Confirmed with Link: Middleton extended (4 years x 4.35M AAV, limited NTC)

[Wabit]

Here's my thinking. I think players don't want to sign with GMBG. He's had some public falling out with players (Talbot, Fiala), dumped others (Staal, Sturm, etc), and there is some behind the scenes stuff the players have seen that fans really don't. Players he's gotten as rentals don't stay, and take similar/less money than what he was (reportedly) offering to play for other teams.

For some reason GMBG has taken signing bonuses off the table. I don't think it's an owner directed thing because he's had no problems with it in the past. Signing bonuses aren't subjected to the escrow (at least they weren't a couple of years ago). The players escrow is around 20% now IIRC ($200k per $1m). So a $4m/yr deal is only pays $3.2m throughout the season (they may get some of that back after the league money is all figured). So to get that same $3.2m in pay a player could take $2m in salary (1.6m in pay) and a $1.6m signing bonus for a total $3.6m cap hit. This is all before state/local taxes are figured into the equation.

 

[BagHead]

I'm more down on this contract than the Trenin one, but still overall neutral...ish. I think a larger defenseman that can play physically is needed, but I would prefer my top-4 defensemen to be a bit better than Middleton. Once he gets bumped to 3rd pairing, which might be before this contract even begins depending on Buium, this contract will suck.

 

[HobeyBroten]

I'm the black sheep of this group, but I actually appreciated the buyouts of Parise/Suter, just to get new blood in.

Then EVERY contract after comes with a NMC/NTC and goes against everything that the buyouts were for. Which IMHO is to restock the pipeline, start over, let the kids play and develop, etc.

But resigning someone like Middleton to a 4x4.350 contract with protection, just hurts us when we come out of the dead cap and heaven-forbid, a few of these draft picks take off.

I would have thought a 2 year contract would have been more than reasonable. Nobody was knocking on our doors to pick him up, or would have given him more than this offer on the open market.

 

[keppel146]

I don’t like it.

 

[f7ben]

Guerin tore down the wild country club so he could build his own country club. Success doesn’t matter here. That much is clear

 

[Wabit]

Guerin tore down the wild country club so he could build his own country club. Success doesn’t matter here. That much is clear

Guerin wasn't invited into the old country club. So he had to build a new one so he could join.

 

[f7ben]

Guerin wasn't invited into the old country club. So he had to build a new one so he could join.

Well , if his mandate was to be accepted to a country club he certainly has done an excellent job. He should be extended

 

[Wasted Talent]

I'd be curious about the number of 3+ year deals handed out recently (last 3 offseason) that did not include any sort of trade protection, excluding any very low dollar deals.

Going back to 2022 offseason:

Trenin, Merrill, Gustavsson and Middleton (previous one in 2022)

And the ones with some form of trade protection:

Middleton (new one), Hartman, Foligno, Gaudreau, Boldy, Greenway

 

[Saga of the Elk]

Here's my thinking. I think players don't want to sign with GMBG. He's had some public falling out with players (Talbot, Fiala), dumped others (Staal, Sturm, etc), and there is some behind the scenes stuff the players have seen that fans really don't. Players he's gotten as rentals don't stay, and take similar/less money than what he was (reportedly) offering to play for other teams.

Minnesota is an afterthought team, that has never won anything, that has no chance in the foreseeable future of winning anything. That's why any Minnesota GM has to pay with sweeteners. It probably ranks slightly higher than Winnipeg and Columbus. Guys from Minnesota seem to enjoy coming back, but given weather, crime, taxes, nightlife, and - most importantly - likelihood of success (winning the Cup) it's low.

This deal is fine. Middleton is fine. And that's the story.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Going back to 2022 offseason:

Trenin, Merrill, Gustavsson and Middleton (previous one in 2022)

And the ones with some form of trade protection:

Middleton (new one), Hartman, Foligno, Gaudreau, Boldy, Greenway

I was thinking league-wide. To see if Guerin does so notably more than others.

