Minnesota Wild General Discussion - 2023-24

[Wabit]

Just looking at 5v5 the numbers for the season:
-Rossi has 1114 mins ToI
-445 mins (40%) has been with Kap
-557 mins (52%) has been with Zuc
-160 mins (14%) has been with Boldy
-225 mins (20%) has been with Hartman
-213 mins (19%) without at least one of these (20g or 60p) players. 87 of these mins came in the first 10 games of the season (Foligno/Rossi/Freddy G line).

Yes, he had the black hole that is MarJo for 318 mins. What's odd is their xGF% (58.7%) is nothing close to the actual GF% (40.9%).

 

[Wabit]

edit...

I am surprised to find the Wild are the shortest team in the league:

Elite Prospects - Team Comparison in NHL

Compare average height, weight and age in NHL.

www.eliteprospects.com

Maybe it's a junk stat, as Colo is second smallest and pretty damn good, but still, the NHL is a VERY physical league so size never really hurt anything.

MacKinnon having an insane year and makes COL look better than it is IMO. They are a 1 (very good) line team and have a coach that knows how to mismatch that line. Best home record in the league, but a rather pedestrian away record.

 

[NHL1674]

Rossi will be fine, now playing with Zucc, not the worst guy to take advice from.
But not too many of those cross ice passing lessons

Last I checked, Zucc was out with his annual April injury. Mentoring nobody but the team doctors.

We're playing the Kings tonight? I look forward to the same old Fiala fights on here and for many to use their ignore features.

 

[Digitalbooya]

HFboards User will never learn to be patient. After all Rossi has been through (COVID, 2 bad coaches, playing with scrubs) he still manged it to put up a 20/20 season. He got better & better every year (minus the COVID year) and did everything they've asked him to do. They use him in front of the net on PP2 but he should play as a playmaker with the puck on his stick in those situations. His playmaking abilities are one of his strengths alongside his Hockey IQ and work ethic but they didn't usehis strengths so far.

I think his development isn't over. I don't get Guerin. Why do you draft a smallish player if you value size over pretty much everything. Size alone won't win you any hockey games.

I do think there’s a point where Rossi could get traded. But if the reason is because he’s small and hasn’t scored 70+, then that’s a dumb reason. But if we could get a big RHD like Jiricek? That at least makes some sense for us.

 

[BagHead]

I do think there’s a point where Rossi could get traded. But if the reason is because he’s small and hasn’t scored 70+, then that’s a dumb reason. But if we could get a big RHD like Jiricek? That at least makes some sense for us.

Yeah, I'm in no hurry to move him while he's still improving year after year, but if the return was obviously in the Wild's favor, I'm sure I can find peace with it.

 

[MuckOG]

HFboards User will never learn to be patient. After all Rossi has been through (COVID, 2 bad coaches, playing with scrubs) he still manged it to put up a 20/20 season. He got better & better every year (minus the COVID year) and did everything they've asked him to do. They use him in front of the net on PP2 but he should play as a playmaker with the puck on his stick in those situations. His playmaking abilities are one of his strengths alongside his Hockey IQ and work ethic but they didn't usehis strengths so far.

I think his development isn't over. I don't get Guerin. Why do you draft a smallish player if you value size over pretty much everything. Size alone won't win you any hockey games.

This discussion reminds me of the talk around Ek after his 2nd season. Unless another team offers an absolute boatload return, I think we need to be patient with him

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

This discussion reminds me of the talk around Ek after his 2nd season. Unless another team offers an absolute boatload return, I think we need to be patient with him

I'm not sure how we're talking about it much at all it if it isn't brought up multiple times by the beat writers.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

I'm not sure how we're talking about it much at all it if it isn't brought up multiple times by the beat writers.

When you're not writing a playoff preview story, you're writing a "conversation piece"

 

[DANOZ28]

hey roon, judd & billy drafted rossi if im not mistaken so your saying they are clueless? besides his height wtf is wrong with rossi? i think your delusional! ps rossi in his first full season scores 21G, it took JEE 4 seasons to score 19 (in one season) you don't understand hockey.

 

[Digitalbooya]

Much better skater than Rossi - equivalent or better hockey IQ.

Point is 2 inches taller - Rossi is listed at 5'9 and Point 5'11.

I wonder if the 4lbs is what allows him to blow Rossi's doors off in the skating department?

He’s a 5 foot 10 inch 1st line center. Which shows that 5 foot 9 inch Rossi could certainly be a 2nd line center.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

Rossi has to to keep improving but I’m inclined to think that he will. Losing as much time as he did really hurt him, but the leap he made this year is super encouraging. As long as he gets stronger over the next couple of years, he looks like a legit 2C. If the speed also improves, who knows…

I think he’s going to be one of those guys that peaks a little later because of the time lost. I think if you trade him now you might be kicking yourself 3 years from now.

 

[Spurgeon]

Rossi has had an insane amount of net front chances & breakaways this year that he hasn’t converted on. Realistically could’ve had a 30 goal season. Don’t think it’s just “luck” that he finds himself in those types of scoring positions either. He’s a smart player & trading him is going to be an idiotic move if it does somehow happen this offseason.

 

[57special]

Rossi has to to keep improving but I’m inclined to think that he will. Losing as much time as he did really hurt him, but the leap he made this year is super encouraging. As long as he gets stronger over the next couple of years, he looks like a legit 2C. If the speed also improves, who knows…

I think he’s going to be one of those guys that peaks a little later because of the time lost. I think if you trade him now you might be kicking yourself 3 years from now.

