I was pretty certain Boeser was a lock for Wild this off season but after readin Russo's latest mailbag it sounds like he may only be an option if Rossi is traded or not signed. hes making it seem like Brock Nelson is the Main target, Nelson is nice but hes 33, Id take him for this season but I dont think I want him beyond this year, would prefer to get younger.
Minnesota Wild General Discussion 2024-25
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I like Nelson as a fit. Good on the PK, versatile and a finisher. But he’s not great on the dot and like you I worry about decline.
I’m not sold on Boeser either. He will be more expensive than people think and he’s a bit slow and has a lot of wear and tear. He would be awesome on the PP though, that’s for sure.
To kind of piggyback off the topic being discussed in the GDT, does anyone think there might be a possibility that one of Brodin/Spurgeon is traded this offseason?
Spurgeon has a 10 team no trade.
From what I can find, Brodin doesn’t have any trade protection after this year.
Spurgeon has a 10 team no trade.
From what I can find, Brodin doesn’t have any trade protection after this year.
Dr Jan Itor
Registered User
Spurgeon
Registered User
Unless Nelson is signing for well below his FMV, I’m not interested.
If the cap could actually go up to $95-97M next year (mentioned in the article), then I’m more interested in them targeting someone like Ehlers.
- Dec 10, 2012
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I don't see how they target any high value players in their prime. Even with the cap going up, we need to save room for the players we need to sign. And we only have so many roster spots for prospects too, so it doesn't make sense to target guys like Boeser and Ehlers who are going to get overpaid on long term deals.
- Dec 10, 2012
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Hypothetically, potentially, if things go right next season:
Kaprizov-Rossi-Zuccarello
Ohgren-Ek-Boldy
Gaudreau-Yurov-Hartman
Foligno-Khusnutdinov-Trenin
Lauko
Middleton-Faber
Brodin-Jiricek
Buium-Spurgeon
Bogosian
Gustavsson
Wallstedt
Kaprizov-Rossi-Zuccarello
Ohgren-Ek-Boldy
Gaudreau-Yurov-Hartman
Foligno-Khusnutdinov-Trenin
Lauko
Middleton-Faber
Brodin-Jiricek
Buium-Spurgeon
Bogosian
Gustavsson
Wallstedt
- I see the end of the season being pretty big for determining offseason plans. If Buium looks great (not good, not serviceable, but great) in the NHL, I can see them trading Chisholm this summer.
- But just as likely, I could see them keeping Chisholm and putting Buium and/or Jiricek back in the AHL next year.
- Johansson is a UFA so you let him walk, ezpz
- I don't know how safe an assumption this is, but I am assuming both Ohgren and Yurov will make the NHL team. Ohgren because that's the next step for him, Yurov because he's not coming over to play in Iowa, same as Khusnutdinov. But obviously the actual lines themselves could look different.
- I don't think you need to trade anyone, Lauko and Trenin can rotate that 12th forward spot, and there will be injuries
- But likewise, don't see the point in signing anyone in free agency unless it's a top six winger and it's short term (which may be why they like Brock Nelson). But if you do sign Nelson, you will have to trade someone (my hope is for Trenin, but that feels like a longshot).
Dr Jan Itor
Registered User
- Dec 10, 2012
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That's all they like to carry if they can help it. But I understand your point. I guess I'm just not sure who else would be scratched if they were to sign Nelson. Won't be Foligno. Could be Khusnutdinov, Yurov or Ohgren, but then why have them here at all. Hartman? I still think he's too useful to be healthy scratched. Trenin? My preconceived biases won't allow me to envision that.
Also not really convinced that the 23rd wouldn't be Chisholm, given what our defense has gone through this season, so that still wouldn't allow us to sign someone.
Spurgeon
Registered User
That roster still has $5.5-$6.5M in cap space with even just a $93M salary cap. If the salary cap is $96M, I feel like they have to take advantage of that situation. Our team is structured in a way where I think we can comfortably fit another expensive long-term UFA without it impacting our ability to re-sign anyone. I’m not saying they should just sign someone because they can, but they should take advantage of their free cap space while they’re competitive.
These are the contracts that expire following the listed seasons:
25-26: Kap, Zucc, Bogosian, Gus, Jiricek
26-27: Spurgeon, Hartman, Ohgren, Yurov, Wallstedt, Buium (?)
27-28: Brodin, Foligno, Trenin, Gaudreau, Buium (?)
BagHead
Registered User
Though his body of work for Minnesota heavily weighs against him still, he has been much better in the last 3-5 games or so. He'll never be a scorer or anything, but he's been filling his role well very recently. It's made me hopeful that he's found his place and game on his new team.
- Dec 10, 2012
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Really good point, and you're absolutely correct, but my opinion is already too deeply entrenched, and he'll have to score the GWG in game 7 of the Cup finals to change my mind.