 

[Lapa]

I like Middleton. With the cap going up, I actually like this contract.

 

[57special]

Going back to 2022 offseason:

Trenin, Merrill, Gustavsson and Middleton (previous one in 2022)

And the ones with some form of trade protection:

Middleton (new one), Hartman, Foligno, Gaudreau, Boldy, Greenway

add Fleury

 

[Wasted Talent]

add Fleury

I was just looking at 3+ year signings (and misunderstood the assignment anyway)

There's also Fleury (x2), Goligoski, Zuccarello and Johansson if you include 1-2 year signings with NMC/NTC.

 

[Wabit]

Minnesota is an afterthought team, that has never won anything, that has no chance in the foreseeable future of winning anything. That's why any Minnesota GM has to pay with sweeteners. It probably ranks slightly higher than Winnipeg and Columbus. Guys from Minnesota seem to enjoy coming back, but given weather, crime, taxes, nightlife, and - most importantly - likelihood of success (winning the Cup) it's low.

This deal is fine. Middleton is fine. And that's the story.

Fletcher didn't have a problem getting FAs to sign here. If a guy was traded for as a rental they re-signed in MN. Even Fenton in his short time here built a quality AHL with FAs and picked up Zucc (one of the bigger names on the market that offseason).

GMBG is now in his 5th offseason (I don't count his first year) in GM. Talbot is the best UFA he's signed. The list of rentals that have stayed begins and ends with MAF.

MN isn't a contender because GMBG turned this team into mid/late 20-teens Buffalo.

 

[Jesus comma Brodin]

MN isn't a contender because GMBG turned this team into mid/late 20-teens Buffalo.

This is the most depressing thing I have read

 

[P10p]

Fletcher didn't have a problem getting FAs to sign here. If a guy was traded for as a rental they re-signed in MN. Even Fenton in his short time here built a quality AHL with FAs and picked up Zucc (one of the bigger names on the market that offseason).

GMBG is now in his 5th offseason (I don't count his first year) in GM. Talbot is the best UFA he's signed. The list of rentals that have stayed begins and ends with MAF.

MN isn't a contender because GMBG turned this team into mid/late 20-teens Buffalo.

Rentals aren't staying because we aren't pissing away draft picks to acquire as many would be my quick take. Not saying I have numbers to back it up but that is how it seems on the surface. cba to do a deep dive right now.

Look how many picks Fletcher wasted on rentals and that was one of the biggest gripes about him by many here. Guerin hasn't traded away any 1st/2nd round picks on rentals and it too is being weaponized against him.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

Fletcher didn't have a problem getting FAs to sign here. If a guy was traded for as a rental they re-signed in MN. Even Fenton in his short time here built a quality AHL with FAs and picked up Zucc (one of the bigger names on the market that offseason).

GMBG is now in his 5th offseason (I don't count his first year) in GM. Talbot is the best UFA he's signed. The list of rentals that have stayed begins and ends with MAF.

MN isn't a contender because GMBG turned this team into mid/late 20-teens Buffalo.

I'd have to imagine that part of Fletcher's "success" at signing free agents had to do with overpayments so egregious they are still negatively impacting the franchise.

AHL guys just don't have a lot of say as to where they sign.

Obviously other teams are likewise too generous with trade and movement protection. Yet if such protections are prevailing in the marketplace, it's hard to criticize Guerin on that basis.

Buffalo and Minnesota are really sister teams, with Jason Pominville as the franchise emblem.

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

Buffalo hasn’t sniffed the playoffs in over a decade while breaking numerous records for utter futility along the way. It is pure sensationalism to compare us to them.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

Buffalo hasn’t sniffed the playoffs in over a decade while breaking numerous records for utter futility along the way. It is pure sensationalism to compare us to them.

Yup, the Wild's two playoff series wins in 20 years is much better than Buffalo's ... two playoff wins in 20 years. AINEC.

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

Yup, the Wild's two playoff series wins in 20 years is much better than Buffalo's ... two playoff wins in 20 years. AINEC.

