Value of: Kaprizov or Erickson Ek for your team unprotected first.

[Misko]

Unprotected, likely Top-10 firsts are worth a lot of value. I think this thread underestimates the value of players like Kaprizov and JEEK though. I don't think a high % magic bean is worth the certainty that is a franchise player like Kaprizov, or even JEEK who is a unicorn player in that he is a physical center who excels at both ends of the ice, puts up ppg numbers and is locked into a very friendly longterm contract. I doubt Minnesota would ever pickup the phone on either player, your odds of drafting a better player than either even in the Top 5 aren't high enough to move on from cornerstone players like this unless Minnesota wants to do a scorch-earth rebuild which I highly doubt.

 

[f7ben]

What I'm saying is that you don't know that an 18 year old kid you draft this year is going to be ready for the fall or fall 2025, etc. Whereas a 20 year old high end prospect that's ready to play now would better fit with your group. And, what if the best off IS based on a 2025 and later first? It just further compounds it.

Rely on your own picks to back fill organizational depth. Obtain high end pieces in trade that you can insert now.

We can’t rely on our own picks because we are perpetually stuck in mediocrity. Also we have a moron for a GM who prioritizes things like grit over skill

 

[Recipe Unlimited]

I feel like Dubas would go hard for Kaprizov. Something like 10OA + Pickering + Smith as cap dump

 

[Viqsi]

It's 1 fan. I don't think a majority of Wild fans would trade either of these players.

This is basically, this:

Yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking. The Jackets would be hoping to get an Eriksson Ek out of this year's pick; skipping ahead not only guarantees the result but also has the genuine article functional and ready and able to show How To Do That to the other kids we already have. It's pretty much a no-brainer from our perspective... and a "WTF have you gone utterly mad" from the Wild's perspective IMO.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Sabres fan here. We do this immediately.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Players drafted this year will be 5 drafts away from Boldy, and 4 drafts away from Rossi, Faber and Khusnutdinov.

Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek are 4 drafts away from Boldy and 5 drafts away from Rossi, Faber and Khusnutdinov.

Maybe this would worth somewhat exploring if we also finished with our own top 5 pick, but even then it'd would still be pretty hard to stomach. Eriksson Ek, and Kaprizov if he stays, can still be very much a part of a contending team even up to 8 years from now.

 

[f7ben]

Players drafted this year will be 5 drafts away from Boldy, and 4 drafts away from Rossi, Faber and Khusnutdinov.

Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek are 4 drafts away from Boldy and 5 drafts away from Rossi, Faber and Khusnutdinov.

Maybe this would worth somewhat exploring if we also finished with our own top 5 pick, but even then it'd would still be pretty hard to stomach. Eriksson Ek, and Kaprizov if he stays, can still be very much a part of a contending team even up to 8 years from now.

I don’t disagree , are you really confident Kap stays though? I’m sure not and I don’t trust Billy as far as I can throw him. Also do we want Kap at 13 million for 7-8 years because Guerin will go there to save his job.

 

[BLNY]

We can’t rely on our own picks because we are perpetually stuck in mediocrity. Also we have a moron for a GM who prioritizes things like grit over skill

LOL. All the more reason to take someone who's ready and was scouted and picked by someone else.

 

[f7ben]

LOL. All the more reason to take someone who's ready and was scouted and picked by someone else.

I like the 2024 draft class. I think if you gave Judd Bracket picks 3/4/13 he hits two can’t miss home runs. Guerin isn’t possibly dumb enough to screw that up no matter how hard he would try.

 

[BPD]

Hell, take this one and the next one from the Rangers. For JEE? Done.

 

[Marlowe Syn]

I feel like Dubas would go hard for Kaprizov. Something like 10OA + Pickering + Smith as cap dump

I don't pretend to be any kind of GM whisperer. but if you want to assemble a package for Kap, I am confident no cap dumps will be acceptable to BillyG. You all are going to have some very dark rebuilding years coming up. I highly doubt that Kirill "I didn't come over here to play with shit" Kaprizov is going to re-sign with Pittsburgh.

Kaprizov is one of the most electric players in the NHL. He really does seem to enjoy his time as a Wild, and thriving as a mentor to Marat Khusnutdinov(he need a short nickname asap).

The 2025 off-season might be the most critical offseason in franchise history. As those big buyout hits will be gone BillyG is going to have to assemble a real strong team if he want to keep Kap in the fold.
If worst case Kap will not extend, I hope beyond hope he doesn't hinge the trade with a unprotected 1st as the center piece. I'm thinking more a Lindrosian level return. But I guess it all depends on the wild card we have in our GM. Who knows, maybe if catch you him on tequila night he might conduct a trade he regrets the next day

JEE is easier. When the Wild lose a significant player to injury, they are typically deep and savvy enough to cover it and still maintain that elite level of mediocrity the Wild are renowned for. When we lose Ek it is a completely different lottery pick level team. He's the lynch pin that holds this teams identity together. i.e. our Patrice Bergeron. Overpay definitely required with this cat. I legit seeing him as the most likely Wild lifer on this team.

​

 

[TT1]

i'd do Caufield + MTL's 2024 1st unprotected (unless it's top 3, top 5 i'd let them have it) for Erickson Ek + Kaprizov

 

[norrisnick]

Yeah but if they did it at the draft, the player wouldn't be missing the remaining 14 games.

Why would anybody involved be interested in that for no benefit?

The trading team wouldn't want to put Kaprisov through that when they ostensibly have designs on signing him, the union probably won't love it, and if the Wild didn't want him for the games down the stretch, they would have traded him at the deadline.

There's a reason the deadline exists.

Correct, and the reason is eligibility for the playoff roster. Any trade could happen now, the only difference is those players moving can't suit up for the playoffs.

