Wilderness Walk: Wild Open Preseason With Win

Hunt will be fine. Put some ice on there. Video team, watch Kero inject the grit with an under-radar elbow to the face, non-penalty. Touché.

Hartman called that one out from the press box.

"GRIT! Did you see it?"

I don't think the elbow to the face injury will be that bad. It should hurt for a little while, but it's not like an ACL blowing up.

Read Russo suggesting that the Wild are having initial discussions with Foligno and Zuccarello.

Also saying that if the Wild play it out with patience, that "if" those players have good years, they're not getting cheaper.

To which I say, "Who cares if this season. Is bad or good?" I think playing that game is ripe to bite you eventually. If you want them long term, then sign them long term, aging be damned. I'd argue against that strategy, since the age cliff is near, and despite an early run, middle run, or late run of points and performance, that you let both walk or trade them regardless.

Why does the team want to hang on to older, expensive players when there needs to be room for the plethora of youth, or even signing a free agent could be the better strategy?

I'm not a GM, but I think you're setting yourself for flexibility and longterm success if you jettison older players rather than extend even if the decision is difficult.

Wild seem to be sticking with the mentality that quality scoring chances is better than shots on goal.  I was a bit surprised that our highly touted prospect pool appeared to get outplayed for large swaths of the game.  I get that when you are leading in a game the opposing team tends to press for more chances and is looking for a little puck luck.  But it would be nice for the Wild to start winning games with the puck in the o-zone.

35 minutes ago, joebou15 said:

Read Russo suggesting that the Wild are having initial discussions with Foligno and Zuccarello.

Why does the team want to hang on to older, expensive players when there needs to be room for the plethora of youth, or even signing a free agent could be the better strategy?

I'm not a GM, but I think you're setting yourself for flexibility and longterm success if you jettison older players rather than extend even if the decision is difficult.

 

PLEASE, PLEASE do NOT re-sign Zucc to term. He was a straight up liability many times last season. I get he's KK97's buddy and all but age and play regression are catching up with him. If anything a 1yr deal to be a stop-gap if necessary but really want to save the money and fill that spot next year with one of our prospects or a FA.

As far as Moose and Hartman kinda the same deal. If Moose doesn't find his game and gets injured again let him go, unless they are planning on using him as bait at the deadline. He is replaceable with a younger/cheaper player, his leadership and locker room presence will be missed but gotta do whats best for the team. Hartman if he signs a team friendly deal again, bring him back. He is versatile enough to play anywhere in the lineup, has outplayed his current contract for darn sure.

1 hour ago, joebou15 said:

Read Russo suggesting that the Wild are having initial discussions with Foligno and Zuccarello.

Also saying that if the Wild play it out with patience, that "if" those players have good years, they're not getting cheaper.

To which I say, "Who cares if this season. Is bad or good?" I think playing that game is ripe to bite you eventually. If you want them long term, then sign them long term, aging be damned. I'd argue against that strategy, since the age cliff is near, and despite an early run, middle run, or late run of points and performance, that you let both walk or trade them regardless.

Why does the team want to hang on to older, expensive players when there needs to be room for the plethora of youth, or even signing a free agent could be the better strategy?

I'm not a GM, but I think you're setting yourself for flexibility and longterm success if you jettison older players rather than extend even if the decision is difficult.

 

Spot on Joe

1 hour ago, M_Nels said:

his [Foligno] leadership and locker room presence will be missed but gotta do whats best for the team.

Other members of the team can step up into those leadership roles. In fact, the presence of the "old" leaders may be an obstacle to that. I suspect part of what led to the terrible locker room the Wild had in the latter days of Suter/Parise was the death grip they had on leadership for the team. Sure, Koivu and Staal were there, but at least from the fans' perspective, Suter and Parise set the tone. There wasn't any oxygen left in the room for the next wave of players (Granlund, Zucker, Niederreiter, Coyle, Brodin, or even Spurgeon) to wield influence or impact the culture. I don't think Foligno represents that same kind of leader, but nevertheless, but as long as he is remains, there is less space for the next generation to "own" the team.

