Yeah, assuming they sign the RFAs, the only big names left are Brodin, Dubnyk, Staal. It's safe to assume Staal won't return at that point and I'm hoping Kahkonen or someone else is ready to replace Dubnyk. Koivu's contract will also be up at that point.
Minnesota Wild General Discussion IX
- Thread starter Lapa
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"Fans" aren't monolithic enough to be any one thing. Most are unhappy when they lose and happy when they win. Some are unhappy when they win in the wrong way or in the wrong context. Some are happy when they lose as long as it's a step toward something they value more, like a high draft pick. That sort of dissensus is inevitable and healthy, at least in my eyes.
Right now the team is just in uncertain territory: same problems under a new GM with losses piling up. Personally I kind of enjoy the tension
Yeah, Brodin is the only guy that we'd really miss, assuming that Doobs decline continues. Signing Brodin will take quite a bit finesse. We either sign him before the ED, and decide to protect 4 + 4, sign him and leave him unprotected at the ED, sign him and work another Haula/Tuch deal, or simply leave him unsigned till after the ED, and attempt to sign him as a FA. The latter option will likely be expensive. A still youngish top 4 guy like him would get a lot of attention.
If some of the forwards don't start doing something, I wouldn't be surprised if the Wild sign him and go 4+4. I can't think of a single forward who is more valuable than him, once age is taken into account. I like Brodin, and value him more than most, but that's pretty sad.
If some of the forwards don't start doing something, I wouldn't be surprised if the Wild sign him and go 4+4. I can't think of a single forward who is more valuable than him, once age is taken into account. I like Brodin, and value him more than most, but that's pretty sad.
There was a possibility of a lockout/strike that year. IIRC a lot of contracts around the league are set to expire that year.
Picture this scenario 3 years in the future, 2022-23:
38 year old Zach Parise at 7.5 million - still 2 years to go.
35 year old Mats Zuccarello at 6 million - still 1 year to go.
37 year old Ryan Suter at 7.5 million - still 2 years to go.
33 year old Jared Spurgeon at 7.5 million, with 4 years to go.
How did this franchise become this?
Then there will other hell to pay, not so much with Zucker probably, but Dumba?
30 year old Zucker impending UFA
28 year old Dumba impending UFA
That's the work of 3 GMs, though I'll cut Billy a little slack, new on the job and all.
Dammit, flexibility should be paramount in a cap driven sport. The Wild, on the other hand, are hamstrung.
38 year old Zach Parise at 7.5 million - still 2 years to go.
35 year old Mats Zuccarello at 6 million - still 1 year to go.
37 year old Ryan Suter at 7.5 million - still 2 years to go.
33 year old Jared Spurgeon at 7.5 million, with 4 years to go.
How did this franchise become this?
Then there will other hell to pay, not so much with Zucker probably, but Dumba?
30 year old Zucker impending UFA
28 year old Dumba impending UFA
That's the work of 3 GMs, though I'll cut Billy a little slack, new on the job and all.
Dammit, flexibility should be paramount in a cap driven sport. The Wild, on the other hand, are hamstrung.
It is good that the term of contracts was capped. But when Suter and Parise were having their deals, this was the price to pay. We got nice five years of their late prime and had some good seasons, albeit without post-season success, for the salary crunch that we need to endure for the next five years. We wanted to be relevant and didn't have other choice.
Good post - this, however, has always been the Wild's problem. They've tried to rush the process, from DR trading for Demitra, to Fletcher's big splash ( I will confess I was totally pumped that day), but the bitter truth is that what looks great one day has its warts down the road.
I am bitter about the sweetheart expansion deal Vegas got as opposed to the Wild and Columbus picking over leftovers as the last 2 of a 3 year 4 team expansion.
The problem has always been internally. We have always had to develop players on the fly, because we didn't have the talent since day 1. We have never held the scouting staff or development teams to the fire. It took a terrible GM to start the ball rolling.
nickschultzfan
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We are overreacting a bit. Wild still have an elite blueline and will for the next couple of years. Our forwards are just an island of misfit toys, which is exposing both our blueline and our average goaltender.
Spurgeon -7
Dumba -6
Suter -5
Brodin -4
Well, at least Soucy is +1 and Seeler is 0. Pretty elite stuff....
Dr Jan Itor
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DANOZ28
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Also, I think there are three or four empty netters in there deflating the numbers.
+ - means nothing. Abut a year ago I posted Brodin's since he came into the league. Some years he was the best on the team(and even the league), others he was midrange to lowest on the team.
It doesn't tell you much of anything about an individual player.
It doesn't tell you much of anything about an individual player.
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Dr Jan Itor
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It probably means a little something if you're Jack Johnson and sitting at -20 when the rest of your team is in the positive, or other extreme cases like that. But I'd agree that it mostly means very little.
All I'm contradicting is that this an ELITE blue line - I realize the team has issues in net and with defensively responsible forwards atm, but an ELITE d-corps would negate some of those flaws. This isn't the case.
Some, not all. When the D stands alone, they are forced to make higher risk plays to try to make things happen. That not only enhances their own flaws, but the already struggling forwards and goaltenders are exposed even more when the risks backfire.
Northerner
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Also the d-corps is being relied on to do most of the teams scoring so far. They have all been active in the o-zone and taking more chances at trying to hold the o-zone.
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I can’t tell if you’re trying to dispute this. Dubnyk is an average to below average goalie propped up by a top 5 defensive unit. Not this year obviously, but in the past he’s been carried by the rest of our roster.
I think that is exactly what Dubnyk is compared to most starters in the league.
Our d core is often lauded as elite and one of the top d cores in the league. 4 games of plus minus stats don't change a dam thing lol.
2Pair
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