Confirmed with Link: Matt Cooke (Released from Wild)

[Grover]

This is funny...

To those of you who say you won't cheer for him... When he scores a short-handed goal to put us ahead, you will cheer for him.

A year ago, the entire fanbases of NJ and Nashville hated us for our free agent acquisitions. This year, we hate us for our free agent acquisitions.

Sorry..No I ****ing won't. This ******* has ended careers. He shouldn't even be in the NHL.

 

[Minnewildsota]

Well, the message board is going to be a lot quieter with all these people jumping ship.

 

[Sneaky Priest]

All this talk about Matt Cooke makes me want some milk and cookies...

 

[J22*]

Well, the message board is going to be a lot quieter with all these people jumping ship.

Already found one silver lining. nice

 

[llamapalooza]

Hope he gets booed on opening night, and wouldn't be surprised, really. I will if I'm there.

Fletch has lost it.

 

[BusQuets]

Very good signing imo.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Sorry..No I ****ing won't. This ******* has ended careers. He shouldn't even be in the NHL.

Savard had numerous previous concussions, lied to the team and doctors and played while still experiencing post-concussion symptoms, and got concussed again right after coming back.

Cooke played a role in the ending of Savard's career, but he didn't outright end it. Remind me how many more players careers were ended by Matt Cooke?

 

[Fel 96]

Very good signing imo.

Terrible price as well.

 

[NHL1674]

I'm not jumping ship. And I won't boo or cheer against him. He's wearing Wild colors now. But I will have to take a bath right after every game. Feel so DIRTY right now and not in a good way.

Pass the bong, Fletch.

 

[Bazeek]

Feels so wrong that it has to be right.

 

[AKL]

Terrible price as well.

Awful, awful price.

 

[BusQuets]

Terrible price as well.

I did see him couple times during the season and almost every playoff game. I must say i really like his game and i think he is upgrade to Seto. He i one of the best pk killer in the league and has surprisingly good scoring touch and hockey IQ. If he keeps his head straight and doesn't do any stupid things he will bring joy to us next season. I know many won't agree with me but we just have to wait and see.

 

[saywut]

So, I guess the questions that need answering are: is Cooke better than clutterbuck and are nino/other prospects better than seto and Cullen...

I don't think Cooke's really a downgrade from Clutterbuck, its relying on unproven commodities to replace key players from our team last year. I'm not upset that Cullen, Clutterbuck, and Setoguchi are gone, I just don't believe we've improved our team for next season.

http://twitter.com/Russostrib/status/353310589243764736

Well if he's on the 3rd line then this doesn't change open spots in our top-9. It does however give us another LW while subtracting a RW, wonder who will join Pominville/Heatley on the right side. Coyle would make sense, but he might have to center the 2nd line.

Honestly, I like this signing.

Now if only we could figure out a way to get Mitchell to the 3rd line with Cooke and Brodziak, and I think our 3rd line would be a top-5 set.

They're paid like a 3rd line so I would hope they'd be effective. And they could be our 3rd line if we send 2 prospects to Houston.

Honestly I look at what Nystrom/Gordon/Hendricks got and Cooke's deal looks good for a day 1 signing. I just don't believe you sign free agent depth wingers to 3 year deals(Fletcher loves doing it though), let alone trade your #2 goal scorer from the previous year to open up room for them.

 

[Cluttered]

I really thought Seto was going to be swapped for a D, or dumped for a D UFA. I really hope there is something else in the works.
That being said, at least Cookie is more of a defensive forward than Seto. Also? Gives the Wild depth. If he stays clean, and the Wild make a cup run in a few years, we'll be thankful for this signing. Depth and grit, secondary (thirdary?) scoring. I don't like this signing for this year, but I like it longterm.

 

[Sneaky Priest]

I did see him couple times during the season and almost every playoff game. I must say i really like his game and i think he is upgrade to Seto. He i one of the best pk killer in the league and has surprisingly good scoring touch and hockey IQ. If he keeps his head straight and doesn't do any stupid things he will bring joy to us next season. I know many won't agree with me but we just have to wait and see.

I agree, Seto did nothing last season unless he was being centered by Cullen. Anyone who says the return we got (2nd rounder 2014) for Seto wasn't enough obviously has no idea how well Flahr and Fletcher draft.

 

[NHL1674]

You know who I blame? Vlasic. If he didn't slash the heck out of Heatley, we could have had #15 in the postseason. Then we could have bought him out. And maybe then, we'd have more money and possibly looking at other options than Cooke.

This will either sink Fletcher's ship, or it'll be an epic move for him. Ain't no middle ground on this one.

 

[Sneaky Priest]

I don't like this signing for this year, but I like it long term.

Everything Fletcher does seems to be good for the short term and long term. I think this is another example of that.

 

[this providence]

Hate it.

If he didn't have the past he does, it would be one thing. But playing the game for ~25 years and being a fan in general all of my cognisant life, there's just no way I can get behind a player who plays the game the way Matt Cooke does. He's a punk. Frankly, I will never be able to look past the things he does well, knowing just the type of player he's been throughout his career. I think many will feel the same in this educated and grudge holding market.

As for Fletcher, it's one thing to move fan favorites before they're due to be paid (Burns, Clutterbuck), it's completely another to bring a guy like this on. It smacks of having zero pulse of the fan base. Quite frankly, it's embarrassing. With this single move he's put himself on the radar of every single fan who either liked what he was doing or hated the progress. If his team fails to look like a solid playoff team, he very well may have just seen his last offseason with this club.

Foolish signing on so many levels, IMO.

 

[Sneaky Priest]

Fletcher knows what this signing means to the fanbase. He just doesn't let it bother him, he does whatever it takes to put what he thinks is the best team on the ice. Fletcher is not as ignorant as you make him out to be. Only time will tell how this all shakes out.

 

[eco's bones]

As a Rangers fan I'm just glad he's out of the conference. Would not be surprised if a lot of Wild fans hating on this change their minds later. He can be a very effective player but I don't buy for a minute that he's changed his ways. That hit on Erik Karlsson last year is a prime piece of evidence.

 

[Fel 96]

 

[Kari Takko]

Sorry..No I ****ing won't. This ******* has ended careers. He shouldn't even be in the NHL.

BS...

 

[youvegotit]

I hate Cooke and it seems like everyone else here does as well. However, I do believe Cooke makes our team better and harder to play against. Will be glad to not have to play against him but like everyone else will have trouble cheering for him.

 

[DrPP]

The thing I don't understand is a three year contract. Cooke is going down hill and has inflated numbers playing for Pitt. He isn't that good and he is a cheap shot piece of crap (yes, Matt, I would say that an inch from your face because you are a coward in case you're reading). In two years, the Wild will be wishing they didn't have Cooke's contract on the books if not next year or this year. Why not keep Seto for one more year to fill in the gap for the younger wingers? Now you got this pile of excrement filling a spot for three years? Bleh!

 

[Fel 96]

Iginla to Bruins...Cooke to Wild...love NHL drama. Cooke will help Wild...fans will quickly learn to like/love/appreciate him.

http://twitter.com/PulledGoalie/status/353324409546752000