2 hours ago, MNCountryLife said:

Wild seem to be sticking with the mentality that quality scoring chances is better than shots on goal.  I was a bit surprised that our highly touted prospect pool appeared to get outplayed for large swaths of the game.  I get that when you are leading in a game the opposing team tends to press for more chances and is looking for a little puck luck.  But it would be nice for the Wild to start winning games with the puck in the o-zone.

I think part of it is this is the first week they have been playing together and its an adjustment when you throw a group together for a game. You watch theses guys in practice and the seem to mesh more ever day and there are different clicks within the groups forming like Haight, Heidt, Walker. The D groups, Masters and Lambos, Spacek and O'Rourke, Johannsson.

3 hours ago, joebou15 said:

Read Russo suggesting that the Wild are having initial discussions with Foligno and Zuccarello.

Also saying that if the Wild play it out with patience, that "if" those players have good years, they're not getting cheaper.

To which I say, "Who cares if this season. Is bad or good?" I think playing that game is ripe to bite you eventually. If you want them long term, then sign them long term, aging be damned. I'd argue against that strategy, since the age cliff is near, and despite an early run, middle run, or late run of points and performance, that you let both walk or trade them regardless.

Why does the team want to hang on to older, expensive players when there needs to be room for the plethora of youth, or even signing a free agent could be the better strategy?

I'm not a GM, but I think you're setting yourself for flexibility and longterm success if you jettison older players rather than extend even if the decision is difficult.

 

Devil's advocate, I don't see a player in IA that will match Moose for size and grit and with Öhgren hurt to begin the season it could mean a huge setback for next year. There's little info out there on Öhgren so it really worries me how bad it could potentially be.

So we could get stuck between a rock and hard place....do you let Moose walk based on physicality and leadership, culture to plug in a similar UFA. It's gonna come down to his health and price to balance all that out.

Zucci, I think we have some plug and play options with Yurov and Khusnutdinov. I would spend to much to keep the KK coffee group together.

Maybe BG pulls some Hartzy contract action out of his bag of tricks because neither Moose or Zucci want to start over somewhere else.

39 minutes ago, vonlonster67 said:

The D groups, Masters and Lambos, Spacek and O'Rourke, Johannsson.

Nice to see Master playing at a high level after being stretchered out to the hospital back at the end of May, from the Memorial Cup.

It was a 3 month timetable initially given, so good to see he didn't have any setbacks and is competing at a high level again.

4 minutes ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

Nice to see Master playing at a high level after being stretchered out to the hospital back at the end of May, from the Memorial Cup.

It was a 3 month timetable initially given, so good to see he didn't have any setbacks and is competing at a high level again.

If he can produce offensively like he did last year with Kamloops, with the talent on that team and the competition he played against it shouldn't be that much different in IA.

    GP    G    A    TP    PIM    +/-         POST    GP    G    A    TP    PIM    +/-

    66    11  54    65    35      26      |  Playoff   14    1     6       7    10      -2

He's probably a year away, but IA is going to be flush this year if they can get the offense figured out without Rossi and probably Walker for a  bit here and there.

Guerin let Dumba go. I believe Guerin can let other guys go too. Zuccarello and other vets should see the writing on the wall. Either they play well and earn another shorter deal or Guerin will let them go test free agency. The Wild under Guerin have already made the biggest move in buying out massive contracts. Now the Wild have zero bad contracts and good prospects. They have a nice NHL roster with strengths at each position. When the cap penalties end the organization will be in a strong position.

Looking like another fun season to watch.

1 hour ago, Protec said:

Guerin let Dumba go. I believe Guerin can let other guys go too. Zuccarello and other vets should see the writing on the wall. Either they play well and earn another shorter deal or Guerin will let them go test free agency. The Wild under Guerin have already made the biggest move in buying out massive contracts. Now the Wild have zero bad contracts and good prospects. They have a nice NHL roster with strengths at each position. When the cap penalties end the organization will be in a strong position.

