Confirmed with Link: Kunin and #101 for Bonino, #37 and #70

[Gurglesons]

Sucks that Mooney was apparently a creep cos his substance was always entertaining.

 

[GordieGallant]

JEE is avg at best , everyone else in the nhl knows it except wild fans

Let’s see if gets some time on the PP. I like him as a disrupter in front of the net. Can’t be any worse than Koivu on the PP.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Let’s see if gets some time on the PP. I like him as a disrupter in front of the net. Can’t be any worse than Koivu on the PP.

As much as I like JEE AT 5V5, unless he significantly improves his play at the dot, he's got no business being on the PP.

 

[GordieGallant]

As much as I like JEE AT 5V5, unless he significantly improves his play at the dot, he's got no business being on the PP.

His face off percentage has gotten better every year. Your right at 46% that may hold him back. But again Koivu wasn’t exactly lighting things up and he deserves a shot.

Bonino is at 52%. Johansson and Bjugstad around 40%

 

[absolute garbage]

Wrote this on the main board:

Weird trade by Minnesota to get rid of Kunin like that.

I don't think Kunin is anything special. Don't think he has much offensive upside, really the only notable plus offensive skill he has is his release which is pretty good. Other than that he's mostly just about hard work and doing the right things. Tough to project him to be anything more than a hard working 20-20 middle 6 right shot winger. But that has its own value. He is young and was probably going to sign for 2.5-3M/yr and it would've been pretty good value all things considered. Also they were really lacking right shooting wingers and now got rid of the only one they had.

So it's weird. I thought Kunin was going to be part of the new Wild going forward, being a type of glue guy and playing a meaningful role even if it's not a high scoring one, maybe a little bit like Jenner in Columbus. Expansion draft is irrelevant because they are going to have to expose and lose a similar level player anyway (unless they trade them all, which is probably not going to happen).

 

[GordieGallant]

They needed a Center who can kill penalties and play on the PP. Roles that Koivu played. The fact they got Bonino and a top prospect is a no brainer.

 

[Jbcraig1883]

Just my old man/fan two cents. Thought Kunin would turn into a Ryan Kesler type player. He's had a few injuries (feel free to correct me - believe they have been concussions) in his short career. Has a good shot but misses or hits the goalie in the chest. Doesn't seem to have speed or puck skills to be a top 6 player. While at first I was meh on Bonino, I think GMBG and his staff have assessed Kunin and decided to move on. The draft picks are nice and Bonino either helps us this year into the playoffs or is flipped for more futures down the road. Happy to be wrong but don't think this is as big of a debate as it is. COVID and elections getting to everyone, haha.

 

[Legegendsofthenorth]

I like the trade but dont like losing Kunin. I thought he was pointed in the right direction. Who knows what happens behind closed doors though.

Here is my thoughts on it:
I look at what Montreal got for Domi and what BG got for Kunin and it was a haul in my opinion.

They filled up that prospect pool. I wonder what it will be ranked after this draft?

As Wild fan we have watched them give middle tier players contracts larger than they deserved with term and it has held them back. I am glad Geurin didn't fall into that trap.

Age doesn't bother me like the rest of you. I can see him wanting to have 3-4 legit scorers that are the base of the future and then fill in the gaps with those other players. A 30 year old guy that can do the same thing for 3 years as a 22/23/24/25 will come a lot cheaper. It's actually good use of cap to build your team that way.

I said I thought they would go after Bonino last week because of his history with BG, he has been top 15 in selke several times and we really need better FO in D zone.

 

[ctmagic]

At face value, I was ambivalent to this trade. Like Kunin a lot, but the value seemed fair. After our picks, I like the trade quite a bit. It does leave me a bit more confused with the Staal trade, but oh well. Figure out our goalie situation and I like where this team is sitting.

I think trading Staal was mostly done for an improvement in team speed, less about culture.

 

[2Pair]

I think trading Staal was mostly done for an improvement in team speed, less about culture.

I don't. I think Guerin's #1 desire in the Staal trade was to get rid of a player that couldn't care less about winning.

 

[milesfj]

I feel much better after the video. I need bonino

 

[Sota Popinski]

No successful team is going to worry about losing their 9th best skater in an expansion draft. This trade was about gaining roster flexibility and draft picks for a guy who they obviously don't see as being a top 6 contributor.

Trying to game the expansion draft completely blew up in the face of the Panthers and Wild and I hope Guerin learned a lesson from that.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

It might not have been the reason for it, but if Guerin wasn’t aware of it then he’s not really aware.

 

[DANOZ28]

we've traded away 3 - 20G scorers and replaced them with less than 20G scorers, cheers to our gm

 

[Tom Hanks]

I love Bonino especially come playoff time. Absolute warrior and will leave it all out on the ice. Average speed but is very smart so he knows where to go/be. Not afraid of the dirty areas and will put his body on the line. Good hockey IQ so a good pivot for his line.
Having said that.............

 

[AKL]

I love Bonino especially come playoff time. Absolute warrior and will leave it all out on the ice. Average speed but is very smart so he knows where to go/be. Not afraid of the dirty areas and will put his body on the line. Good hockey IQ so a good pivot for his line.
Having said that.............

Bonino at the deadline 50% retained for PIT 2022 1st

 

[BagHead]

Bonino at the deadline 50% retained for PIT 2022 1st

I believe this next decade is going to really change the Wild for the better, what with the Wild using their 1st round picks to draft prospects, and the Penguins using their 1st round picks to draft prospects for the Wild.

