Gaborik the greatest Wild ever....

[Al Lagoon]

Just was amazed to see he was traded as part of the TBL Ott trade: thought he had retired.

Anyhoo, one 40 goal season, four 30 goal seasons, 4 seasons over a point a game, 9 hat tricks. 5 goal game, as a Wild.

Electrifying. Crazy speed. Shot. IMO the one top-tier gamebreaker in Wild history, and all by age 26.

If folks wanna follow the dumb tradition of retiring numbers, this would be the guy, not Koivu.

Click to read more...

 

[TaLoN]

Just was amazed to see he was traded as part of the TBL Ott trade: thought he had retired.

Anyhoo, one 40 goal season, four 30 goal seasons, 4 seasons over a point a game, 9 hat tricks. 5 goal game, as a Wild.

Electrifying. Crazy speed. Shot. IMO the one top-tier gamebreaker in Wild history, and all by age 26.

If folks wanna follow the dumb tradition of retiring numbers, this would be the guy, not Koivu.

Not here long enough. Has spent significantly more of his career outside of Minnesota than in it at this point.

Had he stayed, i'd be right there with you, but our inept GM for years, chased him away.

 

[MuckOG]

He may not have been the "best" Wild ever (for the reason Talon gave), but he was certainly the most exciting player the Wild have had to this point.

 

[HotDish]

As a Wild fan I wish he stayed in Minnesota.

As a hockey fan I wish he stayed healthy.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Not here long enough. Has spent significantly more of his career outside of Minnesota than in it at this point.

Had he stayed, i'd be right there with you, but our inept GM for years, chased him away.

Not that I want to retire his number, but he played 502 games for us and 533 games for everybody else. 8 years here vs. 9 years elsewhere. I don’t find either of those very significant.

 

[2Pair]

Would make more sense to retire his spot in the hot tub, he certainly spent more time there than on the ice.

 

[GuerinUp]

I say we retire james sheppards jersey

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

Suter is the best player to ever play for us, and he’s be the first number I retire, assuming he plays the duration of his deal.

 

[GordieGallant]

He usually disappeared come playoff time. Was at the game he got 5 vs the Rangers. Great 1st/2nd stride quickness. Had groin problems.

 

[TaLoN]

He usually disappeared come playoff time. Was at the game he got 5 vs the Rangers. Great 1st/2nd stride quickness. Had groin problems.

In 2003, he carried this team in the playoffs. He was downright magical that postseason. Just shy of point per game. Would've been over had Giguere not played out of his mind against us.

 

[PuckInTheNards]

I say we retire james sheppards jersey

Agreed. For the same reason hotels don't have a 13th floor.

 

[TaLoN]

I say we retire james sheppards jersey

No need, we already have the James Sheppard Memorial Popcorn Award...

(Credit @NHL1674 for the image)

 

[a79krgm]

Electrifying. Crazy speed. Shot. IMO the one top-tier gamebreaker in Wild history, and all by age 26.
If folks wanna follow the dumb tradition of retiring numbers, this would be the guy, not Koivu.

Two coin flips were won and the Wild's ancient fans were treated to the one of the most exciting players of the day. It was a great way to start of franchise.

Yes, Marion's number should be retired. No, jersey retirement isn't dumb. Yes, Koivu's number should be retired also.

 

[thestonedkoala]

He usually disappeared come playoff time. Was at the game he got 5 vs the Rangers. Great 1st/2nd stride quickness. Had groin problems.

He had 58 points in 84 games, including an incredible run in 2002-2003 where he had 17 points in 18 GP and helped carry that team. In New York he sort of disappeared (had 13 games where he had 4 points), but bounced back in 2013-2014 with 14 goals and 8 assists for 22 points in 26 games.

I don't know if Marian Gaborik was the greatest Wild player to have played, but here's some records that he has held for the past 20 years:

Goals (219)
Game-Winning Goals (43)
Most goals in a season (42, shared with Eric Staal)
Most points in a season (83)

I believe he also holds the record in goals scored in a playoff run, points in a playoff run, the rookie goals scored ( 18) and rookie points (36). Kaprizov SHOULD beat this, but who knows?

 

[DANOZ28]

tampa taking gabby allows them to put his contract on ltir freeing up cap space. i believe gabby would have been even better if our gm DR would have added better players around him.

 

[mattihp]

Yes, Marion's number should be retired. No, jersey retirement isn't dumb. Yes, Koivu's number should be retired also.

Is that Marian's sister?

 

[EXTRAS]

He was with the team for nearly 10 years. Plenty long.

And remember his numbers are lower than they would be if he played, say, now, as the early 2000s wild were known for their suffocating trap system.

 

[TaLoN]

He was with the team for nearly 10 years. Plenty long.

And remember his numbers are lower than they would be if he played, say, now, as the early 2000s wild were known for their suffocating trap system.

Not so much the trap... but all the clutching and grabbing that they call penalties on now, were completely ignored back then.

The trap is every bit as prevalent now as it was then, just no more clutching and grabbing to go with it.

 

[EXTRAS]

Not so much the trap... but all the clutching and grabbing that they call penalties on now, were completely ignored back then.

The trap is every bit as prevalent now as it was then, just no more clutching and grabbing to go with it.

Well I remember NJD and Minnesota as the uber-trap teams. They'd just swallow you up.

 

[TaLoN]

Well I remember NJD and Minnesota as the uber-trap teams. They'd just swallow you up.

And hold, and hook... made it easier to swallow up as it slowed everyone down.

It was crazy how often Gaborik would get a step on someone for a breakaway, but they'd reach their stick out and hook... basically water skiing behind him down the ice with no call.

If they did make the rare call, it was never a penalty shot.

These days they make those calls and give more obvious penalty shots in such situations.

Result is, quicker paced game, faster pace is harder to trap.

 

[EXTRAS]

And hold, and hook... made it easier to swallow up as it slowed everyone down.

It was crazy how often Gaborik would get a step on someone for a breakaway, but they'd reach their stick out and hook... basically water skiing behind him down the ice with no call.

Yeah but every good player was held and hooked. Minnesota's system specifically reduced its own players offensive output though.

 

[TaLoN]

Yeah but every good player was held and hooked. Minnesota's system specifically reduced its own players offensive output though.

You're missing my point. The trap is every bit in use today as it was then, but without the clutching and grabbing, the result is a faster game that makes trapping more difficult.

It was the clutching and grabbing that was the problem, not the trap.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

You're missing my point. The trap is every bit in use today as it was then, but without the clutching and grabbing, the result is a faster game that makes trapping more difficult.

It was the clutching and grabbing that was the problem, not the trap.

He’s talking about our own team neutering our offensive output with their own play style; not so much what other teams were doing. I think.

 

[TaLoN]

He’s talking about our own team neutering our offensive output with their own play style; not so much what other teams were doing. I think.

He scored 83 points in a season in that play style.

Went to NY... managed what? 3 more points in a season?

It was the talent that was neutering him, not the system.

When we had the talent, goals were scored. The problem was, most of his tenure had little talent, never got him a true center to play with.

 

[EXTRAS]

He scored 83 points in a season in that play style.

Went to NY... managed what? 3 more points in a season?

It was the talent that was neutering him, not the system.

When we had the talent, goals were scored. The problem was, most of his tenure had little talent, never got him a true center to play with.

This is wrong. Did you watch the team? It neutered all Minnesota players offense. They basically wouldn't forecheck.