Confirmed with Link: Paul Fenton to be named GM of Minnesota Wild

[thestonedkoala]

Fenton is just misses so far.

So, you want him to trade everyone to tank, draft in the top 5 with the same scouts/professionals that led us to draft Johansson and hope for the best?

 

[Bazeek]

That's an under statement. The best players decide to be invisible in the same year? Coming into the season he had to realize the issue the team had was/is up the middle. Old and slow at C, with not much to bring up. So he does nothing to address it and we now get to talk about how close we are to the bottom of the standings.

The center thing I have to grant him some clemency on. Fletcher spent pretty much his entire tenure here trying to reel one in and the best he did was having Staal sort of fall into his lap. Trading for a top-6 center is hard in this league.

I think Fenton probably had a general idea of what he wanted to do last summer, but it was obviously harder than he'd expected. And it's only gotten harder and more bleak since then. How that affects his 3- or 5-year plan for this team... I dunno, but he hasn't struck me as someone that'll go for a quick fix.

 

[Nsjohnson]

A new GM making some strange moves? Not surprising.

We'll see how it plays out over the next three years.

 

[Olcoach]

The center thing I have to grant him some clemency on. Fletcher spent pretty much his entire tenure here trying to reel one in and the best he did was having Staal sort of fall into his lap. Trading for a top-6 center is hard in this league.

I think Fenton probably had a general idea of what he wanted to do last summer, but it was obviously harder than he'd expected. And it's only gotten harder and more bleak since then. How that affects his 3- or 5-year plan for this team... I dunno, but he hasn't struck me as someone that'll go for a quick fix.

I'm not inclined to cut him any slack on the center issue because it is/was soooo obvious. Fletcher's problem was his love for "his" guys that hamstrung his willingness to put a package together that would blow another GM away for a solid 1 or 2 center. Granted it would be hard and take alot, but look where we are now. 6 month's later everyone is available except for the "twins", and we got Nada for Nino.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

I'm not inclined to cut him any slack on the center issue because it is/was soooo obvious. Fletcher's problem was his love for "his" guys that hamstrung his willingness to put a package together that would blow another GM away for a solid 1 or 2 center. Granted it would be hard and take alot, but look where we are now. 6 month's later everyone is available except for the "twins", and we got Nada for Nino.

i disagree we got nada for nino, Rask may not be blowing your doors off right now but he is a good 2C-3C center for future since he is younger. he made a small address to our aging C which we all know was needed. he is not great to watch right now no but he isnt awful either. he is a good not great 2way center for the middle 6 role. we just need that new young 1C to take over and build around which is clearly not the easiest thing to find.

 

[57special]

i disagree we got nada for nino, Rask may not be blowing your doors off right now but he is a good 2C-3C center for future since he is younger. he made a small address to our aging C which we all know was needed. he is not great to watch right now no but he isnt awful either. he is a good not great 2way center for the middle 6 role. we just need that new young 1C to take over and build around which is clearly not the easiest thing to find.

I have no idea what you are seeing in Rask.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

I have no idea what you are seeing in Rask.

i decent middle six center with upside and youth on his side. as i said he isnt gonna blow your doors off with speed or wow you with his hands but he is not nearly as bad as being currently viewed just because he was traded for a dwindling nino who magically (sarcasm) sparked when put on a first line with Aho. if nino was sucking the trade would not be talked about this much but since he is actually producing people bitch more. his speed is average, his hands are average but he has a good two way game, not afraid to use his body and looks like he can process the game well. i see him as a future 2c 3c depending what we find/draft in the off season.

 

[Olcoach]

i disagree we got nada for nino, Rask may not be blowing your doors off right now but he is a good 2C-3C center for future since he is younger. he made a small address to our aging C which we all know was needed. he is not great to watch right now no but he isnt awful either. he is a good not great 2way center for the middle 6 role. we just need that new young 1C to take over and build around which is clearly not the easiest thing to find.