 

[Digitalbooya]

we've traded away 3 - 20G scorers and replaced them with less than 20G scorers, cheers to our gm

Bonino scored more goals than Kunin last season. Kunin has never scored 20 in a year so can’t really call him a 20 goal scorer until he’s done it.

 

[ThatGuy22]

No successful team is going to worry about losing their 9th best skater in an expansion draft. This trade was about gaining roster flexibility and draft picks for a guy who they obviously don't see as being a top 6 contributor.

Trying to game the expansion draft completely blew up in the face of the Panthers and Wild and I hope Guerin learned a lesson from that.

Gueiren certainly learned the lesson from MN and Flrodia. Just not the one you think. He learned you don't go into expansion draft with valuable assets that you'd lose for nothing.

No successful team is going to let a player worth apparently a 2nd and 3rd round pick, and a good 3C (who himself will likely return a 2nd) go for nothing in the expansion draft.

 

[BKarchitect]

I’n surprised by the Kunin love in here now that’s he’s gone because I’ve stalked more than a few game day threads here and it seems like he quite often took a bunch of flack. You guys got the better player and a couple of really nice picks. Was Kunin destined to be anything more than a mid-6 player? Great release but he never struck me as dynamic or skilled enough to be a top 6 anchor and I feel perhaps there is some weird thing going on here where because people see Kunin and think “young” and see Bonino and his age and think “old” that this is a bad trade.

But that wasn’t the trade, you got two valuable picks / prospects. And Bonino is the better hockey player. And he’s a playoff legend so after he’s done insulating your youngsters for the majority of the season (which is important), he’ll be a hot commodity at the deadline. And as for the future...frankly there are more talented options coming down the pike than Kunin...who isn’t even going to be protection worthy in Nashville come expansion draft.

I killed Guerin for the Staal deal but I though this was a rather shrewd move to both gain future assets and plug some gaping holes in the current roster construction (ok yes, a lot of that is Guerins ones fault) with a player who in turn can be flipped for more assets. Your building organizational depth for the future and getting a solid leader for the short term and maybe I’m just not as high on Kunin as you guys but I seriously doubt 3 or 5 years from now anybody is going to be like “oh man I would just die to have Luke Kunin back on this team”.

 

[Digitalbooya]

I’n surprised by the Kunin love in here now that’s he’s gone because I’ve stalked more than a few game day threads here and it seems like he quite often took a bunch of flack. You guys got the better player and a couple of really nice picks. Was Kunin destined to be anything more than a mid-6 player? Great release but he never struck me as dynamic or skilled enough to be a top 6 anchor and I feel perhaps there is some weird thing going on here where because people see Kunin and think “young” and see Bonino and his age and think “old” that this is a bad trade.

But that wasn’t the trade, you got two valuable picks / prospects. And Bonino is the better hockey player. And he’s a playoff legend so after he’s done insulating your youngsters for the majority of the season (which is important), he’ll be a hot commodity at the deadline. And as for the future...frankly there are more talented options coming down the pike than Kunin...who isn’t even going to be protection worthy in Nashville come expansion draft.

I killed Guerin for the Staal deal but I though this was a rather shrewd move to both gain future assets and plug some gaping holes in the current roster construction (ok yes, a lot of that is Guerins ones fault) with a player who in turn can be flipped for more assets. Your building organizational depth for the future and getting a solid leader for the short term and maybe I’m just not as high on Kunin as you guys but I seriously doubt 3 or 5 years from now anybody is going to be like “oh man I would just die to have Luke Kunin back on this team”.

22 year old NHL players are rarely traded. Guerin could look really dumb in this move or he could look like a genius. Who are the more talented right wingers the Wild have "down the pike?"

 

[ThatGuy22]

22 year old NHL players are rarely traded. Guerin could look really dumb in this move or he could look like a genius. Who are the more talented right wingers the Wild have "down the pike?"

That's absolutely true.... But 23, 24 and 25 year old players get traded all the time for scraps because they didn't progress much after age 22 and never took that "next step".

Time will tell which one Kunin is.

 

[Digitalbooya]

That's absolutely true.... But 23, 24 and 25 year old players get traded all the time for scraps because they didn't progress much after age 22 and never took that "next step".

Time will tell which one Kunin is.

Very true. I saw some preds fans on capfriendly call this Granlund for Fiala 2.0... They are gonna be disappointed.

 

[Bazeek]

The other thing that came to light yesterday was the degree to which Poile and the Predators pursued Kunin rather than him being sold off. If Guerin figured he needed to move at least one more winger before the season started and Kunin was the guy that had the most attention this looks like the right play.

 

[BKarchitect]

22 year old NHL players are rarely traded. Guerin could look really dumb in this move or he could look like a genius. Who are the more talented right wingers the Wild have "down the pike?"

Ryan Hartman was a 23 year-old former first rounder when deal from the Blackhawks to Nashville. In his previous two seasons he had 27 goals and 56 points in 133 GP. He returned a late 1st, a late 4th and a nothing prospect.

Luke Kunin will be 23 in December. In his previous two seasons he had 21 goals and 48 points in 112 GP. He, along with a high 4th returned a high 2nd, a high 3rd and a better player albeit one with a shorter life-span. But said player should easily return at least another 2nd+ at the deadline.

Kunin probably regarded slightly higher at the time of the trades but they are pretty comparable and we all know where Hartman is now. Yes, Kunin is a different guy and I could be dead wrong even making this comparison - maybe next season in Nashville he has 25 goals and 55 points and this deal looks every bit as bad as some here think it is. I personally don't see that as his future average season but I you guys watch him more than me so maybe my entire analysis is dead wrong.