Looking like another fun season to watch.

Dumba would be here unfortunately, if BG had the money to pay him $3M/yr. We got lucky.

We still are paying Goose a $1.25M more than he's worth and Flower $2M more than he's worth. That $3M could have signed Gustav Nyquist's salary at $3.185M.

In the end, I agree we are in a better place.

7 minutes ago, vonlonster67 said:

Dumba would be here unfortunately, if BG had the money to pay him $3M/yr. We got lucky.

We still are paying Goose a $1.25M more than he's worth and Flower $2M more than he's worth. That $3M could have signed Gustav Nyquist's salary at $3.185M.

In the end, I agree we are in a better place.

I'm not down on Dumba like many people are.  He wasn't worth $6M/AAV.  But at $3M/AAV I would have liked to see him stay with us.  He is well worth that price tag.  Although AZ signed him at $3.9.  That gets into the iffy stage for me.

Goligoski and Flower did not live up to the price tag from last year.  I am hoping for better play from both of them this year but have little hope as their age will be difficult to overcome.  I thought Nyquist was one of our best players in the playoffs last year.. Would have been great to keep him.

I think you are hinting that BG has made some mistakes yet overall he has the team moving in the right direction... Which I agree with IBGIT.

3 minutes ago, MNCountryLife said:

I'm not down on Dumba like many people are.  He wasn't worth $6M/AAV.  But at $3M/AAV I would have liked to see him stay with us.  He is well worth that price tag.  Although AZ signed him at $3.9.  That gets into the iffy stage for me.

Goligoski and Flower did not live up to the price tag from last year.  I am hoping for better play from both of them this year but have little hope as their age will be difficult to overcome.  I thought Nyquist was one of our best players in the playoffs last year.. Would have been great to keep him.

I think you are hinting that BG has made some mistakes yet overall he has the team moving in the right direction... Which I agree with IBGIT.

Yes, but No.

BG loved Dumba and would have fallen on a broken skate blade for him.

Goose was signed with a wink wink for $5M because we needed an experienced D and had to resign him to the 2yr for $2M on that gentleman's agreement as our salary cap wouldn't let anything else work, so the price of doing business. He also signed Flower and was probably stuck with the number because of the market. I wouldn't call them mistakes, it's a crap shoot with 35+ players.

BG would have signed Gustav Nyquist's to $3M in a heartbeat, the dude was a perfect fit for our team. Imagine him with Rossi and Freddy this year and not Moose.

I've never kept track of his ups and downs as he has pulled so many rabbits out of his helmet it's unreal with his tenure. I know some of it's luck, but some of it is sheer "balls" move, shoot from the hip, gut instinct that you either have it or don't. You never need to call bullshit on BG, he's a straight shooter if you deserve an answer and his respect.

"IBGIT"

On 9/25/2023 at 5:03 PM, vonlonster67 said:

Goose was signed with a wink wink for $5M because we needed an experienced D and had to resign him to the 2yr for $2M on that gentleman's agreement as our salary cap wouldn't let anything else work, so the price of doing business. He also signed Flower and was probably stuck with the number because of the market. I wouldn't call them mistakes, it's a crap shoot with 35+ players.

 

With the wink wink deal I think its a great long term move that he has honored that even though the value isn't there.  Shows he will do right by players and I guarantee you when we have money to play with that will help in signing guys, not only getting paid but knowing you won't get screwed over.  I think that is as much a part of the culture being built here as anything else.

8 minutes ago, IllicitFive said:

With the wink wink deal I think its a great long term move that he has honored that even though the value isn't there.  Shows he will do right by players and I guarantee you when we have money to play with that will help in signing guys, not only getting paid but knowing you won't get screwed over.  I think that is as much a part of the culture being built here as anything else.

IF, I agree completely and feel that is why BG is so widely respected around the league by players, owners,  other GMs and the league staff.