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

[AKL]

I'd keep Foligno for the trade deadline. Greenway can kick rocks though. The guy doesn't have the offensive upside to be worth keeping around.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

I think a decent comp for Greenway is a guy like Dustin Penner. Didn't even make his NHL debut until his age 23 season, while Greenway has obviously been around for a few years now. In his age 24 season had 29 goals and 45 points though (and later had 30+ goals and 60+ points playing on a terrible Oilers team). Takes a big longer for some players to develop the core strength that they need for playing with the big frame. When they put it all together it's hard to stop a guy that can pass and play with the puck and rag-doll smaller players.

It goes without saying that it also takes commitment. Greenway has attributes you can't just give away though, glad they're both sending a direct message to him and giving him another chance.

As for Kunin, wish him luck but not a big loss. Guess he gets to be the new Craig Smith.

 

[Bazeek]

I think a decent comp for Greenway is a guy like Dustin Penner. Didn't even make his NHL debut until his age 23 season, while Greenway has obviously been around for a few years now. In his age 24 season had 29 goals and 45 points though (and later had 30+ goals and 60+ points playing on a terrible Oilers team). Takes a big longer for some players to develop the core strength that they need for playing with the big frame. When they put it all together it's hard to stop a guy that can pass and play with the puck and rag-doll smaller players.

It goes without saying that it also takes commitment. Greenway has attributes you can't just give away though, glad they're both sending a direct message to him and giving him another chance.

As for Kunin, wish him luck but not a big loss. Guess he gets to be the new Craig Smith.

That year-end talk combined with trading off almost every movable forward except him does seem like a challenge mixed with a vote of confidence.

Edit: Of course, I say that when we haven't even hit free agency yet Probably shouldn't be saying anything definitive about who's actually staying right now.

 

[ctmagic]

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.

Oh please, just cuz a player doesn’t want to move doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about winning.

 

[grimmel95]

Oh please, just cuz a player doesn’t want to move doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about winning.

I agree 100% with this and I would say the #1 reason why GMBG moved Staal was to get younger and faster in my humble opinion.

 

[Al Lagoon]

I have a feeling I'm gonna end up hating Luke Kunin as a Predator.

 

[57special]

Mebbe we should boo him every time he touches the puck?

 

[MuckOG]

Mebbe we should boo him every time he touches the puck?

One of the worst traditions in hockey fandom, IMO. Some fans even believe that when they boo an opponent, that it bothers them....when it actually, it's the opposite.

 

[Soldier13Fox]

One of the worst traditions in hockey fandom, IMO. Some fans even believe that when they boo an opponent, that it bothers them....when it actually, it's the opposite.

Yup, I realize that the circumstances between Suter and Kunin are completely different ... but I've always felt that Nashville fans booing Suter all the time is extremely trashy and reflects poorly on their entire fan base.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Yup, I realize that the circumstances between Suter and Kunin are completely different ... but I've always felt that Nashville fans booing Suter all the time is extremely trashy and reflects poorly on their entire fan base.

I mean remember when Wild fans used to boo Modano?

 

[Soldier13Fox]

I mean remember when Wild fans used to boo Modano?

True. I dislike it, regardless.

 

[thestonedkoala]

BTW, thinking hard on this trade, I think it was one of the best trades Minnesota has made in a long, long time. Getting value now for Kunin was huge and a really brilliant move by Guerin

 

[MuckOG]

BTW, thinking hard on this trade, I think it was one of the best trades Minnesota has made in a long, long time. Getting value now for Kunin was huge and a really brilliant move by Guerin

The trade might look even better if BG can flip Bonino for another 2nd round pick at the TDL. A hard working middle 6 center on an expiring contract is something contending teams will pay a premium for.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

BTW, thinking hard on this trade, I think it was one of the best trades Minnesota has made in a long, long time. Getting value now for Kunin was huge and a really brilliant move by Guerin

We got Fiala only 18 months ago.

