James Sheppard Appreciation

[mnwildgophers]

this is the offer i made. far off, but not too bad for either side

To edm:
Nick schultz
pierre marc bouchard
james sheppard
2nd round 2010 (washington)
2nd round 2010 (minnesota)

to Wild:
dustin penner
sheldon souray



hahah wont happen

I don't think this deal makes sense for either team.

The Oilers have no need for PMB, and don't know if he's ever going to play again. Also, they gain nothing by trading Penner with Souray.

We don't do it because we don't need Souray, and I'd rather have those 2 selections to re-stock the talent pool. While Penner would be nice to have, I don't think he's moving. And if he did, I don't think he would move for something like that. I'd rather just keep the 2 picks.

I'd say if we were to target anyone, it should be someone on the Flyers or Chicago. Chicago will assess their goalie situation after this year, and may want to trade for a proven goalie, but will have a tough time doing that with their current situation. Flyers most likely will want a stable goaltender, but they could make a strong pitch for Harding. I'd like to get a winger out from there, but most of the ones I'd be interested in are not likely to be moved such as JVR and Giroux.

I think Tampa Bay may be looking for a goalie, but they don't seem too have much available in the winger side of things. We'll have to see how things shake out this offseason, and Fletch said changes were coming, but we'll see what the magnitude of these changes will be.

 

[GuerinUp]

I don't think this deal makes sense for either team.

The Oilers have no need for PMB, and don't know if he's ever going to play again. Also, they gain nothing by trading Penner with Souray.

We don't do it because we don't need Souray, and I'd rather have those 2 selections to re-stock the talent pool. While Penner would be nice to have, I don't think he's moving. And if he did, I don't think he would move for something like that. I'd rather just keep the 2 picks.

yeah i was looking at it from a give us ur garbage, well give you ours and each side throws in a little to make it worthwile.

penners 32 goals is attractive though

 

[mnwildgophers]

I updated my post, I think that we don't make very good trade partners with the Oilers though. I don't see them moving anything we would want.

 

[GuerinUp]

I updated my post, I think that we don't make very good trade partners with the Oilers though. I don't see them moving anything we would want.

ya, thats what makes us so hard as a team is we dont have much that wed wanna part with of value either.

either way, after watching some clips today i am officially on the nino train, now imagine if we got nino AND kabonov in the early 2nd......

id be very excited with our future

 

[GopherState]

I updated my post, I think that we don't make very good trade partners with the Oilers though. I don't see them moving anything we would want.

Teams also rarely trade within the division.

 

[thestonedkoala]

What the hell happened to Sheppard? Really. His progression is...weird. He was doing great in the QMJHL and then just BAM! He completely busted.

 

[Bookman]

What the hell happened to Sheppard? Really. His progression is...weird. He was doing great in the QMJHL and then just BAM! He completely busted.

This year was a killer for him. He was actually showing some reasonable progression his first 2 seasons:

07-08: 4G 15A 19pts
08-09: 5G 19A 25pts

Normal progress would have had him around 30 points this season, which isn't great, but is serviceable from the 3rd or 4th line.

But 2G 4A 6pts?

That's ridiculous, although he did spend a lot more time in the press box this season.

 

[mnwildgophers]

He just had a horrible, horrible year. As Russo said in his blog, it looks like we won't have to pay him that much money this offseason, so I think that we will give him another shot for sure. I hope that we can trade him, but his value is at an all-time low. Hopefully he decides to work his ass off this offseason and starts to produce, or we can trade him for something.

 

[JawandaPuck]

Russo on Shep:

In 64 games, Sheppard scored two goals and four assists, or one more goal and one more assist than rookie Casey Wellman got in 12 games.

I've gotten dozens and dozens of emails this season and especially in the last week saying when is it time to get rid of Sheppard.

I agree with one point fans are making: The Wild cannot waste another roster spot on Sheppard if he doesn't warrant one.

You can bet that will be conveyed to him in a clear, concise, brash way by Fletcher. Right now, the Wild plans to tender Sheppard a qualifying offer because the Wild's not good enough yet to just be dumping 21-year-old former first-round picks, and forwards at that.

