Speculation: Trade Ideas and Free Agency V [Mod Warning Post #1]

[nickschultzfan]

Here is the problem with that: we are dealing with too many fringe defensive players. Are Stoner, Prosser, and Ballard decent on most occasions? yes. Are they making mistakes which have been known to cost us points? Oh yes.

You can't keep rotating out players like that. It doesn't help the chemistry and it doesn't help confidence at all. Ballard is signed for one more year. Stoner and Prosser are UFAs. You try to get someone (or even 2 for that matter) in who can play 15-20 minutes on a consistent basis and are more defensively (with some offensive upside) viable.

Know what makes this blueline so easy to predict? Scouting reports from other teams have easily got to mention that players like Ballard, Stoner, and hell even Prosser and Scandella are not going to shoot from the perimeter or pinch deep in the zone unless it is 100% clear cut that it won't affect the defensive transition (e.g. odd-man rush). Scandella has gotten drastically better. But the whole reason Cole got that giveaway from Ballard was Dallas knew they wouldn't shoot it. Out defense is severely lacking in the offensive category when it isn't Spurgeon/Suter shooting.

The Wild lose because they don't score, not because they let in too many goals.

And I wouldn't group Stoner and Prosser with Ballard.

 

[BigT2002]

The Wild lose because they don't score, not because they let in too many goals.

And I wouldn't group Stoner and Prosser with Ballard.

You can't score if you cannot break out of your own zone. You can't score if your defensive pairings do not give any type of offensive threat that makes an opposing team play up on them instead of the passing lanes.

Stoner: 0G, 4A this year. He had more assist last year and was widely considered one of the biggest whipping boys of the fans because of erroneous play.

Prosser: 2G, 5A this year. He is 5 points from tying his career high in points and has 14 games to beat it.

And for Shots taken this year....

Stoner (17 of 29) with 39
Ballard (19 of 29) with 29
Prosser(20 of 29) with 23

Suter is the only one in the century mark and Spurgeon is at mid 70's after missing a stretch of games. Is it a shock that is where your blueline scoring is honed in on? And now they are on the same line, meaning there is no chance for any scoring on the next 2 pairings outside the slim chance that Scandella or Brodin can pot one in. And they are still averaging 50% more shots than those three.

Now look at a team like STL who has 3 of their Defensemen in the Top 10 for shots. With Polick and Jackman at 60 and 59 shots. Even Leopold is 2 shots from having more than Stoner.

Chicago has 4 of their Top 11 from defense in the shot category. And theirs is spread out across all 3 pairings. The only one not in the Top 11 is Oduya at 64.

Your forwards will never score if the opposing team never has to worry about what your blueline is doing in the offensive zone. Yeo has neutered it even more by putting both top shooters on the same pairing because now teams just play the pass when we go up to the perimeter because they KNOW this team is just going to pass it back down to the forwards.

How many more 30 goal scorers do you need on this team to consider it a better offensive team? We already have Parise, Pominville, Moulson who have hit it. Koivu and Heater still can hit 20. Nino, Coyle, Granlund can achieve it. Cooke has hit low 20's before. Fontaine is well on his way. What more does this team need for forwards that is going to make it any better? You wanna fix offense. Start with getting the defense into the scheme as more than just perimeter passers.

 

[TheTimeKnife]

Niskanen and Moulson would be my top FA targets this year. Vanek definitely on the radar, he already said he would play for less to be a contender. If he signs a cap friendly deal then he would definitely rocket up to prime target. I still think Niskanen could be the steal of FA though, legitimate top pairing ability, capable production and could easily slot into our rotation. Spurg, Scanner, Brodin, and Niskanen could all rotate based on current play and chemistry. Also hopefully give Suter some time to rest. It would fill out our blue line all the way to bottom and if Yeo can put a focus on shots from the point all these D are decent shooters.

 

[DANOZ28]

Re-sign Kuemper, Moulson, Niederreiter, Fontaine and McCormick
Sign Niskanen and Elliott
Trade Zucker for Petrovic

Parise - Granlund - Pominville
Moulson - Koivu - Coyle
Niederreiter - Haula - Fontaine
Cooke - Brodziak - McCormick

Suter - Niskanen
Brodin - Petrovic
Scandella - Spurgeon

Kuemper
Elliott

i'd be ok with niskanen but i think we really need a beast that can clear the crease & kinda skate. whatever we do i hope we leave a little cap room to make sure we can sign brodin & granlund the following year. you forgot vanek !

