RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (Full Version)

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TJSweens -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (11/16/2020 1:11:15 PM)

As always, I am in the minority on this one. I thought the old North Stars jerseys were just scab on the ass ugly.

I am with the majority in believing the Wild name and uniforms have been uniformly bad.

Oddly the old North Star colors on the Wild uniforms don't look too awfully bad.




Jeff Jesser -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (11/16/2020 2:09:48 PM)

I love em. Gave me chills when I saw it.




SoMnFan -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (11/17/2020 10:52:20 AM)


24. Minnesota Wild
2021 Stanley Cup odds: +5000

One of the busiest GMs in the league this offseason was Bill Guerin, who is doing major roster reconstruction and might not be done yet. He would have been remiss not to upgrade goaltending, especially with so many options available. Signing Cam Talbot (three years, $11 million) is a solid piece of business.


25. Chicago Blackhawks
2021 Stanley Cup odds: +5000

To be fair, there's not much that Blackhawks fans liked about this offseason, as management finally admitted it is undergoing a rebuild (which has irked some of the team's veterans). It didn't get a lot of attention, but bringing in defenseman Nikita Zadorov as a complement to either Adam Boqvist or Ian Mitchell is a decent move to help with the transition.


Figured I might as well post yours, too, joe, since we are joined at the hip [&:]
Latest off-season power rankings
Can't argue until we prove them wrong.
Nowhere to go but up, basically.
These are no-mans-land spots




Jeff Jesser -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (11/17/2020 10:57:47 AM)

2 things you NEVER want to hear about your team:


One of the busiest GMs in the league this offseason was 'x'

but bringing in defenseman 'x' as a complement to either 'y' or 'z' is a decent move to help with the transition.




TJSweens -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (11/17/2020 11:18:46 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jeff Jesser

2 things you NEVER want to hear about your team:


One of the busiest GMs in the league this offseason was 'x'

but bringing in defenseman 'x' as a complement to either 'y' or 'z' is a decent move to help with the transition.

Yep. Let's just hope all the roster changing (and I hope it's not done yet) leads to many future off seasons where we just make one or two meaningful moves that don't involve rolling the dice on someone who maybe just needs a change of scenery.

You're right. You don't want to hear that as a rule, but this year with this roster, it was a good thing.




SoMnFan -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (11/24/2020 8:01:53 AM)

Best and Worst contracts on each team.


Minnesota Wild
Best: Kevin Fiala, 24, RW
$3 million through 2020-21

Fiala was trending toward being a bust when the Predators unceremoniously moved on from their former top-15 draft pick before his 23rd birthday. A fresh start did the winger wonders, and so did a coaching change this past season, which had Fiala reaching new heights. Fiala was a point-per-game player the last three months of the season, thriving under Dean Evason's system while dazzling with a few highlight-reel goals. This contract now looks like a steal for a top-line winger. However, Fiala is due for a new one -- and probably a huge raise -- next offseason.

Worst: Mats Zuccarello, 33, RW
$6 million through 2023-24, no-movement clause

The moment this contract was handed out, it felt like a mistake. It's no knock on the player; it's a look at how beloved Zuccarello was as a New York Ranger, as he led the team in scoring four times. However, the Wild needed to rebuild and get younger, and instead, then-GM Paul Fenton offered a 32-year-old a five-year deal with a no-movement clause. Zuccarello struggled in his first season in Minnesota (37 points in 65 games), and his contract will always be tied to Fenton's bizarre, 14-month tenure in charge of this team.




Phil Riewer -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (11/24/2020 4:30:02 PM)

Anyone see the proposed realignment? Colorado, LV, Dallas, Anaheim, SJ, LA, Arizona...only one team on CDT. Going to be some late games.




SoMnFan -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (12/2/2020 8:03:43 AM)

I hate doing this to myself, but after some research last night
I actually like this team
I see some real improvements
I see two elite forwards for the first time
I see a true NHL starting goalie
I see our best players being at the right ages
I see a solid coach with a plan
Just our luck, we aren't sure if we will ever see them play.




SoMnFan -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (12/2/2020 8:05:57 AM)

Here's a fun game I started with my clan last night

Who will be the Captain of this team?

I've gotten a plethora of guesses, its that wide open

Votes for
Suter
Parise
Spurgeon
Fiala

My guess is Foligno, he seems the best combo of the needed qualities.