Rask didn't need to blow my doors off because Nino wasn't either. I haven't seen even 3c potential from Rask. We must be watching different players. My point is a package of Nino/Granny/Brodin over the summer may have gotten us an offensive C. Instead we have the tweak and low level free agent plan that isn't working. Which is a result of ownership not wanting to risk attendance levels.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

Rask didn't need to blow my doors off because Nino wasn't either. I haven't seen even 3c potential from Rask. We must be watching different players. My point is a package of Nino/Granny/Brodin over the summer may have gotten us an offensive C. Instead we have the tweak and low level free agent plan that isn't working.

that would be awesome if that package happened but i do get the feeling fenton is a bit more handcuffed by leopold when it comes to making moves considering he wants nothing close to a rebuild just "tweaks". we obviously see his play differently but i dont see someone who needs to be thrown on the 4th line or in the ahl.

 

[nickschultzfan]

So, you want him to trade everyone to tank, draft in the top 5 with the same scouts/professionals that led us to draft Johansson and hope for the best?

Never said that.

 

[Olcoach]

that would be awesome if that package happened but i do get the feeling fenton is a bit more handcuffed by leopold when it comes to making moves considering he wants nothing close to a rebuild just "tweaks". we obviously see his play differently but i dont see someone who needs to be thrown on the 4th line or in the ahl.

Thank you. That was my main point earlier. We have misplaced angst against Fenton. It should be pointed towards ownership.
Shiny quarter bet says we will have the most expensive 4c next year. Lol.

 

[Goose312]

i decent middle six center with upside and youth on his side. as i said he isnt gonna blow your doors off with speed or wow you with his hands but he is not nearly as bad as being currently viewed just because he was traded for a dwindling nino who magically (sarcasm) sparked when put on a first line with Aho. if nino was sucking the trade would not be talked about this much but since he is actually producing people ***** more. his speed is average, his hands are average but he has a good two way game, not afraid to use his body and looks like he can process the game well. i see him as a future 2c 3c depending what we find/draft in the off season.

A middle 6 center who was demoted to 4th line wing when one of the top 6 centers went out injured? Youthful by being a few weeks from 26 and in his 5th season in the league? Yeah he has youth over Staal, but he completely lacks ability. Being young doesn't make you good.

I've seen none of the bolded. In fact I've seen quite the opposite; he can't skate, he fumbles the puck the moment the slightest pressure approaches him, he's horrible on defense, awful on offense, and is the least physically capable 6'2" skater I've ever seen. He's not a 2 way center, he's a no way center, no defense no offense.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

A middle 6 center who was demoted to 4th line wing when one of the top 6 centers went out injured? Youthful by being a few weeks from 26 and in his 5th season in the league? Yeah he has youth over Staal, but he completely lacks ability. Being young doesn't make you good.

I've seen none of the bolded. In fact I've seen quite the opposite; he can't skate, he fumbles the puck the moment the slightest pressure approaches him, he's horrible on defense, awful on offense, and is the least physically capable 6'2" skater I've ever seen. He's not a 2 way center, he's a no way center, no defense no offense.

demoted to 4th line because they are attempting to jump start granny by throwing him into the C spot and they didnt call Ek up to play 4th line... nothing to do with koivus injury simply granny sucks and they wanna wake him up. if you cant see the bolded fine but the least physically capable 6'2 skater? take off the biased goggles.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

Thank you. That was my main point earlier. We have misplaced angst against Fenton. It should be pointed towards ownership.
Shiny quarter bet says we will have the most expensive 4c next year. Lol.

youre on!

 

[57special]

i decent middle six center with upside and youth on his side. as i said he isnt gonna blow your doors off with speed or wow you with his hands but he is not nearly as bad as being currently viewed just because he was traded for a dwindling nino who magically (sarcasm) sparked when put on a first line with Aho. if nino was sucking the trade would not be talked about this much but since he is actually producing people ***** more. his speed is average, his hands are average but he has a good two way game, not afraid to use his body and looks like he can process the game well. i see him as a future 2c 3c depending what we find/draft in the off season.

