. I would commend Leopold for letting Guerin do the Suter and Parise buyouts, but he's the one who approved those monster deals. Hopefully Leopold learned something from the Suter / Parise contract mistakes. 

Don’t think we need to be giving Leopold any applause yet for “letting Guerin remain”. Really think it’s too early in GMBG’s tenure to start warming up his seat especially with the train wreck he inherited and the buyouts. 
 

Now with that being said, after the buyouts are over and if the 1st round exits continue then yeah his seat will get warm. GM’s are also remembered for their prospects/draft picks and it looks like we’ve got a strong pool. 

7 hours ago, Up North Guy said:

If ZP had not been bought out and he retires the Wild would have had to get rid of about $9.5M in cap dollars. If that happened next year ('24) the team would have had to cut about $19.5M cap dollars. Can you imagine if both of them were retained and both retired next year? That would be $39M cap dollars having to be cut. Try to ice a team with that hit.

If that sort of scenario had happened, I think the league would be forced to take action. There is no way, that the Wild could field a credible roster under that kind of cap hit. Kaprizov, Boldy and Ek would likely be gone if that ever happened. Although, given that Betmann is the commissioner, anything is possible. 

17 hours ago, Quebec1648 said:

Although, given that Betmann is the commissioner, anything is possible. 

There you go...