Dr Jan Itor
Registered User
Our proper 4th line next year will cost $9.6 million, and we'll probably be $7M under the cap, AND we'll still probably be pretty good. Weird.
It will be impossible to win on any meaningful level with Zucc in the top 6. Unless he’s on some heater with Kap he’s pretty useless by mid point if the season when he’s worn down.
Dr Jan Itor
Registered User
Credit where due, he has 14 points in the last 12 without Kaprizov, with 9 at even strength and >2 shots per game.
We didn't trade Koivu until his contract was almost up, Spurgeon is in the same boat. Brodin is still useful.
BagHead
Registered User
We didn't trade Koivu even then. Like you, I doubt we'll trade Spurgeon, but if we were going to trade a single defenseman, he'd be my choice. He's old enough and injured often enough that I don't find him dependable. He's still got the goods when healthy, but he's been less healthy in recent years, and he wasn't the model of durability even before that.
I’m against trading Spurgeon. His age and injury history crater his trade value and he’s very good when healthy, and at the end of the day, still a captain. If he’s your 4D, you have an elite blueline.
If we do move him, it’d ideally be for a pure shutdown guy with some snarl. But those guys tend to be expensive.
If we do move him, it’d ideally be for a pure shutdown guy with some snarl. But those guys tend to be expensive.
I don't think it makes sense to move Brodin, unless we get something pretty impressive coming back. As good as Middleton has been playing this year, he is a middle pairing guy, who can't defend speed very well, and is limited in the breakout game. Also, Brodin's 6M cap hit will seem more and more reasonable as the cap continues to climb. Buium might end up as a 1st pairing guy, but he will likely need 2-3 years of seasoning and being sheltered, and with Jiricek also needing the same, losing a defensive rock like Brodin could hurt us.
Spurgeon, OTOH, is a different case. Faber is a direct replacement as #1RD now, not at some hypothetical future date. While Spurgeon is better than anything else we have at #2 RD right now, a combination of Bogo, Jiricek, Spacek, and a LHD (chisholm/Brodin) playing on the offside can fill in for him. Spurgeon is more expensive than Brodin, and his body seems to be falling apart a bit. While he is respected in the dressing room, and loved by management, there comes a time to be a cold hearted SOB and trade the guy if there is a deal to be made. That extra 7.5M in cap space(replaced by ELC Jiricek, or RFA Chisholm $$)would come in very handy.
Middleton - Faber
Brodin - Jiricek
Buium - Bogo
Chisholm
The above is not too bad. A lot depends on how Buium and Jiricek pan out, of course, but it's well past time that we stop stockpiling D talent and get some depth up front for a change, instead of trotting out players like Johansson/ Hartman/Foligno/Rask/Gaudreau and pretending like they are top 6 options.
To be clear, I am a Spurgeon lover. I think he is, or has been a terrific player for us. I just think that all well run teams have a hint of ruthlessness in the FO, and must think of the future rather than dwell on what a player has done in the past. Paraphrasing one of the all time great GM's, "It's better to trade a guy a year too early, than a year too late."
Spurgeon, OTOH, is a different case. Faber is a direct replacement as #1RD now, not at some hypothetical future date. While Spurgeon is better than anything else we have at #2 RD right now, a combination of Bogo, Jiricek, Spacek, and a LHD (chisholm/Brodin) playing on the offside can fill in for him. Spurgeon is more expensive than Brodin, and his body seems to be falling apart a bit. While he is respected in the dressing room, and loved by management, there comes a time to be a cold hearted SOB and trade the guy if there is a deal to be made. That extra 7.5M in cap space(replaced by ELC Jiricek, or RFA Chisholm $$)would come in very handy.
Middleton - Faber
Brodin - Jiricek
Buium - Bogo
Chisholm
The above is not too bad. A lot depends on how Buium and Jiricek pan out, of course, but it's well past time that we stop stockpiling D talent and get some depth up front for a change, instead of trotting out players like Johansson/ Hartman/Foligno/Rask/Gaudreau and pretending like they are top 6 options.
To be clear, I am a Spurgeon lover. I think he is, or has been a terrific player for us. I just think that all well run teams have a hint of ruthlessness in the FO, and must think of the future rather than dwell on what a player has done in the past. Paraphrasing one of the all time great GM's, "It's better to trade a guy a year too early, than a year too late."
Spurgeon
Registered User
There’s rumors of the cap going to $110M for the 26-27 season. If that ends up being the case, I think we’re going to have our best chance at a cup during that season.
It’s also why I think getting ahead of things and taking a chance on a UFA in this upcoming class may make the most sense. Contracts are going to inflate heavily in the next couple seasons, which is another reason it would’ve been really nice if Rossi was already locked up long-term.
