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Minnesota Wild General Discussion - 2022-23

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AKL said:
I would let Johansson and Klingberg go, try to sign Nyquist, if he'll have us.

Trade Foligno for sure, trade Zuccarello if you can (I'd retain money to get some value in return), and hire a coach who understands Fleury doesn't need to play 46 games (don't think you can trade him, he won't retire, it is what it is).

Kaprizov-Hartman-Nyquist
X-Ek-Boldy
X-Gaudreau-X
Duhaime-Dewar-X

Brodin-Faber
Middleton-Spurgeon
Merrill/Goligoski (I guess)-Addison

Gus
Fleury

Walker/Beckman/maybe Rossi can try to fill in the X's in the middle six, or you could sign some free agents with the cap space you get from Foligno and Zuccarello disappearing. Maybe you even get some younger replacements for their spots in their trades.

For the record it would be great if Rossi could fill in on that top line and bump Hartman down to the third line, but I'm not holding my breath for that yet.
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Not sure how realistic it would be to get rid of Zuccarello. He's hard to trade at 6mil and its hard to just replace his production in free agency or without giving significant assets in a trade. I think we'll be stuck with him but he'll still produce 50pts, which is fine. I think we gain more keeping him than trading him and finding a replacement.

I think Foligno is now becoming a realistic option to buyout/trade. While the team loves him, his production has fallen off and is no longer worth his contract.

Then I would buyout Goligoski, trade Addison (maybe for a forward bc the team has soured on him), and sign a cheap UFA as the #6 dman. Then sign a FA winger for the 3rd line. That should give about $1.5-$1.8mil in cap space for two injury callups.

[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]LW[/TD]
[TD]C[/TD]
[TD]RW[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1st[/TD]
[TD]Karprizov[/TD]
[TD]Hartman[/TD]
[TD]Nyquist[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2nd[/TD]
[TD]Zuccarello[/TD]
[TD]JEE[/TD]
[TD]Boldy[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]LW[/TD]
[TD]C[/TD]
[TD]RW[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3rd[/TD]
[TD]Gaudreau[/TD]
[TD]Rossi[/TD]
[TD]$3mil FA[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3rd[/TD]
[TD]Beckman/Addison trade[/TD]
[TD]Gaudreau[/TD]
[TD]$3mil FA[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]LW[/TD]
[TD]C[/TD]
[TD]RW[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Checking[/TD]
[TD]Milne/Shaw/$900k FA[/TD]
[TD]Dewar[/TD]
[TD]Duhaime[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TD]Middleton[/TD]
[TD]Spurgeon[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Brodin[/TD]
[TD]Faber[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Merrill[/TD]
[TD]Cheap UFA[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TD]Gustavsson[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Fleury[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
 
People aren't going to like hearing it, but any result better than what we saw was probably overachieving.

The buyouts are a real handicap that gets amplified when you're playing another good team 4-7 times in a row. Add in Eriksson Ek's absence and Kaprizov's hindrance, the fact that Dallas had at least 3 of the best 4 players on either team (even if everybody was healthy), and any depth advantage against a lot of teams isn't really one against Dallas when they have Benn, Marchment, Johnston and Dadonov playing down the lineup.

I was only a little joking when I picked Dallas in 4. Losing in 5 or 6 games seemed about right.

Anyway, it could be worse. We could be the best regular season of all time that went all-in on this year's team, and is about to blow a 3-1 series lead against a #8 seed.
 
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Dr Jan Itor said:
People aren't going to like hearing it, but any result better than what we saw was probably overachieving.

The buyouts are a real handicap that gets amplified when you're playing another good team 4-7 times in a row. Add in Eriksson Ek's absence and Kaprizov's hindrance, the fact that Dallas had at least 3 of the best 4 players on either team (even if everybody was healthy), and any depth advantage against a lot of teams isn't really one against Dallas when they have Benn, Marchment, Johnston and Dadonov playing down the lineup.

I was only a little joking when I picked Dallas in 4. Losing in 5 or 6 games seemed about right.

Anyway, it could be worse. We could be the best regular season of all time that went all-in on this year's team, and is about to blow a 3-1 series lead against a #8 seed.
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I've said too many things were going right for Boston. Very little adversity. They had an epic regular season, but could be facing an epic upset in the postseason. I just figured it wouldn't happen till the 2nd round. With what they’ve done this season, anything but the Finals would be a fail.
 
