Is Minnesota the biggest disappointment in the league?

[El Nino 22]

As a Wild fan should I hope for McEichel or a hot streak and a playoff run?

 

[jedisports]

Injuries and goalie situation unstable.

I still have faith we'll turn it around though. Just don't know if it will be this season or the next. lol

 

[Duck Off]

I think Minnesota, Colorado, and Dallas are about the same. Honestly I'd pick Boston or Edmonton before them. Boston is doing slightly better then the first three, but I thought they'd be 1 or 2 in the east. Edmonton is just a joke. I expected them to be bad, but not that bad.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

I expected a lot more from Dallas.

Minnesota has tried to buy success with big free agents but it hasn't worked. They need a center. And a legit #1 goalie.

I expected this from Colorado. Their play last year wasn't sustainable.

 

[10coach*]

I expected a lot more from Dallas.

Minnesota has tried to buy success with big free agents but it hasn't worked. They need a center. And a legit #1 goalie.

I expected this from Colorado. Their play last year wasn't sustainable.

Remember Minnesota did a tremendous job of drafting as well and had the top prospect group in the league a couple years ago.

 

[Teppo]

I expected a lot more from Dallas.

Minnesota has tried to buy success with big free agents but it hasn't worked. They need a center. And a legit #1 goalie.

I expected this from Colorado. Their play last year wasn't sustainable.

What does this mean? The NHL is full of teams that have signed expensive free agents - some have worked well and some have not. Parise and Suter have been the two best Wild players since signing. That is a great couple of players to build around. Should they have said "no thank you" to Suter and Parise. That would have been insane.

 

[WarriorofTime]

The Islanders made a big mistake trading Niederreiter. He would look good on Tavares wing for the next decade.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

people are ridiculous saying FA signings have been bad for Minnesota. Suter and Parise are the 2 best players on the team! Id say they were good signings. They just dont really have an answer in goal and bad depth on defense.

 

[Wild11MN]

people are ridiculous saying FA signings have been bad for Minnesota. Suter and Parise are the 2 best players on the team! Id say they were good signings. They just dont really have an answer in goal and bad depth on defense.

Exactly, they have clearly been worth every penny so far. Parise was at a PPG until the last game or two, and Suter is what he is, playing 29 minutes/game.

The free agent signings have helped the team immensely. The problem has been a down year from 2/3 of the team.

 

[Pohlow]

I am glad to see them falter. Teams should be built through trading and drafting, not through buying talent. They are doing it wrong and it feels good seeing them fail.

 

[Nsjohnson]

I am glad to see them falter. Teams should be built through trading and drafting, not through buying talent. They are doing it wrong and it feels good seeing them fail.

So...you mean the majority of our team has been built well.

 

[Nothingman*]

people are ridiculous saying FA signings have been bad for Minnesota. Suter and Parise are the 2 best players on the team! Id say they were good signings. They just dont really have an answer in goal and bad depth on defense.

Well, they helped you keep picking in the bottom half of the draft while winning one series in the playoffs. In the long run, unless you win the Cup, they will have solidified mediocrity for the Wild during the length of their contracts.

So Vanek and Cooke were good FA signings? Pomminville? OK then.

 

[Alexandrov]

I am glad to see them falter. Teams should be built through trading and drafting, not through buying talent. They are doing it wrong and it feels good seeing them fail.

Damnit! Should've traded for Suter and Parise as rentals and THEN signed them. Would be a completely different situation.

 

[Teppo]

Well, they helped you keep picking in the bottom half of the draft while winning one series in the playoffs. In the long run, unless you win the Cup, they will have solidified mediocrity for the Wild during the length of their contracts.

So Vanek and Cooke were good FA signings? Pomminville? OK then.

There is no way anyone can say that the signings of Suter and Parise were not great for the Wild. Near the end of their contracts - that will be a different story.

Vanek has been terrible as far as I am concerned. He scored/set up some key goals, but he has been a liability out there.

Cooke - He has been great at his role. He was a great FA signing.

Pominville - Considering he was traded to the Wild, I am not sure how to answer. Regardless, he had 30 goals last year, and will end up near the top in team goal scoring this year, so we could say it was a good trade (especially today given that one piece of the trade was put on waivers).

 

[Alexandrov]

Well, they helped you keep picking in the bottom half of the draft while winning one series in the playoffs. In the long run, unless you win the Cup, they will have solidified mediocrity for the Wild during the length of their contracts.

So Vanek and Cooke were good FA signings? Pomminville? OK then.

Cooke, yes. Wild traded J. Larsson, M. Hackett and 1st, 2nd for Pominville.
Vanek...I want to say Jury is still out anyway he took a discount with his 3y 6M contract

 

[Nothingman*]

Vanek has been terrible as far as I am concerned. He scored/set up some key goals, but he has been a liability out there.

Cooke - He has been great at his role. He was a great FA signing.

Pominville - Considering he was traded to the Wild, I am not sure how to answer. Regardless, he had 30 goals last year, and will end up near the top in team goal scoring this year, so we could say it was a good trade (especially today given that one piece of the trade was put on waivers).

Yeah. He has been decent. He lives next to one of my friends and is a good guy too I hear. I hope he does well here. His one timer has gone AWOL this season.

 

[Teppo]

Yeah. He has been decent. He lives next to one of my friends and is a good guy too I hear. I hope he does well here. His one timer has gone AWOL this season.

You are right. He should have 20 goals by now. It is remarkable how many one-timer empty netters he has fanned on this season. I think he will snap out of it.

He did have a great goal against the Jets last game. Hutchinson was an inch of has angle and Pominville launched a laserbeam into the only possible spot he could hit on the net.

 

[Nothingman*]

You are right. He should have 20 goals by now. It is remarkable how many one-timer empty netters he has fanned on this season. I think he will snap out of it.

He did have a great goal against the Jets last game. Hutchinson was an inch of has angle and Pominville launched a laserbeam into the only possible spot he could hit on the net.

I have been surprised by all his whiffs at open nets. It must be some sort of slump because that is his bread and butter. I watch pretty much all the Wild games since I live here now. It is always interesting to grade a team with no vested interest.

 

[predfan24]

Sorry if this has already been discussed but what the hell is wrong with Koivu and how has Granlund progressed? He's still very young but I expected more production from him with the talent surrounding him.

 

[Teppo]

Sorry if this has already been discussed but what the hell is wrong with Koivu and how has Granlund progressed? He's still very young but I expected more production from him with the talent surrounding him.

Koivu had a slow start. He has been playing pretty well in the last 20 games. He is a solid #2 center at this point in his career and filling a role that he needs to fill for the Wild.

Granlund looked like he was going to continue to progress at the same rate he did last season. I don't know what happened. He just kind of flat lined, if not regressed. He seems to get knocked of the puck so easily. He will still make a great pass or two every game, but he is not playing like #1 C despite the Wild needing him to be one. He is also playing with solid wingers. Big disappointment so far. He is out with a broken wrist from the looks of things.

 

[G0AT]

I'd categorize minny, Dallas and Colorado in the same group. The question is are they underachievers or were they overhyped before the season start?

Reminds me a bit of the Chicago Bears this season to be honest.