Successful Off-season?

[Sharppi]

I have no idea where you got any of that based on what I said.

Not generally directed to you man, just the general negativity around this forum where people mainly just ***** about problems and offer zero solutions.

 

[Billy Mays Here*]

Not generally directed to you man, just the general negativity around this forum where people mainly just ***** about problems and offer zero solutions.

Well I guess I can explain my negativity if it helps. Having very little, if any solutions is the problem, at least right now. Our veterans are all locked into multi-year deals, most if not all of them having some sort of NTC/NMC, so we're pretty much stuck with them. Parise and Suter I'm fine with, and I'm still hopeful Pominville can bounce back a bit, but you all know where I stand on Koivu and Vanek. At the same time we have some talented youth, but none of them are, nor are they likely to develop into the high end guys we need, at least our forwards that is, though I do like the way our defense is shaping up with Scandella, Brodin and Dumba. We didn't suck enough to get those potential game breakers in the draft but we're not quite good enough to go up against a team like the Hawks. I feel we're going to be stuck in this never ending cycle of early playoff exits until most of our veteran players are gone and we can go through a proper rebuild. That's pretty much why I was encouraging the tank when we were plummeting in the standings in December and early January, I feel like if going through two, maybe three years of mediocrity means having eight or more years of success then it's worth it. The fan base may not like it initially, but Minnesota is by far a passionate enough state where the support would come back almost immediately once the team has success again. I give kudos to Toronto because they've finally realized they aren't good enough and are going to do the rebuild the right way now. Not that we're as bad as Toronto though, of course not.

 

[nickschultzfan]

For those who say you are waiting until after free agency you should be voting no. Because you are saying Fletcher needs to do more. If it already is a successful offseason, any depth free agents would be cherries on top rather than a necessary trigger for you making a decision.

 

[Puhis]

I'm OK with this.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Nothing major.

Granlund: 2 x $2.75M per
Haula: 1 x $900k
Leopold: 1 x $750k
Carter: 2 x 900k
Porter (Parise's buddy): 1 x 700k
Prosser (pressbox): 1 x 750k

Parise - Granlund - Pominville
Zucker - Koivu - Fontaine
Vanek - Coyle - Nino
Carter - Haula - Schroeder/Porter

Suter - Brodin
Scandella - Spurgeon
Leopold - Dumba
Prosser

$1.1M in cap space.

 

[Sharppi]

Well I guess I can explain my negativity if it helps. Having very little, if any solutions is the problem, at least right now. Our veterans are all locked into multi-year deals, most if not all of them having some sort of NTC/NMC, so we're pretty much stuck with them. Parise and Suter I'm fine with, and I'm still hopeful Pominville can bounce back a bit, but you all know where I stand on Koivu and Vanek. At the same time we have some talented youth, but none of them are, nor are they likely to develop into the high end guys we need, at least our forwards that is, though I do like the way our defense is shaping up with Scandella, Brodin and Dumba. We didn't suck enough to get those potential game breakers in the draft but we're not quite good enough to go up against a team like the Hawks. I feel we're going to be stuck in this never ending cycle of early playoff exits until most of our veteran players are gone and we can go through a proper rebuild. That's pretty much why I was encouraging the tank when we were plummeting in the standings in December and early January, I feel like if going through two, maybe three years of mediocrity means having eight or more years of success then it's worth it. The fan base may not like it initially, but Minnesota is by far a passionate enough state where the support would come back almost immediately once the team has success again. I give kudos to Toronto because they've finally realized they aren't good enough and are going to do the rebuild the right way now. Not that we're as bad as Toronto though, of course not.

I feel your pain, I do. We all would just love to see our team to win it all.

 

[Jarick]

I would say no.

This is a team that's clearly getting older each year but still lacks high-end talent. The young players that were supposed to be the foundation of the team have shown to be decent, but not foundational players (I mean, would anybody be sad to see Granlund or Coyle go?). And now the prospects that they are drafting with later picks don't appear to be the high-end players the team needs.

Fletcher has been committing a lot of long-term contracts to average/above-average players. Pominville, Coyle, Scandella, Brodin, and now Dubnyk. That's in addition to monster contracts for Parise and Suter that could go sour in five years and a big contract for Koivu that he's never lived up to. I love the mix on defense, but the forwards are almost all middle six tweeners that don't seem to mesh together.