I agree that we need to start getting rid of some of the older "core" players. It's 100% evident that this team isn't something that can make a serious playoff run and while Leipold will still want a competitive team on the ice, we need to trim the roster down.

I'm not going to pretend I know the cap enough to figure out what's realistic but it's clear some players have regressed this season and are turning into dead weight.

If Foligno and Dumba do go, who would you like to see with the "A's".....Kaprizov and Brodin for me.
 
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NHL1674 said:
I've said too many things were going right for Boston. Very little adversity. They had an epic regular season, but could be facing an epic upset in the postseason. I just figured it wouldn't happen till the 2nd round. With what they’ve done this season, anything but the Finals would be a fail.
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Hockey is a sport where all you need is one bounce and a goalie to make a few huge saves. That's why a WC team like Florida can take it to the Bruins or Seattle take it to the defending Cup champs (although they are banged up.) Stuff you don't see in the other Big Four sports.

Just look at the Miracle on Ice....1 bounce to Mark Johnson's stick and a hot Jim Craig is all it took.

Except when you're the Wild when you get no bounces, your goalie is never hot, and their goalie plays at HOF level. Ever.
 
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57special said:
I agree, and remember, the year before that we lost to Vancouver. To add spice to the whole situation, the next two years we will have our worst cap penalty situation ever... thanks, NHL!

The whole "having a great dressing room" doesn't mean shit, obviously. We just have a bunch of very well paid, comfortable players who don't do a damn thing when it matters.

Evason and his staff have to go. Some players have to go. Time for a rebuild. I know it sucks with Kaprizov here, but what is happening now just isn't working. We don't have cap space or high end prospects in house(Faber excepted, but he will be replacing Dumba) to make an immediate impact as soon as next year.

At this point, every player, and coach, should consider themselves expendable. Losers should expect nothing else.
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People laughed when I thought we should trade Kaprizov and Fiala for value last year and bottom out to get a 1C in the next 2 drafts (yeah, fair enough, a ridiculous proposition that no GM would ever go for) but here we are, with no hope for anything but mediocrity.
 
guitarhunterdude said:
People laughed when I thought we should trade Kaprizov and Fiala for value last year and bottom out to get a 1C in the next 2 drafts (yeah, fair enough, a ridiculous proposition that no GM would ever go for) but here we are, with no hope for anything but mediocrity.
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I'm fine with Fiala's return. Faber is going to be an elite top-4 defenseman for the next decade. Just sucks that the Wild didn't have a say in the matter. He had to go. There's no way Leipold would allow GMBG to trade Kaprizov. He's a cash cow.

Rossi is the single biggest key to this team. If he doesn't pan out, it's going to be a huge hit. Projected top-6 center not turning out? Woof.
 
DC4MVP said:
I agree that we need to start getting rid of some of the older "core" players. It's 100% evident that this team isn't something that can make a serious playoff run and while Leipold will still want a competitive team on the ice, we need to trim the roster down.

I'm not going to pretend I know the cap enough to figure out what's realistic but it's clear some players have regressed this season and are turning into dead weight.

If Foligno and Dumba do go, who would you like to see with the "A's".....Kaprizov and Brodin for me.
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I am a big Brodin fan, but he is too passive, for me. JEE and Kap, for me.
 
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Back in the fall I wanted this team to tank before they even started the season. Then half way through the year I was forced to cheer for this team. We all saw this 1st round exit (at best) coming, and I now wish we had a top 10 pick over this really crappy way to end the season. Typical.
 
keppel146 said:
Back in the fall I wanted this team to tank before they even started the season. Then half way through the year I was forced to cheer for this team. We all saw this 1st round exit (at best) coming, and I now wish we had a top 10 pick over this really crappy way to end the season. Typical.
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I will always cheer for this team. No forcing necessary
 
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Next season might be the toughest one IMO, our third pairing will be a problem and injury replacements will be an issue. Middleton will need to improve his game as well, he has not shown enough to be a top 4 lock on a competitive NHL team.

Gus' season will be hard to replicate, our team defense is always going to be better than most, but he was very hot for long stretches this year, there may be more adversity as a starter.