 

[57special]

Tom Gilbert and Zidlicky score all kinds of points, but that doesn't mean I want them on this team. Would I like a physical, big, smooth skating D man with a high hockey IQ, and good passing skills? Steady defensively, and a great shot from the point? Of course!

those guys aren't out there, or if they are they are horrendously expensive. At this point we'll be lucky if we can sign a decent 4/5 D man for under 4M. I would prefer the steady, large variety(I.e. Mitchell type) rather than the smaller puck movers who are defensive sieves(Zidlicky ). Right now Spurgeon, Suter, Brodin are all VG/EXC. With the puck, with Scandella developing. With any luck, Dumba will turn into another offensive weapon from the back end. He's got some interesting talent, but he isn't what I would call steady.

I want another big mule back there who can clear the front of the net and wrap people up in the corners.

 

[Victorious Secret]

Reported at GM meetings that cap estimate last week with poor Canadian dollar value was overstated. At worst it will be 69.1M.

 

[nickschultzfan]

Reported at GM meetings that cap estimate last week with poor Canadian dollar value was overstated. At worst it will be 69.1M.

It would be nice for the Wild to target a quality Dman this off-season, but I have no idea who that would be. Trade might be the route to go instead of free agency.

Honestly, we could use a guy like Burns. Big, strong Dman who plays with an edge and is willing to shoot the puck in the offensive zone. But those guys are few anf far between.

 

[Avder]

Burns is a forward now.

 

[Minnesota]

Burns is a forward now.

On the Wild, I think he'd still be used as a defenseman.

 

[BigT2002]

On the Wild, I think he'd still be used as a defenseman.

He would probably come home. But no thanks.

 

[Minnesota]

I'd consider signing Peter Mueller to a one year deal.

 

[Victorious Secret]

I'd consider signing Peter Mueller to a one year deal.

Extremely, but then we'd be having 3 definite scoring lines and a checking/energy line.

 

[Minnesota]

To get even more people on-board, he'd take the place of Brodziak or Heatley.

 

[tyratoku]

To get even more people on-board, he'd take the place of Brodziak or Heatley.

Why not Zucker?

 

[Minnesota]

Why not Zucker?

Mueller can take Brodziak's place, Zucker can take Heatley's place.

 

[nickschultzfan]

Burns is a forward now.

Walked 5 steps away from my computer and had the thought "I wonder how long before somebody tells me that Burns plays forward on SJ."

Answer: next post.

 

[Beegoalie]

Saying Orpik isn't a top 4 defender is pretty questionable. He made the US Olympic team did he not? He is the #2 guy on a very good Pittsburgh team right now. Would easily slide into our top 4. He's exactly what this team's back end needs.

 

[mezcal]

The Wild will never pay almost $3m for a 4th line center.

 

[BusQuets]

Saying Orpik isn't a top 4 defender is pretty questionable. He made the US Olympic team did he not? He is the #2 guy on a very good Pittsburgh team right now. Would easily slide into our top 4. He's exactly what this team's back end needs.

I have watched quite a few pens game this season(usually watch them while waiting wild game to start). I have to say Orpik is atm the biggest whipping boy on the pens board and for a good reason. He is slow and makes more mistakes than Ballard. No way i want him and he's not the answer trust me.

 

[Lennu32]

It would be nice for the Wild to target a quality Dman this off-season, but I have no idea who that would be.

I'd be all over Sami Vatanen, he would help our PP a lot. Maybe trade Zucker or even Coyle for him.

He's small though and I don't know could we use two midgets in defence at the same time...

But whoever Wild will be after I hope he's an intelligent player. Not maybe rocket scientist, but someone with high hockey iq. Wild really lacks that kind of players It's just grind grind

And Moulson hasn't impressed me so far.

 

[AJ Thelen]

Getting Vatanen would benefit this team so much regarding the PP.
He plays that QB role like a real pro and knows how to slam one in from the point.

 

[nickschultzfan]

Getting Vatanen would benefit this team so much regarding the PP.
He plays that QB role like a real pro and knows how to slam one in from the point.

Only if we then flip Spurgeon and Dumba for big top-4 Dman.

 

[Nino Noderreiter]

Only if we then flip Spurgeon and Dumba for big top-4 Dman.

As we speak now Spurgeon is arguably the 2nd best dman on this team

 

[Puhis]

Only if we then flip Spurgeon and Dumba for big top-4 Dman.

Spurgeon's not going anywhere. That contract is a steal, as he is becoming more and more like a legit #3 rather than a fringe top-4 guy.

If anything, trading for Vatanen, as I've stated previously, would be a good move. It would give depth to our PP as well as a more offensive guy and a puck rusher. He is aggressive, too, completely fearless on ice. And by completely fearless I mean the guy is awesome. He once ended up in a same elevator with Ovechkin during the WC. Ovie stood silent, Vatanen looked at him and told him (it was before a Finland-Russia -game) "better keep your head up out there".

Vatanen is 5'10".

That is all.

 

[BigT2002]

Coyle + Zucker? Especially if we keep Moulson