Remember, his cap hit this year was $1.4 million only because potential bonuses on entry-level deals have to be worked into the cap. But performance bonuses don't exist on second contracts, so his salary is 850K. But that includes an $85,000 signing bonus, so his salary is actually $765,000. He'd get a 10-percent raise on that, so his QO would be $841,500. If they tender him the QO, it'll be a two-way deal with a $67,500 minor-league salary.

Fletcher on Shep (note: there is more on the subject in Russo's blog):

“At this point, I don’t see why we wouldn’t qualify him. He’s still a young player. It’s too early to get into what we’re going to do and what we’re not going to do. There’s a lot of time. We have spent a lot of time kicking around ideas, preparing for the draft, free agency and looking for possible solutions to perceived problems. But until we begin fully breaking down the season, it’s premature to speculate on my part. Whatever plan we come up with for this summer, it only takes one phone call from a GM to send me down a different path. We’ll go through a thorough analysis of the season -- strengths and weaknesses and looking at why we weren’t successful on the road and inconsistent all around. But we’re a non-playoff team. As I’ve said, nobody should feel secure.”

At that future cap hit for a young center, despite the horrid stats, I'm sure there will be GMs calling. Why was Shep not sent to the minors so he could find his "scoring" touch? How is his skating and defensive game?

 

[Bookman]

In Russo's article on the firing of Tommy Thompson, the latter had predicted a breakout year for Shep this season. Quite the judge of talent TT.

 

[mnwildgophers]

At that future cap hit for a young center, despite the horrid stats, I'm sure there will be GMs calling. Why was Shep not sent to the minors so he could find his "scoring" touch? How is his skating and defensive game?

Yeah, I can see him being worth a little something, but not much. He had too many NHL games under his belt coming into this year, so he'd require waivers and I believe that Fletch thinks he will be picked up via waivers, but they are getting close to trying to shove him down there.

 

[Jbcraig1883]

Yeah, I can see him being worth a little something, but not much. He had too many NHL games under his belt coming into this year, so he'd require waivers and I believe that Fletch thinks he will be picked up via waivers, but they are getting close to trying to shove him down there.

Yea, we would have been able to send him to the minors this past season had DR/JL not played him in the final game the season before....

 

[mnwildgophers]

Yea, we would have been able to send him to the minors this past season had DR/JL not played him in the final game the season before....

What could have been, we would be better off if we had gotten a 3rd and 4th for Boogaard, and if Shep had missed one game, and was able to play in the AHL for a year or two, but we can't look back now I guess. Fletch is moving forward, and this draft is all his and his staff since TT wasn't really doing anything but some scouting this year. I'm excited to see what we are able to do.

 

[GopherState]

We need more Shep appreciation!

First and not last (although it seems like it some days) NHL goal by Jimmy.

 

[Bookman]

We need more Shep appreciation!

First and not last (although it seems like it some days) NHL goal by Jimmy.

Awwwwww........

 

[GopherState]

I like how he has a "been there, done that" sort of swagger as he skates over to the bench.

 

[this providence]

The grainy, Big Foot - type footage is humorously appropriate here...

 

[GopherState]

Haha, true. It looks like a 45 game to begin with, so that's probably someone's attempt to upgrade it.

 

[mnwildgophers]

Good ole James, great to see him get his first goal...

I can't believe he didn't fall over on they way to the bench.

 

[this providence]

Watching these playoffs, it seems pretty clear the Princess Pouls contracted whatever disease that Jimmy has.

It's like a splitting image out there. Falling down for absolutely no reason. Constantly taken off the puck. Relegated to the bottom lines. Pretty much invisible. Yikes.

 

[GopherState]

Watching these playoffs, it seems pretty clear the Princess Pouls contracted whatever disease that Jimmy has.

It's like a splitting image out there. Falling down for absolutely no reason. Constantly taken off the puck. Relegated to the bottom lines. Pretty much invisible. Yikes.

He deserves his own thread, but I hear it's Risebroughitis.

 

[firstroundbust]

Haha, true. It looks like a 45 game to begin with, so that's probably someone's attempt to upgrade it.

That's 45's high def feed.

 

[firstroundbust]

Pouliot is such a tool.

 

[GopherState]

Today's assignment: Count the number of things wrong with this clip.

 

[Jarick]

My favorite memory was this past year, can't remember the game, but I think Nolan dropped Sheppard a GORGEOUS pass, Shep was in the high slot, goalie was completely out of position, basically empty net, and he missed by about three feet.