I'm not really expecting much. My hopes lie with the kids being able to show up or improve.
Minnesota Wild General Discussion 2024-25
- Thread starter TaLoN
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I'm not really expecting much. My hopes lie with the kids being able to show up or improve.
Dr Jan Itor
Registered User
Faber hasn't had a good 2nd season. His saving grace is that the big money hasn't kicked in yet.
Agree on Celebrini though; a nice USA-developed product.
Faber has had a disappointing season for sure but some of that is based on us expecting more progression from what was already top pairing caliber of play. The bottom line is he’s in his 2nd year and is playing 25 minutes per night against every other teams top deployments. He won’t peak for another 4-5 years and I’m excited to see what his ceiling is.
Bedard looks now and has always looked like an undersized one dimensional offensive zone floater ….granted he’s electric when he gets in the ozone and has time and space but really he’s like a younger more talented version of Zucc with less grit somehow and a 20x better shot.
- Mar 19, 2023
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A handful of games left, next up is Dallas at home on sunday. The rest is actually quite winnable if they can get any help from Kap. Sharks at home, then a western Canada trip vs Flames and Canucks and the last game at home vs Ducks. I think they make it in the end.
Those Flames and Canucks games.....uff-da. We're gonna make it come down to those games, aren't we?
Good to see you back!
I have to say, it's pretty hard to cheer for this team the way things are now. The malaise I feel for them is not yet in Twin's territory, but it's getting close.
Dr Jan Itor
Registered User
Need Kap and Ek for these ones, and we'd have Zeev if the NCAA didn't do the dumb one week lag.
Wild need minimum 5 out of the last 10 points. That means beat the sharks and ducks which isn’t a guarantee and then steal one point off the games against Dallas , Flames or Nucks. Thats a tall order.
The flames have 2 games in hand and an easier schedule but we own the tie breaker.
I don’t think the flames can get it done but we will make it in because they couldn’t close out , not because we did what we needed at the end.
The Wild will head into the playoffs backwards and be taking on the #1 seed.
It’s like walking into the caff at a super max prison after having eaten mush and stale break for 20 years straight knowing you’ll be eating mush and stale bread that day and every day that follows. Zero hope for anything different.
Minnesota sports
The flames have 2 games in hand and an easier schedule but we own the tie breaker.
I don’t think the flames can get it done but we will make it in because they couldn’t close out , not because we did what we needed at the end.
The Wild will head into the playoffs backwards and be taking on the #1 seed.
It’s like walking into the caff at a super max prison after having eaten mush and stale break for 20 years straight knowing you’ll be eating mush and stale bread that day and every day that follows. Zero hope for anything different.
Minnesota sports
- Mar 19, 2023
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Thank you, sir. Good to be back in the loop again. I thought I was running at least ok in the guessing game, then they kicked me out. Oh well.
Why the hell didn't Guerin put Ek and Kaprizov on LTIR and try and get someone else at the deadline with the added cap space?
Well if kap comes back Wednesday I'm fine with him not being LTIR but ek sounds like last game of the season. If that's the case he should have been. The question is who would have really saved us. I think he didn't want to give up more assets that can be used in a bigger trade this summer
BagHead
Registered User
From the team's standpoint it's because then those players have to stay out until the playoffs no matter what. Also, it's an ethically grey thing to do, at best.
From a player standpoint, some are probably fine with it, but many actually enjoy playing the games rather than getting paid not to. Remember, for a guy like Kaprizov who will be entering into his biggest contract of his career this off-season (or next, god help us), not playing games is pretty damaging to his future contract value. I imagine he'd be pissed about being healthy enough to play but still being on LTIR.
In the 6? years GMBG has been in charge, he hasn't brought in any outside FWD that should be any higher in the lineup than the 3rd line.
These are his current FWD additions to the team:
Marjo (x2), Nyqvist (x2), Rossi (draft), Freddy G, Trenin, random 4th line stuff.
He signed Kaprizov to his ELC.
Guerin has been building through the draft, something fans used to beg the Wild organization to do. Now we are seeing the flip side.
He signed Boldy to his ELC too, but they were both already in the pool. I don't count that as an outside addition. Boldy is probably the bigger signing imo, because he had the college FA route out of playing for MN. Kap didn't have that route, because MN could have held his NHL signing rights forever.
If Calgary goes 6-0, they would have 97 points. We currently sit at 91 points. 3 wins guarantees us a spot. 2 wins likely gets us into the playoffs.
Dr Jan Itor
Registered User
Building through the draft is fine, but it requires you to hit on more than just 1st round picks or it's going to take forever.
AKL
Danila Yurov Fan Club President
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Especially when you consider some of those first round picks are Lambos, Stramel, Wallstedt?
AKL
Danila Yurov Fan Club President
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For the last few years I've thought a good litmus test for Guerin and his strategy would be Arizona/Utah long term. Bill Armstrong took over as GM there in September 2020, Guerin took over as GM here in August 2019, and bought out Parise and Suter in July 2021. So they kinda started their plans around the same time.
Armstrong took more of a tear it down and rebuild through draft picks approach, Guerin kinda went with a build through the draft approach and he did acquire some extra picks, but he was much more focused on trying to maintain a competitive product. Both guys value size.
Obviously Guerin is currently ahead, but he also started ahead, and Utah doesn't have a Kaprizov to mask a lot of their issues like Minnesota does.
But now I look at Utah not really that far behind in the standings, and I look at their young players in Guenther and Cooley, and they're ahead of where Boldy and Rossi were at the same age. And I look at some of their other younger players like Hayton (who's still only 24), Maccelli (23), Doan (23); and prospects like Lamoureux, Simashev, But, Iginla. They've obviously had more quantity than us, they may very well have more quality than us. And they still have more draft capital than we do coming up.
I get why tear down rebuilds aren't popular, but that comparison is definitely something I'm keeping an eye on in the coming years. Especially if Kaprizov doesn't extend here.
Armstrong took more of a tear it down and rebuild through draft picks approach, Guerin kinda went with a build through the draft approach and he did acquire some extra picks, but he was much more focused on trying to maintain a competitive product. Both guys value size.
Obviously Guerin is currently ahead, but he also started ahead, and Utah doesn't have a Kaprizov to mask a lot of their issues like Minnesota does.
But now I look at Utah not really that far behind in the standings, and I look at their young players in Guenther and Cooley, and they're ahead of where Boldy and Rossi were at the same age. And I look at some of their other younger players like Hayton (who's still only 24), Maccelli (23), Doan (23); and prospects like Lamoureux, Simashev, But, Iginla. They've obviously had more quantity than us, they may very well have more quality than us. And they still have more draft capital than we do coming up.
I get why tear down rebuilds aren't popular, but that comparison is definitely something I'm keeping an eye on in the coming years. Especially if Kaprizov doesn't extend here.
Two things....
1. It would really, really be ideal for this team to secure a spot asap, so we can afford to give Fleury one more game. We will run with Gus if we make the playoffs, but you don't want Fleury THAT rusty in case he is needed. Plus, he's retiring. Ya gotta give him that final start.
2. Should we secure a spot with a game or two left, do you let Kaprizov play and get the practice? Or do you sit him to avoid an unnecessary injury in a meaningless game?
1. It would really, really be ideal for this team to secure a spot asap, so we can afford to give Fleury one more game. We will run with Gus if we make the playoffs, but you don't want Fleury THAT rusty in case he is needed. Plus, he's retiring. Ya gotta give him that final start.
2. Should we secure a spot with a game or two left, do you let Kaprizov play and get the practice? Or do you sit him to avoid an unnecessary injury in a meaningless game?