Rask is 25.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

Rask is 25.

so 25 is pushing retirement in the nhl now? 25 is still young... sure as hell beats 33 and 35.

 

[Olcoach]

so 25 is pushing retirement in the nhl now? 25 is still young... sure as hell beats 33 and 35.

25 is when you have a handle on who the player is and the actual upside. In this case, he already peaked, lol. Off to the pressbox and the popcorn maker for thee.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

25 is when you have a handle on who the player is and the actual upside. In this case, he already peaked, lol. Off to the pressbox and the popcorn maker for thee.

peaked at 48 points? so he is a 40-50 point center? im fine with that in a middle 6c role.

 

[Goose312]

demoted to 4th line because they are attempting to jump start granny by throwing him into the C spot and they didnt call Ek up to play 4th line... nothing to do with koivus injury simply granny sucks and they wanna wake him up. if you cant see the bolded fine but the least physically capable 6'2 skater? take off the biased goggles.

Okay so he's demoted to the 4th line because it's everyone else's fault. But he's not the 4th line center either. Fehr has been playing center the last 3 games. Plus for a defensively sound center he sure has a lack of PK time.

so 25 is pushing retirement in the nhl now? 25 is still young... sure as hell beats 33 and 35.

If this was his 2nd or 3rd season in the league his "youth" if that's what you want to call 25, might matter. He's 2 weeks from 26, it's his 5th season, he pretty much is what he is at this point. If he at least showed flashes of ability to suggest he might recapture what he had years ago there could be reason for optimism, but none of that has happened so far.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

Okay so he's demoted to the 4th line because it's everyone else's fault. But he's not the 4th line center either. Fehr has been playing center the last 3 games. Plus for a defensively sound center he sure has a lack of PK time.

If this was his 2nd or 3rd season in the league his "youth" if that's what you want to call 25, might matter. He's 2 weeks from 26, it's his 5th season, he pretty much is what he is at this point. If he at least showed flashes of ability to suggest he might recapture what he had years ago there could be reason for optimism, but none of that has happened so far.

everyone elses fault? staal, granny, ek, rask, fehr. are you gonna put him above ek and make no sense in calling him up? no you wouldnt that is stupid. if they dont move granny to center rask was slotted in as 2C which is where he scored with greenway on his line.. if you wanna use special teams to help your side his offensive game must be damn good to be on the PP then right?

 

[Olcoach]

peaked at 48 points? so he is a 40-50 point center? im fine with that in a middle 6c role.

Peaked is past tense. He fell of the cliff on the way down. Way way down.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

Peaked is past tense. He fell of the cliff on the way down. Way way down.

he'll be back.

 

[Wild11MN]

It took Foligno quite a while to find his game here. I'll give Rask an offseason where he doesn't slice his finger open to see how he looks.

I'm not really optimistic or expecting a whole lot more, but it's only fair.

 

[nt3005]

Fentons only real trade doesn't look good right now, but to blame him for everything going on with this team is crazy.

For 6 Seasons this team has had a mid season swoon, its been a joke around here. This team isn't built to win this season, and most of us could see it. I was optimistic going into the season, but also wanted changes. Unfortunately for us the 3/4 of the West is terrible so we can't fall in the standings making moves even harder because making the playoffs no matter how bad your chances brings in extra revenue.

Judging the GM already is dumb, maybe put it on the players who have done this every year.

 

[Uberdachen]

Judging the GM already is dumb, maybe put it on the players who have done this every year.

That seems reasonable. It's the players' faults. The players whose fault it was last year and the year before and the year before and as you said do this every year. But it's not the fault of the guy who was brought in to change those players, but who kept all of those players, and waited until the season was lost and the seniors started to show their age and crumble and wander around the neutral zone in inside out bathrobes to finally trade an underperforming scoring forward and replace him with a guy who peeled a f***ing potato so wrong he cut his goddamn hand off.