TJSweens -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (12/2/2020 8:29:13 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: SoMnFan

I hate doing this to myself, but after some research last night
I actually like this team
I see some real improvements
I see two elite forwards for the first time
I see a true NHL starting goalie
I see our best players being at the right ages
I see a solid coach with a plan

Sssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Keep it down you bonehead!




TJSweens -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (12/2/2020 8:30:04 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: SoMnFan

Here's a fun game I started with my clan last night

Who will be the Captain of this team?

I've gotten a plethora of guesses, its that wide open

Votes for
Suter
Parise
Spurgeon
Fiala

My guess is Foligno, he seems the best combo of the needed qualities.

From what I have heard, Spurgeon is pretty much a lock.




kevinemmer -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (12/2/2020 9:28:35 AM)

Just so glad it isn't #9!

How long was that title miscast? About 7 years?

Sign of our futility over that period.




SoMnFan -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (12/2/2020 9:36:43 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: TJSweens

quote:

ORIGINAL: SoMnFan

Here's a fun game I started with my clan last night

Who will be the Captain of this team?

I've gotten a plethora of guesses, its that wide open

Votes for
Suter
Parise
Spurgeon
Fiala

My guess is Foligno, he seems the best combo of the needed qualities.

From what I have heard, Spurgeon is pretty much a lock.

Believe it or not, I don't agree with that
Spurg is the best to me, but NOT a captain
Just my opinion.
He's also got his hands full, without that added load.
And it IS a load.
Its a bigger thing than most people think it is, at every level.
You can look up captains on every good or bad team in history and 95% of the time, you will go ..... ahhhh, yeah, that makes sense.




SoMnFan -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (12/2/2020 9:54:27 AM)

case in point ... as Kevin points out, look who was the Wilds captain during this recent era


Historians can look back at that years form now, and they will go, "YUP, now I get it"
When discussing our results.
Because they will look at it objectively, and not as jock-sniffers.




Jeff Jesser -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (12/2/2020 9:59:00 AM)

Agree. Spurg doesn't have the right personality. It's not a fault. Just a fact. We've never handled it correctly. Gave 9 the title before he touched the ice and gave Parise and Suter the "A" in similar fashion.

It can't be given it has to be earned.




SoMnFan -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (12/2/2020 10:02:01 AM)

Zactly Jeff

I think Foligno has, but may be too much of a clown.
Just not sure he is good enough to be a 5-6 year lock-on-a-roster type guy
But then again, that might be what we need.
We do have a couple guys who take themselves way too seriously around here




TJSweens -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (12/2/2020 11:42:27 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: SoMnFan

quote:

ORIGINAL: TJSweens

quote:

ORIGINAL: SoMnFan

Here's a fun game I started with my clan last night

Who will be the Captain of this team?

I've gotten a plethora of guesses, its that wide open

Votes for
Suter
Parise
Spurgeon
Fiala

My guess is Foligno, he seems the best combo of the needed qualities.

From what I have heard, Spurgeon is pretty much a lock.

Believe it or not, I don't agree with that
Spurg is the best to me, but NOT a captain
Just my opinion.
He's also got his hands full, without that added load.
And it IS a load.
Its a bigger thing than most people think it is, at every level.
You can look up captains on every good or bad team in history and 95% of the time, you will go ..... ahhhh, yeah, that makes sense.

I don't know. The basis for the rumors are that the players themselves really viewed Spurgeon as their leader even though they really respected Mikko and Suter.




TJSweens -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (12/4/2020 10:50:16 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: TJSweens

quote:

ORIGINAL: SoMnFan

I hate doing this to myself, but after some research last night
I actually like this team
I see some real improvements
I see two elite forwards for the first time
I see a true NHL starting goalie
I see our best players being at the right ages
I see a solid coach with a plan

Sssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Keep it down you bonehead!

Alright, truth be told, I feel the same way. When I have too much time on my hands, which is quite often during pandemic times, I actually catch myself going over line combinations in my head. I haven't done that since the North Stars were here.

Kaprizov and Fiala look like a bonified NHL top line pairing. At least on paper. I'm pretty stoked about Rossi's chances. He is heading to the world tournament this month and will still get a chance to make the roster if the tournament runs into camp. I get the sense that they aren't going to waste any time putting him into the lineup.




TJSweens -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (12/8/2020 9:36:02 AM)

Have the Minnesota Wild Found First Line of the Future?

by Joey Awaijane21 hours ago Follow @paladinolive

Within a year or two, Minnesota Wild fans may finally be witnessing the first legitimate top-line in franchise history.

