GDT: Game 10: Devils @ Wild - 7 PM CT

[Wasted Talent]

I peaced out after we went down 4-2, so I missed the subsequent goals, but it appears Rossi had himself a 2 point game. If he's producing there, he should remain in the top-6. Do the right thing Dean.

You also missed Boldy and Kaprizov taking late penalties, I'm sure Evason can conclude that means the new 1st line doesn't work.

 

[BagHead]

You also missed Boldy and Kaprizov taking late penalties, I'm sure Evason can conclude that means the new 1st line doesn't work.

To quote AKL, "Dislike button." Hopefully Evason can see that the old lines skated to a 2-0 loss in 20 minutes while the new ones skated to a 3-3 tie in 40 minutes.

 

[Minnesota]

The LAST thing I want this team to do is make a trade. Our “playoff contender” window doesn’t open until the Suter/Parise cap penalties expire.

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

The LAST thing I want this team to do is make a trade. Our “playoff contender” window doesn’t open until the Suter/Parise cap penalties expire.

The healthy version of this team is going to be too good to tank in my opinion but the weak links are morale killers. I would gladly make small trades with our bottom D men to stop the spiral. The Hunt for Cole trade a few years back is the kind of deal I would be looking to make to at least try and stem the bleeding if you can find a willing trade partner once we do have a bit of cap wiggle room.

 

[57special]

Suter was better than Brodin at almost everything. Brodin is the guy you should be calling a #2/3

^this. I love Brodin, but pre ankle injury, Suter might well have been the best defensive Dman in the league, AND he put up 40-50 points. Calling him a 2/3 D is headshaking. He was a top 5, certainly top 10 D.

 

[Spurgeon]

The LAST thing I want this team to do is make a trade. Our “playoff contender” window doesn’t open until the Suter/Parise cap penalties expire.

Technically, I think you can make the argument that it opens next year. Although that argument would’ve been easier to make if the team had an extra $8M in cap instead of being tied up in Zucc + Foligno.

As things stand right now though, they have $12.1M in space with this roster:

Kap - Rossi - Boldy
Johansson - Ek - Zucc
Foligno - Gaudreau - Hartman
X - X - X

Brodin - Faber
Middleton - Spurgeon
Merrill - X

Gus
Wall

Hopefully those open spots can be filled with some of our ELCs. I’d like Dewar back around $1.2M. So you’ve got roughly $11M to fill a 4LW, 4RW, 3D, and extra skaters.

Assuming you can fill 3 of those spots with an ELC, they’ll have about $7-8M to play with in FA to improve the lineup and drop other guys down a spot. This is why I still don’t understand the Zucc or Foligno re-signings at all. Add that cap to their new extensions and they could’ve brought in 2 high-end UFAs on $7.5-8M contracts.

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

Technically, I think you can make the argument that it opens next year. Although that argument would’ve been easier to make if the team had an extra $8M in cap instead of being tied up in Zucc + Foligno.

As things stand right now though, they have $12.1M in space with this roster:

Kap - Rossi - Boldy
Johansson - Ek - Zucc
Foligno - Gaudreau - Hartman
X - X - X

Brodin - Faber
Middleton - Spurgeon
Merrill - X

Gus
Wall

Hopefully those open spots can be filled with some of our ELCs. I’d like Dewar back around $1.2M. So you’ve got roughly $11M to fill a 4LW, 4RW, 3D, and extra skaters.

Assuming you can fill 3 of those spots with an ELC, they’ll have about $7-8M to play with in FA to improve the lineup and drop other guys down a spot. This is why I still don’t understand the Zucc or Foligno re-signings at all. Add that cap to their new extensions and they could’ve brought in 2 high-end UFAs on $7.5-8M contracts.

High end UFAs have historically not worked out well for this team, saving those dollars to give moderate raises to the players that deserve it from the current system while still leaving room for a splash if needed is fine by me. Having that many holes in the roster gives tons of leverage to the parties you would be trying to sign, we have roster stability and flexibility during the biggest cap expansion we are likely to ever see over the upcoming three years. Seems like a good combo to me, I think there are going to be lots of players demanding big contracts in the coming years, its prudent by Guerin to stagger some of these depth guys so we aren't forced to go out and overpay every deadline for their player types.

 

[thestonedkoala]

^this. I love Brodin, but pre ankle injury, Suter might well have been the best defensive Dman in the league, AND he put up 40-50 points. Calling him a 2/3 D is headshaking. He was a top 5, certainly top 10 D.

And yet he was always a bust in the playoffs. Then again so was the entire team.

I mean Subban and McDonough are considered number 1 defensemen along with Karlsson. Even Burns could be seen as a number 1 guy.

But we're going around in circles.

I hope they trade Addison and bring up O'Rourke.

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

And yet he was always a bust in the playoffs. Then again so was the entire team.

I mean Subban and McDonough are considered number 1 defensemen along with Karlsson. Even Burns could be seen as a number 1 guy.

But we're going around in circles.

I hope they trade Addison and bring up O'Rourke.

Addison being taken off the power play does not bode well for him and his future with this team.

 

[Sweetnut]

Addison being taken off the power play does not bode well for him and his future with this team.

He´s still on the second unit, so if he´s got something to prove now is the time

 

[Wabit]

WTH? Complaining about Suter's points making him not a 1D?

Leaguewide d-man points:
12-13 : 3rd
13-14 :18th
14-15 : 31st
15-16 : 9th
16-17 : 22nd
17-18 : 17th
18-19 : 14th
19-20: 9th
20-21 : 61st (then buyout)


Norris:
1 time finalist (2nd)
2 more times top-5
2 more times top-10
A couple more years I don't really count, because it's just getting 1 random vote.

 

[Spurgeon]

High end UFAs have historically not worked out well for this team, saving those dollars to give moderate raises to the players that deserve it from the current system while still leaving room for a splash if needed is fine by me. Having that many holes in the roster gives tons of leverage to the parties you would be trying to sign, we have roster stability and flexibility during the biggest cap expansion we are likely to ever see over the upcoming three years. Seems like a good combo to me, I think there are going to be lots of players demanding big contracts in the coming years, its prudent by Guerin to stagger some of these depth guys so we aren't forced to go out and overpay every deadline for their player types.

Other than Parise & Suter, this organization really hasn’t ever been involved in big UFA signings. And in the case of those two, they at the very least were significant pieces in turning the Wild into a perennial playoff team.

Guerin unnecessarily locked up 3 roster spots and $12M on aging players that have already been here for several failed playoff runs. Hartman’s contract was fine, but the Zucc and Foligno extensions were brutal. I much rather would have had this team save that money and go after guys like Lindholm or Hanifin.