Minnesota Wild General Discussion 2024-25

[Wabit]

Russo late night drop alluding to Spurgeon dealing with a setback related to his injuries from last season. Huge blow if true. You gotta wonder if he starts to look at being an LTIR candidate moving forward. We can’t afford to keep throwing away another 7.5M every year.

Russo article

The article has a lot of speculation from Russo. It reads more like an opinion piece than his normal hockey reporting articles. There is a lot of fluff in it too.

This is even the opening line:

First, to be fair, we don’t know what’s going on yet with Jared Spurgeon.

 

[NHL1674]

If it IS the same injury, then he needs to be put on LTIR. We can't afford to deal with this on and off all freaking year again.

 

[MuckOG]

My apologies in advance if this comes off as a stupid question....but when Wallstedt gets reassigned to Iowa, and the team knows it will be only for 1 day, does he need to physically report to the Iowa team in Des Moines, or do they just take him off the active roster and he can sit at home and watch the game on tv?

 

[Saga of the Elk]

My apologies in advance if this comes off as a stupid question....but when Wallstedt gets reassigned to Iowa, and the team knows it will be only for 1 day, does he need to physically report to the Iowa team in Des Moines, or do they just take him off the active roster and he can sit at home and watch the game on tv?

He can chill unless they're planning to play him.

Remember when Vancouver's AHL affiliate was in Utica, New York?

 

[57special]

I mean, Wallstedt needs to get some games, somewhere, doesn't he? How is he going to stay sharp?

 

[Digitalbooya]

When he played last year, he was playing 23 a night. Hasn't averaged under 21 since his rookie year.

I'm very much more pro-Spurgeon than others on here, so I'm pretty optimistic about him being able to effectively ride out the rest of the contract at the ~20 minute mark.

(Stolen from the Buium thread and moved here to stay on topic)

This is one of the times that I hope you are right. But, if Spurgeon’s current setback has to do with his surgeries/etc from last season, I do not feel confident going forward.

 

[Wabit]

I mean, Wallstedt needs to get some games, somewhere, doesn't he? How is he going to stay sharp?

I don't see him being recalled until they know what's going on with Spurgeon. They really need to have a pressbox d-man.

 

[57special]

I don't understand how we are so bad on the PK. I don't think it's a personnel problem, but more of a coaching problem. Right now we are close to being as bad as we were last year, when we were worst in the league.

 

[Wabit]

I don't understand how we are so bad on the PK. I don't think it's a personnel problem, but more of a coaching problem. Right now we are close to being as bad as we were last year, when we were worst in the league.

I agree that coaching is a problem. I question the choice of PKers the team uses.

 

[NHL1674]

I don't understand how we are so bad on the PK. I don't think it's a personnel problem, but more of a coaching problem. Right now we are close to being as bad as we were last year, when we were worst in the league.

It's a good thing we completely bypassed a proper search for a new coach, so we could simply hire a friend.

 

[Webster]

Can't be unhappy with 4 points in 3 games, without Ek and Spurgeon in one of them.

But I don't understand why they re-signed a goalie who's 40 next month. Wallstedt must be frustrated, he should be on the team by now as the backup for Gus.

 

[MuckOG]

Can't be unhappy with 4 points in 3 games, without Ek and Spurgeon in one of them.

But I don't understand why they re-signed a goalie who's 40 next month. Wallstedt must be frustrated, he should be on the team by now as the backup for Gus.

That re-signing does gum up the process, that's for sure.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

I agree that coaching is a problem. I question the choice of PKers the team uses.

The coaches seem slow to react to things. That goal at the end of the first last game should never happen. It was like they had no idea why Winnipeg's goalie was leaving the ice, who the possible right-handed shot off the faceoff might be, and how to defend it. Bada bing bada boom, you give up a cheap one, and ultimately a lost point to a division rival.

 

[AKL]

That re-signing does gum up the process, that's for sure.

Well the re-signing, the situation we're in with the goalies now, that was their plan. This is what they wanted.

 

[Digitalbooya]

Well the re-signing, the situation we're in with the goalies now, that was their plan. This is what they wanted.

I actually think their plan was to trade Gus and run Fleury-Wallstedt. Which is so much worse than what they should have done (let Fleury walk/retire and run Gus/Wallstedt).

Shout out to the teams that said no to trading for Gus.

 

[AKL]

I actually think their plan was to trade Gus and run Fleury-Wallstedt. Which is so much worse than what they should have done (let Fleury walk/retire and run Gus/Wallstedt).

Shout out to the teams that said no to trading for Gus.

Speculation about trading Gus aside, they still chose to come into the season trying to carry three goalies full time. They could have just as easily put Wallstedt back in Iowa and only recalled him when they were otherwise healthy and were actually planning on playing him.

For all the talk we have around here of these prospects needing to earn roster spots, and if they're not ready then they're not ready and can stay in Iowa, (guys like Rossi, Hunt as examples, and it's all valid, they should have to earn those spots) they're simply handing an NHL roster spot to the one guy it makes the least sense to hand a roster spot to.

Not saying I don't want Wallstedt here or I don't think he's capable (frankly, given his lack of experience, I don't actually know if he's capable or not), but they're bending over backwards and shooting themselves in the foot to make it happen. Why?

 

[AKL]

And if the idea was that Fleury was mainly supposed to be a mentor this season, why not give Wallstedt the Seattle game to see how he does as the backup and let Fleury get to mentoring?

 

[Sweetnut]

MAF should show some self awareness and just retire if his play keeps getting worse. I know he's only played one game so far, but he wasn't very good pre season either.
But I don't think he will do that, he will hang in there for as long as he can while delaying Wallsteds development.
Wall needs to play, NHL or AHL

 

[57special]

MAF should show some self awareness and just retire if his play keeps getting worse. I know he's only played one game so far, but he wasn't very good pre season either.
But I don't think he will do that, he will hang in there for as long as he can while delaying Wallsteds development.
Wall needs to play, NHL or AHL

That simply isn't going to happen. Like most players, he will be dragged kicking and screaming from the NHL. It's Guerin's fault for lionizing MAF, and partly the local media's for enabling him. Guerin simply can't seem to grasp that players decline as they age.