I'm really concerned that Fletcher's going to trade Spurgeon and put kids in the lineup that can't come anywhere close to being as good, and the team's going to be cap-strapped AND bad (like they were during the Havlat/Richards era).

The team is decent and probably good enough to sneak into the playoffs each of the next few years. And maybe that's good enough for some people and for the owners. But this team hasn't come close to winning a banner in the playoffs OR in the regular season, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Maybe it's a better strategy to be decent and hope to get lucky (Los Angeles) than suck and get high picks, which can either work (Chicago) or not (Colorado).

But I'm still not seeing the Wild getting past Chicago without some significant changes. They need a high end center to get more minutes 5v5 and get Koivu into a matchup role. They need major changes on the PP (and Yeo has already admitted that Bruno is coming back AND that Suter will be on the top unit). They still need a go-to clutch goal scorer (maybe Zucker, but Vanek was a bust). I'd be shocked if any of those things changed.

 

[Billy Mays Here*]

Pretty much on par with what I've thought as well Jarick. I don't think anybody can really complain about the defense, it seems to be a mix of veterans and youngsters that is actually working quite well and will continue to improve. The forwards on the other hand just isn't a mix that is a recipe for playoff success and because of all the big contracts handed out, it's going to be next to impossible to make any drastic changes to it. I want this team to have success, but I find it difficult at many times to cheer for a product I know just isn't going to be good enough.

 

[kfan22]

I would say no.

This is a team that's clearly getting older each year but still lacks high-end talent. The young players that were supposed to be the foundation of the team have shown to be decent, but not foundational players (I mean, would anybody be sad to see Granlund or Coyle go?). And now the prospects that they are drafting with later picks don't appear to be the high-end players the team needs.

Fletcher has been committing a lot of long-term contracts to average/above-average players. Pominville, Coyle, Scandella, Brodin, and now Dubnyk. That's in addition to monster contracts for Parise and Suter that could go sour in five years and a big contract for Koivu that he's never lived up to. I love the mix on defense, but the forwards are almost all middle six tweeners that don't seem to mesh together.

I'm really concerned that Fletcher's going to trade Spurgeon and put kids in the lineup that can't come anywhere close to being as good, and the team's going to be cap-strapped AND bad (like they were during the Havlat/Richards era).

The team is decent and probably good enough to sneak into the playoffs each of the next few years. And maybe that's good enough for some people and for the owners. But this team hasn't come close to winning a banner in the playoffs OR in the regular season, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Maybe it's a better strategy to be decent and hope to get lucky (Los Angeles) than suck and get high picks, which can either work (Chicago) or not (Colorado).

But I'm still not seeing the Wild getting past Chicago without some significant changes. They need a high end center to get more minutes 5v5 and get Koivu into a matchup role. They need major changes on the PP (and Yeo has already admitted that Bruno is coming back AND that Suter will be on the top unit). They still need a go-to clutch goal scorer (maybe Zucker, but Vanek was a bust). I'd be shocked if any of those things changed.

most people on this board dont want to give anything up to get one!

 

[Billy Mays Here*]

most people on this board dont want to give anything up to get one!

And we don't even have the cap space to get one anyway with all these awful contracts.

 

[Wild11MN]

I would say no.

This is a team that's clearly getting older each year but still lacks high-end talent. The young players that were supposed to be the foundation of the team have shown to be decent, but not foundational players (I mean, would anybody be sad to see Granlund or Coyle go?). And now the prospects that they are drafting with later picks don't appear to be the high-end players the team needs.

No kidding, they're later picks for a reason. It's not easy to get lucky and hit a jackpot with a 5th round pick.

Unless you just mean in recent years, but again, we're getting the types of players you would expect in the 20 range.

 

[Engebretson]

I don't think it's been a failure so far, but I'd like to see how our lineup starts shaking out after Free Agency before I call it a success.

 

[MuckOG]

I would say no.

And now the prospects that they are drafting with later picks don't appear to be the high-end players the team needs.

.

Kaprizov? Isn't he the boom or bust high-end, dynamic later round pick that everyone's been clamoring for?

 

[gwh]

-Read alot about EK and like the pick more each day, i think he has that consistent 60pt-70pt strong two-way player potential, with the goal scorer mentality.