 

[Yeolo]

I agree 100% with this and I would say the #1 reason why GMBG moved Staal was to get younger and faster in my humble opinion.

I'm of the belief that he traded Staal because in a year where we know we ain't winning a cup we don't want a player that's not going to be here long term helping to inflate our win total, while taking a spot away from a young guy that can go out and prove himself, or someone that could be apart of our long term future and isn't going to retire in 1-2 years.

 

[57special]

Taking into consideration the Seattle ED, then yes, it was a good trade. If Kunin had a great year next year, he would've been taken from us by Seattle.

The Staal trade still doesn't make sense to me. Why pay 1M more for a lesser player, who's best position is not C? Who gives a damn if he's faster, if he is a worse player, and can't stay on the ice, compared to Staal, anyway. I never heard a peep out of Staal publicly, nor a creditable rumor that he was anything but happy here, and easy to coach.

One of those "culture" trades that seemed wrongheaded. He was an expiring contract.

 

[AKL]

We got Fiala only 18 months ago.

Turnover machine, doesn't play defense, Bonino trade is better

 

[DeagleJenkins]

Taking into consideration the Seattle ED, then yes, it was a good trade. If Kunin had a great year next year, he would've been taken from us by Seattle.

The Staal trade still doesn't make sense to me. Why pay 1M more for a lesser player, who's best position is not C? Who gives a damn if he's faster, if he is a worse player, and can't stay on the ice, compared to Staal, anyway. I never heard a peep out of Staal publicly, nor a creditable rumor that he was anything but happy here, and easy to coach.

One of those "culture" trades that seemed wrongheaded. He was an expiring contract.

I care if he is faster. It seems more so like a trade to force someone to step up because it sounds as though too many kids on the team relied on Staal. So what the trade does is take that crutch away. Take away that person to lean on and force them to sink or swim. See which kid wants to step up and take control. For all we know the country club vibe could of been completely Staal as he did state he likes watching his kids grow here and such. Not saying it was him just maybe.

 

[AKL]

I care if he is faster. It seems more so like a trade to force someone to step up because it sounds as though too many kids on the team relied on Staal. So what the trade does is take that crutch away. Take away that person to lean on and force them to sink or swim. See which kid wants to step up and take control. For all we know the country club vibe could of been completely Staal as he did state he likes watching his kids grow here and such. Not saying it was him just maybe.

It's funny cause that dude is always complaining about how slow we are and how we need to get faster players.

 

[thestonedkoala]

We got Fiala only 18 months ago.

Except we definitely left value on the table with Fiala.

 

[Digitalbooya]

It's funny cause that dude is always complaining about how slow we are and how we need to get faster players.

Definitely mission accomplished by Guerin and played almost perfectly into expansion.

 

[Digitalbooya]

Except we definitely left value on the table with Fiala.

Ehhh, in hindsight we won that trade by a landslide. Fenton has a humongous brain, just wait till Filip Johansson gets here.

 

[HotDish]

I'm of the belief that he traded Staal because in a year where we know we ain't winning a cup we don't want a player that's not going to be here long term helping to inflate our win total, while taking a spot away from a young guy that can go out and prove himself, or someone that could be apart of our long term future and isn't going to retire in 1-2 years.

I actually think Staal and Johansson will have similar points this next season.

if you dive into the advanced stats last year was the first year with the Wild that Staal’s defense hurt the wild more than his offense could help them. The numbers would argue he was a net negative for the team. Now adv. stats are not the end all be all. Plus it could always be a blimp/down year. So, It is important to weight the eye test against it.

I still wouldn’t make the trade, but I speculate the Wild are betting that Staal is going to regress even more next year and hoping that Johansson improves with another season at Centre or just not getting worse.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

It's funny cause that dude is always complaining about how slow we are and how we need to get faster players.

speed only helps if youre complaining we arent fast enough right?

 

[P10p]

Gunna be funny when people realize MoJo is still a solid player and Staal is not.