I think he will improve because he is a guy who is very serious about his game, but his body does limit him. He is the sort of guy who will get other players off, so he needs to have better wingers. MarJo killed so many plays while playing with him, and Zucc doesn't have a lot of chemistry with him, either. It's almost like they play too much alike.

My perhaps unrealistic wish is that he and two unproven rookies, Yurov and Ohgren, make a kick ass 2nd line next year.

I would only trade him for another young, top talent. I don't know that I would trade him for a top 10 pick in this draft.... top 6 or 7, probably, and only because next year is still going to be non competitive due to the cap penalties, so becoming weaker in the short term, but possibly stronger in the medium term(i.e. Levshunov, Catton, Demidov ) works for me.

 

[57special]

My 2024-25 lineup

Kap - Rossi - Boldy
Yurov - JEE - Zucc
Ohgren - Marat - Hartman
MarJo - Fred - Foligno
Bankier/ Milne

Brodin- Faber(will become the best two pairing in the league)
Middleton - Spurge
Chisholm - Bogo
Hunt

Merrill traded

Some combo of Gus, Flower, Wall

 

[BagHead]

I think he will improve because he is a guy who is very serious about his game, but his body does limit him. He is the sort of guy who will get other players off, so he needs to have better wingers. MarJo killed so many plays while playing with him, and Zucc doesn't have a lot of chemistry with him, either. It's almost like they play too much alike.

My perhaps unrealistic wish is that he and two unproven rookies, Yurov and Ohgren, make a kick ass 2nd line next year.

I would only trade him for another young, top talent. I don't know that I would trade him for a top 10 pick in this draft.... top 6 or 7, probably, and only because next year is still going to be non competitive due to the cap penalties, so becoming weaker in the short term, but possibly stronger in the medium term(i.e. Levshunov, Catton, Demidov ) works for me.

Come again?


I'm honestly not sure what Rossi will end up as long-term, but my bet is that he makes a perfectly fine 2nd line center. Most players have hiccups in their development, so when you get a player who consistently improves each year (that they aren't on their deathbed with myocarditis), you really need to keep those players, because you don't know when they'll stop improving.

I like to look at a guy like JEE, who went from a miserable offensive player in his first 3 years, to a serviceable offensive option, to a #1/2 center. He's just never stopped improving, even to this day. Had the Wild traded him at 22 years old, they'd have maybe gotten a 2nd round pick. Maybe. Most players who improve linearly like that end up being really good players, even if they started out slow. Don't quit on those guys early.

 

[57special]

Disappointed that it was you who was the first to jump on that, BH.

 

[Sota Popinski]

After the Hanifin signing, I was assessing the Vegas cap situation. They are going to have to lose one of their key cogs this season and one of the most prominent people covering the team thinks it will be Shea Theodore. He has one year left at 5.2 million. The timing of an extension would work out well with the cap penalties mostly expiring after next season and he provides offense on the back end that no one on our team currently comes really close to.

What are other people's thoughts on sending something like 2025 1st + Lambos/O'Rourke/Hunt + Merrill to Vegas for Shea Theodore?

 

[Wabit]

After the Hanifin signing, I was assessing the Vegas cap situation. They are going to have to lose one of their key cogs this season and one of the most prominent people covering the team thinks it will be Shea Theodore. He has one year left at 5.2 million. The timing of an extension would work out well with the cap penalties mostly expiring after next season and he provides offense on the back end that no one on our team currently comes really close to.

What are other people's thoughts on sending something like 2025 1st + Lambos/O'Rourke/Hunt + Merrill to Vegas for Shea Theodore?

Theodore has had some injuries the last couple of seasons and missed a bunch of games. I wouldn't risk anything more than a 2nd +LD prospect on him. He's worth more than that when healthy. I just wouldn't spend more than that on him before the season starts.

I wouldn't give up a future 1st for hardly anyone this offseason. The team just isn't good enough to risk a potential lottery 1st next season.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

I think he will improve because he is a guy who is very serious about his game, but his body does limit him. He is the sort of guy who will get other players off, so he needs to have better wingers. MarJo killed so many plays while playing with him, and Zucc doesn't have a lot of chemistry with him, either. It's almost like they play too much alike.

My perhaps unrealistic wish is that he and two unproven rookies, Yurov and Ohgren, make a kick ass 2nd line next year.

I would only trade him for another young, top talent. I don't know that I would trade him for a top 10 pick in this draft.... top 6 or 7, probably, and only because next year is still going to be non competitive due to the cap penalties, so becoming weaker in the short term, but possibly stronger in the medium term(i.e. Levshunov, Catton, Demidov ) works for me.

I knew he was a good teammate, but this is definetly going the extra mile for the boys.

 

[57special]

I knew he was a good teammate, but this is definetly going the extra mile for the boys.

Et tu, Brute?

 

[Digitalbooya]

Fleury re-signed. 1 year $2.5M

 

[MuckOG]

Fleury re-signed. 1 year $2.5M

Not surprising, but still interesting.

 

[57special]

Shock me and tell me there is no NMC. Nice that he is making even less $$, in a year where the cap is going up. Gives BG flexibility to move Gus should he decide to go that way.

 

[MuckOG]

Shock me and tell me there is no NMC.

Sorry to disappoint....

 

[Wild11MN]

Just went to the playoff board and realized that I'm sad to not be participating. I'm going to miss the nervous nights and the 8:45pm starts (yeah, okay, let's not go that far). I'm not used to this and I hate it.