What have you been smoking? That is higher than Parise/Kane this year and beats Kesler by whopping 15 points.

Even Bergeron got only 55points...

How about a little realism for 2-way later 1st rounder?

 

[Dee Oh Cee]

Sounds like Greenway is EXTREMELY boom or bust too.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

What have you been smoking? That is higher than Parise/Kane this year and beats Kesler by whopping 15 points.

Even Bergeron got only 55points...

How about a little realism for 2-way later 1st rounder?

Kane only played in 61 games, and Kesler/Parise are 30 years old, not 25.

I think 30-30 is definitely within the ballpark of higher end expectations.

 

[57special]

Nothing major.

Granlund: 2 x $2.75M per
Haula: 1 x $900k
Leopold: 1 x $750k
Carter: 2 x 900k
Porter (Parise's buddy): 1 x 700k
Prosser (pressbox): 1 x 750k

Parise - Granlund - Pominville
Zucker - Koivu - Fontaine
Vanek - Coyle - Nino
Carter - Haula - Schroeder/Porter

Suter - Brodin
Scandella - Spurgeon
Leopold - Dumba
Prosser

$1.1M in cap space.

No Folin? I'd take him over Prosser anyday.

 

[57special]

The only thing that really bothers me so far is the rehiring of Bruno, and the commitment to the same personnel on the PP as last year. Was Dumba at the end of the year a mirage? Nino also?

Is Yeo that stubborn?

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

No Folin? I'd take him over Prosser anyday.

Me too, if either of them are playing. I'd much rather have Prosser take the pressbox time and have Folin play #1 minutes in Iowa. Folin/Labbe/Reilly/Oloffson is a pretty good defensive group down there. Might go a long way to have them not be a tire fire this year.

 

[MuckOG]

No Folin? I'd take him over Prosser anyday.

I'd re-sign Leopold before Prosser.

 

[gphr513]

I think, all things considered, it's been pretty successful. I feel like trading for a legit 1C is just not realistic because you'd have to break the bank to get one.

The draft is obviously not really something we can grade at this point, but I think the Dubnyk deal was pretty fair for both sides. And then assuming the RFAs get signed, along with the Reilly signing. All in all, pretty solid.

 

[Jesus comma Brodin]

I don't think I would classify it as successful nor would I call it poor either. I am okay with the Dubnyk deal overall, 6 years is too long IMO but the money is a steal when looking at it compared to other goalies. I know we all wanted 3-4 years at ~$4M per but there is a reason why it is called a negotiation. Dubnyk compromised on money (would have possibly fetched $5M+ on the open market) therefore we compromised on the term.

Good work on Chuckle's to land Reilly. Cool. But is going to improve the team to be more successful comes playoffs?

Erikkson Ek is a nice pick with some potential upside to be a great center in this league. IMO we need a younger player (or 3) who has a knack for scoring goals and naturally gifted at finding the back of the net.

But while our "core" (Parise, Pommer, Vanek, Suter, etc.) age, we have done zero to improve for the playoffs next season. We will roll into the 2016 playoffs with nothing different from a team that has 3 consecutive losses in the 2nd round. Something needs to improve whether it's coaching or personnel, we have yet to do anything to improve for the part of the season where it only matters, which is the post season. Therefore, we have not had a successful off-season IMO.

 

[gphr513]

But while our "core" (Parise, Pommer, Vanek, Suter, etc.) age, we have done zero to improve for the playoffs next season. We will roll into the 2016 playoffs with nothing different from a team that has 3 consecutive losses in the 2nd round. Something needs to improve whether it's coaching or personnel, we have yet to do anything to improve for the part of the season where it only matters, which is the post season. Therefore, we have not had a successful off-season IMO.

This is definitely frustrating.

I guess we'll just have to hope for a few guys in the Granlund, Coyle, Nino, Zucker group to take some significant steps forward.

 

[Jarick]

Sorry, by "later picks" I meant late first rounders (Tuch, Ek). Projected second liners.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

This is definitely frustrating.

I guess we'll just have to hope for a few guys in the Granlund, Coyle, Nino, Zucker group to take some significant steps forward.

At the ages that they are at, we should expect them to. Internal improvement is still improvement, and can affect a team just as much as a big free agent signing.