Confirmed Trade: [NSH/MIN] Nick Bonino, 37th overall, 70th overall, for Luke Kunin and 101st overall

[PuckInTheNards]

Well, I was a Kunin fan so I still hate this trade but I think I can understand the logic behind it. Looks like Guerin is doing as complete a tear down rebuild of our forward corps as possible. Looks like we're definitely going 4+4 in the expansion draft, so Kunin would have been unprotected. I'd bet Guerin is shopping Greenway, too. Bonino's filler and will be gone at the deadline. We'll be bad next season but hopefully at least competitive the season after. Win or lose, this will completely be Guerin's (and Brackett's) team in a couple of years.

If we could just unload Zuccarello....

 

[Drewcifer]

The people who don't follow the Wild don't get this move but it actually makes a lot of sense. This move makes it clear that Guerin intends to keep Dumba and go 4 + 4 + 1 in the expansion draft. If you do that Kunin is the player Seattle takes. Instead we get a good center prospect in the second round and a good 3C who makes the team better now and can also be flipped at the trade deadline for picks.

It looks like being competitive this season is not a high priority for Guerin. The way the team is constructed they might be decent this year if it comes together but if it doesn't they have a lot of players they can trade for picks at the deadline. I think is a transition and evaluation year. The Wild are positioned to come out of the expansion draft with an elite defense still intact and a lot of good young forwards in the pipeline, Kaprizov - Rossi - Fiala might be a great top line in a couple of years.

 

[rynryn]

i get it but i don't like it. Think we will regret giving Kunin up.

 

[rynryn]

any more old penguin connected players floating around that we can give up young players for?

 

[GoldOnGold]

any more old penguin connected players floating around that we can give up young players for?

Trevor Daley?

 

[ThatGuy22]

any more old penguin connected players floating around that we can give up young players for?

We'll. .. there is a certain goalie

 

[rynryn]

only those with "character". i know Fleury has that in spades. not sure about Daley.

 

[CamPopplestone]

It's also clear that Guerin wants to completely shake up what he must feel is a totally complacent organization

 

[thestonedkoala]

The more I think about it, the more I think Guerin is setting up the team post-expansion, because the last time he saw how hard some teams got screwed. As it stands, Minnesota just unloaded two guys they couldn't protect in Donato and Kunin for futures and an expiring contract. That's thinking ahead. They don't need to protect Johansson, Bonino, Hartman, Foligno, as they are free agents.

They expose Rask, Sturm, Greenway (if he's still on the roster), and Soucy along with Stalock.

If the best player they lose is Soucy, I'm okay with this.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

It's also clear that Guerin wants to completely shake up what he must feel is a totally complacent organization

As he should. Parise and Co we’re far to comfortable.

 

[PromisedLand]

What is Guerin doing?

Almost positive Bonino gets flipped to the highest bidder at the TDL

 

[YYCLetangStan]

Almost positive Bonino gets flipped to the highest bidder at the TDL

I’d take him back for dirt cheap if we could make it work salary wise.

 

[AslanRH]

any more old penguin connected players floating around that we can give up young players for?

Ian Cole is your guy

 

[780il]

As usual idk wtf Minnesota is doing

 

[llp]

I'm calling Bull, According to morning puck the whole playoffs Kunin was on the second line. He even got first-line time during the end of the season before the break. They gave him chances he just never took advantage of it like others like Fiala.

Absolutely. Every time Kunin was on a higher line I specifically watched out for him. He was always nonexistent.

 

[Sota Popinski]

As usual idk wtf Minnesota is doing

Well, it looks like we made our team better for this year and also picked up a 2nd and 3rd round pick in the process.

 

[Prior]

Minnesota got a second and third for Kunin and people are wondering the Wild are doing?

 

[thestonedkoala]

As usual idk wtf Minnesota is doing

Rebuilding a team without trying to actually tank?

 

[Vitto79]

Minnesota got a second and third for Kunin and people are wondering the Wild are doing?

True just weird 2 young players in Kunin and Donato moved out

Guess they are going to run out vets , deal some at the deadline

 

[thestonedkoala]

True just weird 2 young players in Kunin and Donato moved out

Guess they are going to run out vets , deal some at the deadline

And not have to worry about the expansion draft.

 

[Sharks2020]

When I heard Bonino to the wild I expected it to be for like a fifth round pick, Kunin being involved is very surprising but he was struggling there and they got some good picks time will tell how this deal works for Nashville.

 

[Prior]

True just weird 2 young players in Kunin and Donato moved out

Guess they are going to run out vets , deal some at the deadline

Donato is the perfect case study in moving Kunin now.

Identify your player you do not think is capable of making the jump to another level and get value for them before the rest of the league figures it out. Boston got Coyle for Donato and Minnesota needs to flip him a year later for a 3rd round pick in two year’s time after he shows he’s unable to elevate himself over other players.

The Wild will roll with more less this roster with an addition of a goaltender. If they aren’t in position for the playoffs, Bonino, Foligno, Mojo, and potentially Bjugstad are all sold off for the best futures they can get. Potentially Greenway/Soucy as well pending who has the most value. They go 4+4 in expansion and Greenway/Soucy are the one picked. By then, they free up a ton of money, have some of their best prospects coming through, and have some cash to play with. And potentially a Dumba who bounces back to regain trade value.

There’s a lot of sense in what the Wild are doing right now.

 

[57special]

Guerin has served notice to the nonperforming parts of the team that they will be held accountable. The Captain was told not to come back. Eric Staal was sent packing. Zucker was traded. Donato and Kunin are gone, as is Dubnyk. He tried to trade Parise to NYI last year. Zuccarello will be gone as soon as his NMC is done. Pateryn is expiring, as is Hunt. Stalock is just around to satisfy the ED requirements. The players like Bonino, Bjugstad, and Johansson who came back are expiring, and are not going to be part of the future. Addison, Hunt, and Marat cam back in trade. Next year they have an extra 1st, and 3rd.

The players that he liked have been re-signed. Spurgeon, Brodin, and Soucy.

Rossi will be playing as soon as next season. Kaprizov will be playing this season. Menell, Boldy and Addison the season after that. Maybe Khovanov and Beckman.

Some think that Greenway is the next to go, as he was vocal with his unhappiness about parts of his game. My theory is that he will keep him, and was only trying to send a message to get him motivated.

Kunin is a decent middle six player. Nothing about him sticks out in a bad or good way. Great team guy, good effort. His shot was vg in college, but we saw it too little in MN. Very smart guy...it's possible he takes this trade personally and has a good year next year. Can easily see him getting 20 goals if he plays with Duchene or RyJo.

 

[Soundgarden]

When I heard Bonino to the wild I expected it to be for like a fifth round pick, Kunin being involved is very surprising but he was struggling there and they got some good picks time will tell how this deal works for Nashville.

I think you're underrating Bonino, he'll probably get a 2nd at the deadline if he played like he did last year.

 

[Yeolo]

The Wild are now basically built to give the Kraken nothing. Given where our team sits currently, I'm VERY happy with how this off season has went.

All of our high impact players who are apart of our future are protected.

We will lose Greenway or Soucy. If I'm the Wild I trade both for futures at the TDL (or sooner) and watch every other team get ravaged and laugh.