Sure, the Wild have had a few top-line skaters over the years, but can we truly say they’ve ever had a number one center? Have they ever had three genuine top-line skaters on the ice together on a regular basis?

With the acquisition of Kevin Fiala from the much-maligned Paul Fenton, the long-awaited arrival of Kirill Kaprizov, thanks to Chuck Fletcher taking him in the 5th round of the 2015 draft and Bill Guerin getting his Signature on a contract, and the drafting of the highly touted Marco Rossi by future St. Paul Mayor and current Wild GM Bill Guerin.

Of course, I’m kidding about Bill Guerin being mayor of St. Paul (he may take a run for Governor of the State of Hockey though), but is there any doubt that he would win in a landslide if he ran? Alright, no more half-joking politics from me in this column.

One thing to think about is, how ironic it would be that if the Wild finally have assembled their first real top line, that it would have taken three different GMs to ultimately put it together!

Kevin Fiala, who is the senior member of this group in age and NHL experience at 24, though he shoots left, is very comfortable and played his breakout season last year on the right-wing.

Fiala, after a slow start last year looked like a franchise capable winger, not just a top 6 guy, and has the swagger, skating ability, shot, and stick handling of someone who many would consider the best player on the team, not only last year, but for many years down the line, not just on a talent depleted roster, but on an actual good team!

Kirill Kaprizov at 23 would man his natural position on the left-wing, and as we know, the sky is the limit for this young KHL star.

Kaprizov would likely have gone higher in the draft, if not for fears that he would remain in Russia for quite some time if he ever were to sign an NHL contract. Thankfully, after at least three years of nail-biting from all three Wild GMs and the entire fan base, Kaprizov would sign on July the 13th this past summer.

Kaprizov led the KHL in goals with 30 in 57 games in 2018-2019 and 33 goals in 57 games last season in 2019-2020, as you can see here on quanthockey.com.

The likelihood of Kaprizov translating to the NHL is pretty high, considering the KHL is considered to be the number two professional-level hockey league on the planet, second only to the NHL of course. Here’s a list of the top ten leagues according to hockeywriters.com.

With such great talent on the wing, this franchise has been clamoring for a legitimate top-line center since, well… 2000. With all due respect to Mikko Koivu of course, the Wild have never truly had a consensus game-changing First Line Center.

As the 2020 NHL Draft finally came on October 6th, fans were hoping and praying for Austrian Marco Rossi to somehow slip to where the Wild would pick at nine.

As luck would have it, the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres would both take talented wingers in Alexander Holtz and Jack Quinn respectively. What would follow, sent Wild fans on a frenzy into the night, when Marco Rossi to Minnesota became a reality.

Rossi, while not the fastest skater in the draft, still has enough speed and skill to center any line the Minnesota Wild have to offer him.

While very responsible defensively as the position demands, Rossi makes everything look easy with his incredible stick handling, scoring touch, and of course, playmaking abilities.

As a mere 18-year-old, Rossi dominated the OHL last year with the Ottawa 67’s, tallying 120 points, including 39 goals in only 56 games, leading the entire league in scoring, beating fellow draft prospect Cole Perfetti by nine points.

With Rossi as a 200-foot skater, who has no trouble in traffic because of his well-noted strength, and can score goals while setting up two other potential stars, the Wild have something here that could be quite special very soon.

At a bare minimum, this could make a very exciting top power-play unit, if you want to shuffle the top six skaters around to balance the lines. God knows none of these guys will be on the third line, if only for a single shift here and there.




kevinemmer -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (12/8/2020 12:06:38 PM)

Yes!

Pretty exciting to think about this line and the future.

[8|]




Jeff Jesser -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (12/8/2020 12:28:06 PM)

Don't get excited, this is MN after all. Fiala will probably miss Europe and want to return. Rossi will decide his first love was actually baseball and Kaprizov is actually a closet goon just waiting for a chance to break out.




TJSweens -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (12/8/2020 12:31:09 PM)

Feeling a little fatalistic today, are we? [;)]




Jeff Jesser -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (12/8/2020 12:35:17 PM)

Today? PFFFTTTT. You should seen me yesterday. I kept punching myself in the throat hoping to pass out. Never happened.




TJSweens -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (12/8/2020 12:37:25 PM)

[&:] Kind of like Les Steckle punching himself in the jaw.




Jeff Jesser -> RE: 2020 Wild Post Mortem Offseason & Draft (12/8/2020 12:49:47 PM)

Damn, I just got compared to Les Steckle.




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