Expanding an extra decade and comparing series wins to total wins, what a good faith counterpoint…And the other 90% of the games that fans watch? How do those compare?

 

[Saga of the Elk]

Expanding an extra decade and comparing series wins to total wins, what a good faith counterpoint…And the other 90% of the games that fans watch? How do those compare?

huh... since the Wild went to the conference final in 2003, they've won two series. The Sabres also made the conference finals in 2006. Since then, sure the Wild have won two series and the Sabres have sucked. If you want to believe the Wild is a better franchise than the Sabres, go ahead. I guess most people would agree. It's like trying to win a shortest penis contest. Both are poorly-run franchises in undesirable locations, with a mixture of star players and scrubs. Both might get into the playoffs this season and lose in the first round and both outcomes would be considered a triumph.

 

[AKL]

huh... since the Wild went to the conference final in 2003, they've won two series. The Sabres also made the conference finals in 2006. Since then, sure the Wild have won two series and the Sabres have sucked. If you want to believe the Wild is a better franchise than the Sabres, go ahead. I guess most people would agree. It's like trying to win a shortest penis contest. Both are poorly-run franchises in undesirable locations, with a mixture of star players and scrubs. Both might get into the playoffs this season and lose in the first round and both outcomes would be considered a triumph.

It's the idea that the regular season is somehow a measuring stick. I don't get it, because to me you're not successful unless you win in the playoffs, but some people are perfectly okay with just winning in the regular season and falling flat on your face in the postseason.

Most truly great franchises would laugh at that idea, but Wild fans embrace it.

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

huh... since the Wild went to the conference final in 2003, they've won two series. The Sabres also made the conference finals in 2006. Since then, sure the Wild have won two series and the Sabres have sucked. If you want to believe the Wild is a better franchise than the Sabres, go ahead. I guess most people would agree. It's like trying to win a shortest penis contest. Both are poorly-run franchises in undesirable locations, with a mixture of star players and scrubs. Both might get into the playoffs this season and lose in the first round and both outcomes would be considered a triumph.

“MN isn't a contender because GMBG turned this team into mid/late 20-teens Buffalo.”

What does 2003 and 2006 have to do with that? He gave a hard timeline of the literal worst performing franchise in all sports as our comparable and I responded to that comparison.

 

[Wabit]

Buffalo hasn’t sniffed the playoffs in over a decade while breaking numerous records for utter futility along the way. It is pure sensationalism to compare us to them.

All that's needed is the smell of cheerios in MN. The Wild are at the same point BUF was with ROR.

Spanning a few years with players, not exact matches but the evens out pretty closely.
Eichel = Kap
Boldy = Reinhart
ROR = JEE
Risto = Spurgeon
McCabe/Scandella = Middleton
Zucc=Okposo/Pommer
Moulston = 1 buyout
Foligno = Foligno
BoGo = BoGo
Rossi = Mitts
Dahlin = Faber
Larsson = Freddy G
Griegs = the new UFA
Gus = Ullmark or Lehner

Good on the PP can't score 5v5. 1 line team and hope for the best with the other lines. The team burned though 3rd HCs in 6 years. Waiting for the prospects to show up and save the day. I'm seeing the same things on the forums here that I heard for years whenever I visited BUF.

We've even had Kulikov and MarJo (x2) brought in by GMBG. I'm not counting the 15 mins ROR was on the team.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

“MN isn't a contender because GMBG turned this team into mid/late 20-teens Buffalo.”

What does 2003 and 2006 have to do with that? He gave a hard timeline of the literal worst performing franchise in all sports as our comparable and I responded to that comparison.

Ok.

But bottom line: Buffalo has had MORE SUCCESS (been closer to a Stanley Cup, perhaps you've heard of it) more recently than the Wild. Sure, the Wild have been better overall than the Sabres. What has that done for them exactly, besides allow them to re-sign Jacob Middleton? Both teams were out of the playoffs last season, and are longshots to make the dance this season. SAD!