2014-2015 General Wild Discussion Thread V

[tomgilbertfan]

 

[Generic User]

D'aww.

 

[gphr513]

Context?

Should I know who that is hugging Dubs?

 

[tomgilbertfan]

Context?

Should I know who that is hugging Dubs?

Ballard.

 

[gphr513]

US Local Cable Ratings

Wild up to 5th, among American teams, +41% in viewership.

 

[BigT2002]

US Local Cable Ratings

Wild up to 5th, among American teams, +41% in viewership.

That is because the Twins suck.

 

[gphr513]

That is because the Twins suck.

I can't imagine the Twins have much to do with it. Their seasons overlap for what, 10% of the 82 games? Is it even that high?

 

[tomgilbertfan]

I can't imagine the Twins have much to do with it. Their seasons overlap for what, 10% of the 82 games? Is it even that high?

Twins season started april 6, Wild had 4 games left in the Regular season at that point.

 

[gphr513]

So yeah, not even 5% of the season overlaps.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

 

[gphr513]

Pretty cool. High praise from Maurice.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

Dubnyks kid is adorable.


https://instagram.com/p/19YrjRFFVZ/

 

[melinko]

Does Dumba live with Dubnyk?

Seems odd that the night after a big game Dumba would just be chilling at Dubnyk's house with his kid.

 

[gphr513]

Does Dumba live with Dubnyk?

Seems odd that the night after a big game Dumba would just be chilling at Dubnyk's house with his kid.

Maybe Dubnyk invited his defensemen over for dinner or something.

 

[PariseNation]

yeah, Paul Maurice is pretty much the man. Maybe one day he can coach alongside Yeolo.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Dubnyks kid is adorable.


https://instagram.com/p/19YrjRFFVZ/

I just want to know if they make those PJs in an adult XL...

 

[FVM]

Watching the sick skill of young Russian stars Tarasenko and Kuznetsov makes me lament this organization's stubborn refusal to touch a Russian-born player. Fletcher & Co have done a great job but this is a black eye on the management. I think it's even embarrassing to discriminate against potential superstars on the basis of their nationality.

 

[nickschultzfan]

Watching the sick skill of young Russian stars Tarasenko and Kuznetsov makes me lament this organization's stubborn refusal to touch a Russian-born player. Fletcher & Co have done a great job but this is a black eye on the management. I think it's even embarrassing to discriminate against potential superstars on the basis of their nationality.

Huh? Fletcher & Co draft for personality. They aren't discriminating for nationality. Fletcher was pissed Burmistrov got grabbed right before he picked.

And Russians main problem has always been not discrimination but the KHL money out bidding the NHL.

 

[Randy BoBandy]

We do seem to have very few scouts in eastern Europe. We rarely take guys from over there.

So the KHL is the reason Kuznetsov and Tarasenko fell in the draft? Who was the last high end Russian who didn't come over? Radulov? Didn't he come but then decide to go back. I don't see how the Russian factor is even in play when it comes to most high end guys. Honestly which Russian taken in the first 3 round over the last 10 years chose to play in Russia when they obviously should have been in the NHL? I think the Russian/KHL factor is vastly exaggerated. We are missing out on talent.

 

[Generic User]

We do seem to have very few scouts in eastern Europe. We rarely take guys from over there.

So the KHL is the reason Kuznetsov and Tarasenko fell in the draft? Who was the last high end Russian who didn't come over? Radulov? Didn't he come but then decide to go back. I don't see how the Russian factor is even in play when it comes to most high end guys. Honestly which Russian taken in the first 3 round over the last 10 years chose to play in Russia when they obviously should have been in the NHL? I think the Russian/KHL factor is vastly exaggerated. We are missing out on talent.

From what I remember, Tarasenko was slated to be a top 5 pick for a year or so before the draft. I think the reason for the drop was because of concerns that Tarasenko had just signed with the team that his dad coached in Russia. There was a risk he'd decide not to come over, regardless of how clear he tried making it that he had intentions to do so.

 

[Haite]

Honestly which Russian taken in the first 3 round over the last 10 years chose to play in Russia when they obviously should have been in the NHL?.

That plays a part in it though. Russian players have little incentive to make their up the ranks in the AHL (or even a bottom 6 role in the NHL) when they can play high level hockey closer to home, with a bigger role, higher pay and more opportunities to represent their country. Sure, the very high end guys will still come over and make it, but the risk of getting no value out of your draft pick is higher.

Btw, Radulov played two years of junior hockey in the QMJHL and two years with the Predators before going back to Russia for a couple years. Then he came back towards the end of the 2011-12 season to finish his ELC before going back to Russia again.

 

[DANOZ28]

are the russians the only players with skill? see forsberg.

 

[BusQuets]

are the russians the only players with skill? see forsberg.

Of course not but they are the ones who fall down the draft because of "factors". Just look how Tampa has drafted.

 

[FVM]

Huh? Fletcher & Co draft for personality. They aren't discriminating for nationality. Fletcher was pissed Burmistrov got grabbed right before he picked.

And Russians main problem has always been not discrimination but the KHL money out bidding the NHL.

I haven't heard that on Burmistrov before, where did you get it? Not that I don't believe, I just literally have never heard it before.

It's also discrimination. You can check different teams' draft records and there are many that systematically never pick Russians. That allows teams like Tampa Bay, Detroit and Washington get steals on a regular basis.

 

[Engebretson]

I haven't heard that on Burmistrov before, where did you get it? Not that I don't believe, I just literally have never heard it before.

It's also discrimination. You can check different teams' draft records and there are many that systematically never pick Russians. That allows teams like Tampa Bay, Detroit and Washington get steals on a regular basis.

You can call it discrimination, but in reality, it's risk assessment. They aren't not picking Russians because they despise Russians for ignorant reasons, they are avoiding picking Russians because of the risk involved in losing a prospect for nothing, especially a high pick. Sometimes it pays off and you get guys like Tarasenko who may spend his entire career in the NHL and make everyone who didn't pick him look like a fool. Other times you get Radulov who looks promising and then bolts for the KHL for whatever reasons. If Tarasenko would have fallen to the mid-rounds, the Wild's stance might have changed on him because the risk may have been worth the reward. Spending a 5th round pick on an asset that may likely never see your organization is a much better pill to swallow than spending a 1st rounder.

Teams like Detroit and Washington can continue to accumulate Russian prospects because of their already established Russian core of players. Washington has less risk in going after Russian players because they have arguably the biggest star-power Russian hockey player in the world. Detroit has Pavel Datsyuk, whom players of every nationality have modeled their games after and would love to play with and learn from him. Tampa has done a good job of collecting young and talented Russian players, but who knows if they'll potentially bolt to the KHL for whatever reasons. I'm not knocking that either, but the guillotine still falls down on the GM/President if those assets leave the organization for no return. I'm not even totally agreeing with the policy of avoiding Russians in the draft, but at the same time, I can understand why a team would do so, and I can't agree with classifying it as 'discrimination'.