 

[nbwingsfan]

So where does that put Rossi or Yurov then? Both younger who fit the core. Neither of them are suited to 3C and we have Khusnutdinov who’s perfectly suited to 3C and fits the core.

You worry about that IF/when you get to that point.

You don’t trade a young and very solid ~ #1Cs when you at this point have no replacement and really don’t know what Rossi or Yurov will become

 

[Digitalbooya]

This is not what the Wild will or should do.

 

[f7ben]

i'd do Caufield + MTL's 2024 1st unprotected (unless it's top 3, top 5 i'd let them have it) for Erickson Ek + Kaprizov

It would need to be 4 or higher for me to consider. I think Caufield fits for sure. If the pick was number 4 I’d get one of Levshunov , Demidov or Dickinson and be happy.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

I feel like Dubas would go hard for Kaprizov. Something like 10OA + Pickering + Smith as cap dump

Yea. I honestly would take Ek or Kaprisov if the pick is top 10 and we keep it.

I'd almost be more interested in EK. Slide Malkin to either 3C or be a winger.

 

[f7ben]

This is not what the Wild will or should do.

Do you feel it’s fair to call the top 5 of this draft magic beans? I don’t ….there is significant talent there

 

[Viqsi]

Do you feel it’s fair to call the top 5 of this draft magic beans?

By comparison to someone like JEE or Kaprizov? Yes. Absolutely. 100%. Because you never know for certain how they'll work out.

When you're not not doing as well as one hoped or expected, in some folks there arises a strange infatuation with the top picks in a draft - a thinking that they're going to be unstoppable immortal saviors or somesuch - when that in fact rarely happens. The truth is that even when you are that high in the draft order, you aren't going to get those sorts of franchise-changing guys except by incredible, improbable good fortune, of the kind that is virtually impossible to anticipate and almost always guaranteed to disappoint if you pin your hopes on it. Hell, here in Columbus we've picked top-5 more than most, and mostly what it's gotten us is tank fetishists insisting that the real problem is that top-5 isn't good enough and we should be going for top-3 or even top-2 if we want to really Fix Everything. It's an unhealthy obsession and one that ought to be abandoned for your own health and sanity.

 

[f7ben]

By comparison to someone like JEE or Kaprizov? Yes. Absolutely. 100%. Because you never know for certain how they'll work out.

When you're not not doing as well as one hoped or expected, in some folks there arises a strange infatuation with the top picks in a draft - a thinking that they're going to be unstoppable immortal saviors or somesuch - when that in fact rarely happens. The truth is that even when you are that high in the draft order, you aren't going to get those sorts of franchise-changing guys except by incredible, improbable good fortune, of the kind that is virtually impossible to anticipate and almost always guaranteed to disappoint if you pin your hopes on it. Hell, here in Columbus we've picked top-5 more than most, and mostly what it's gotten us is tank fetishists insisting that the real problem is that top-5 isn't good enough and we should be going for top-3 or even top-2 if we want to really Fix Everything. It's an unhealthy obsession and one that ought to be abandoned for your own health and sanity.

And the flip side is , the Wild have never 1OA. The Wild lost Gaborik , their highest pick to FA for nothing. We have been stuck in literal hell for a decade being trounced in the first round and never drafting high. We have a long list of guys who we drafted that never did anything because we are always picking 20th. It’s time to build a contender through the draft. It’s the only way. I’m sick of watching a middling team pretend year after year. It’s worse than watching a basement dweller because at least those teams have hope of hitting the next McKinnon or Mcdavid.

 

[Gurglesons]

And the flip side is , the Wild have never 1OA. The Wild lost Gaborik , their highest pick to FA for nothing. We have been stuck in literal hell for a decade being trounced in the first round and never drafting high. We have a long list of guys who we drafted that never did anything because we are always picking 20th. It’s time to build a contender through the draft. It’s the only way. I’m sick of watching a middling team pretend year after year. It’s worse than watching a basement dweller because at least those teams have hope of hitting the next McKinnon or Mcdavid.

Good luck.

 

[f7ben]

Good luck.

I guess the other way would be the nhl gifts you a competitive roster through expansion and the. You go full cheat mode with cap circumvention. That works too I think lol

 

[HFpapi]

Kaprizov is still only 26 & JEE 27, c'mon.

It really sucks for Minnesota to not be able to compete next year with 14 million in dead cap but once that clears, Kap is still only 28 and JEE 29. They get another season of development for Faber, Boldy, and Rossi then a huge amount of open cap space to go wild with,

They are primed to do damage in 25/26.

Minny never has superstars or exciting teams. Huge disservice to the fans to bail now that they have both.

 

[Viqsi]

And the flip side is , the Wild have never 1OA. The Wild lost Gaborik , their highest pick to FA for nothing. We have been stuck in literal hell for a decade being trounced in the first round and never drafting high. We have a long list of guys who we drafted that never did anything because we are always picking 20th. It’s time to build a contender through the draft. It’s the only way. I’m sick of watching a middling team pretend year after year. It’s worse than watching a basement dweller because at least those teams have hope of hitting the next McKinnon or Mcdavid.

Oh, my sweet summer child. Another "middling team" is my #2 team, in no small part due to needing an occasional respite from watching a basement dweller. The grass over here only looks greener because we spray-paint it in an attempt to forget.

 

[Gurglesons]

I guess the other way would be the nhl gifts you a competitive roster through expansion and the. You go full cheat mode with cap circumvention. That works too I think lol

Minnesota is a few years away from having a very good roster.

You just had a very good roster for a few years despite the cap hits.

I don't see what is so dire about the Wild's situation.

Matt Boldy is one of the best young stars in the game and is signed to a crazy cheap deal.