The forward situation is too soon to be clear on without knowing contract talks for the UFAs and RFAs, but its certainly clear, as always, that quality centers are a major need, and we cannot afford an established one. Rossi best case scenario becomes a contributor by the halfway point of next season, but its more likely he is still cooking and years away from being a difference maker. Boldy at Center could be an option if he is open to it and works real hard over the summer, but that seems a bit extreme and only shifts the need from Top 6 C to W with an ELC's worth of cap space to fill it.

Weird situation, the team is likely to take steps back, though there is room for internal development, it would take everything going right to be better than the last two year's teams though.

Still a fun team to watch when they are hot, and I personally like pretty much every player, they play hard and play the right way for the most part, with more creativity in the players than we have had in our previous 20 years of rosters. I will still enjoy watching them and look forward to seeing the continued growth of Kap, Boldy, Faber, JEE and Gus, but my personal expectations are taking a step back from playoffs to bubble team next season pending some Guerin off-season magic. We are also much more susceptible to key injuries completely tanking us due to the cap, it has only hurt us in the playoffs so far, but in the regular season it only takes one of our big contributors out to really destroy our win possibilities.

The prospects had good years this year and seems like players are in good positions for next year too, but not many seem ready to be immediate difference makers besides Faber. Hope that everyone continues to develop well and maybe we see some call ups from the young D men later on in the depth roles. Big years for Beckman and Walker, they will likely have opportunities if they earn them, but I personally do not see true difference makers in either, though maybe a bit more opportunity for Walker. ROR and Hunt will be in line for call ups if they are playing well, Lambos will probably need AHL development to be passable before being an option. My darkhorse player to get some looks by end of season is actually Spacek, I could see him adapting well to the pro-style and being a coaches recommendation, though still more likely he doesn't get consideration until the following season plus.
 
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If I remember correctly a lot of people thought, they would be lucky to make the playoffs, and if they did it would be the last WC. I certainly didn't think they would have had the year they did. BG and Dean have this team heading in the right direction, No moral victory thinking just reality, I look forward to what BG can do with an extra 14 million to play with. The future is looking very good.
 
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Southern Minny said:
If I remember correctly a lot of people thought, they would be lucky to make the playoffs, and if they did it would be the last WC. I certainly didn't think they would have had the year they did. BG and Dean have this team heading in the right direction, No moral victory thinking just reality, I look forward to what BG can do with an extra 14 million to play with. The future is looking very good.
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I think that this relates pretty directly to not thinking that St. Louis was going to take the dive that they did. Same with Nashville, to an extent.
 
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Dr Jan Itor said:
I think that this relates pretty directly to not thinking that St. Louis was going to take the dive that they did. Same with Nashville, to an extent.
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That may be true and if so, I will take the Wilds position over St. Louis and Nashville every time, I don't know their cap situation but I do the Wilds. we will have 14 million more to use in a couple years, we know what we need, I like where we are at.
 
Southern Minny said:
That may be true and if so, I will take the Wilds position over St. Louis and Nashville every time, I don't know their cap situation but I do the Wilds. we will have 14 million more to use in a couple years, we know what we need, I like where we are at.
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Well, STL has 3 first rounders this year, including the #10.

NSH has two 1sts, two 2nds, 3 x 3rds, 3 x 4ths.

They also have very good cap situations because they traded a lot of their salaries(i.e. Granlund, Nino, Ekholm)
 
This team has the potential to be a powerhouse when the cap falls off in the 25-26 season.

Next season is definitely going to be our worst of the Dead Cap era though. Think moving on from pieces you don’t see to be significant contributors in that season is the way to go.

————————————

Fleury isn’t retiring and I find it very unlikely that Guerin is going to buy him out or trade him. Team should be able to fit Gus in, but there isn’t going to be much space to improve the team externally.

Goli can likely be traded to whatever team was dumb enough to be interested in him at the deadline.

Shaw + Duhaime = ~$1.8M total

Kap - Rossi - Zucc
Boldy - Ek - X
Foligno - Gaudreau - Hartman
Shaw - Dewar - Duhaime

Brodin - Faber
Middleton - Spurgeon
Merrill - X

Fleury
X

$9.5M to fill those X’s and have 2 extra skaters.

Gus = $3.5-4M

Beyond that, I’m not sure what route Guerin is going to go. Exploring trades for Zucc + Foligno at the draft is probably the best move.
 
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