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

[Bazeek]

The logo is on the ceiling in the locker room isn't it?

I thought there was one on the floor. Burning it on the ceiling would definitely be harder.

 

[57special]

I absolutely HATE that pick and would love to riot over it but as bad as it was at the time, and as worse as it looks now, the kid is still 18 so I don't know about firing the guy over that yet. If the Wild do end up with another well positioned pick, and I have no idea how the depth of this draft is to know where that would be, and he reaches a full round+ again then I'll start grabbing pitchforks over the use of first rounders.

OH, you're just being mature!
There is no doubt that it would be nice to have another top 4 RHD, even though we already have two, but at this point it looks like it will be at least 3-4 years before he wears a NHL uniform, let alone be a top 4 guy. This pick bugs me more than most because I had actually followed Veleno a bit ( as well as a couple of others), and thought that he was a reasonable pick for team like us, even though he was reputed to be a guy who couldn't score as well as some scouts wanted for an offensive C. Seemed to be a bit of a no brainer, in fact.

 

[Dickie Dunn]

Bazeek, that was a pretty fair analysis of his moves. I think Nino/Rask gets extra red just because it is the biggest of the moves so far.

 

[Dickie Dunn]

OH, you're just being mature!
There is no doubt that it would be nice to have another top 4 RHD, even though we already have two, but at this point it looks like it will be at least 3-4 years before he wears a NHL uniform, let alone be a top 4 guy. This pick bugs me more than most because I had actually followed Veleno a bit ( as well as a couple of others), and thought that he was a reasonable pick for team like us, even though he was reputed to be a guy who couldn't score as well as some scouts wanted for an offensive C. Seemed to be a bit of a no brainer, in fact.

If Veleno becomes the next Brayden Point then we get to riot. Sound fair?

 

[Saga of the Elk]

OH, you're just being mature!
There is no doubt that it would be nice to have another top 4 RHD, even though we already have two, but at this point it looks like it will be at least 3-4 years before he wears a NHL uniform, let alone be a top 4 guy. This pick bugs me more than most because I had actually followed Veleno a bit ( as well as a couple of others), and thought that he was a reasonable pick for team like us, even though he was reputed to be a guy who couldn't score as well as some scouts wanted for an offensive C. Seemed to be a bit of a no brainer, in fact.

Hey, remember Zack Phillips? Check his Q stat line if you forgot about him. It should be obvious why Veleno was lower on the Wild's list. They learned from a really bad pick to avoid garbage production stats and focus on actual professional hockey skills.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

Hey, remember Zack Phillips? Check his Q stat line if you forgot about him. It should be obvious why Veleno was lower on the Wild's list. They learned from a really bad pick to avoid garbage production stats and focus on actual professional hockey skills.

Zack Phillips at eliteprospects.com

just to make it easier.

 

[PuckInTheNards]

The main issue with these quotes is that BB is acting like Rask was dropped from space to the Wild roster.

No. He was in the NHL before coming to Wild. And was playing like complete garbage. The only thing he has done is continued to perform at the same level he did before the trade.

I don't know, maybe he overhauls his offseason workout program and comes back better next season, but what you see from Rask right now is exactly what you should've expected from Rask. It's not about "getting used" to anything. This is what he is.

Yeah, I don't blame Boudreau for the quote. He was as honest as he could be without directly calling out Fenton. He's in a tough spot - Fenton keeps giving him AHL defensemen and 4th liners and he has to do something with them. #firefenton

 

[57special]

If Veleno becomes the next Brayden Point then we get to riot. Sound fair?

Yes! Riot!

 

[57special]

Hey, remember Zack Phillips? Check his Q stat line if you forgot about him. It should be obvious why Veleno was lower on the Wild's list. They learned from a really bad pick to avoid garbage production stats and focus on actual professional hockey skills.

And picked Johansson?

 

[Wabit]

And picked Johansson?

He wasn't from the Q... Does that count as learning from a mistake?

 

[Goose312]

He wasn't from the Q... Does that count as learning from a mistake?

I mean he is playing just over 18 minutes a night in Sweden's 2nd tier league. So that's obviously better than a top Juniors scorer because we all know he's just another Zach Phillips.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

And picked Johansson?

Yep, the guys that picked Brodin, Seeler, Shea Weber, Dumba, Josi, Suter, Ekholm, Ellis... they are guys that know more than you do about projecting NHL defensemen.

Wait and see. I might be wrong but this gnashing of teeth over a guy picked maybe five spots too early... is tedious and unfair to him.

 

[Goose312]

Yep, the guys that picked Brodin, Seeler, Shea Weber, Dumba, Josi, Suter, Ekholm, Ellis... they are guys that know more than you do about projecting NHL defensemen.

Wait and see. I might be wrong but this gnashing of teeth over a guy picked maybe five spots too early... is tedious and unfair to him.

So about 7 posts apart you talked about Zach Phillips being a bust to justify passing on Veleno, Zach Phillips being a guy drafted when Brent Flahr ran the draft, and now you are saying we should trust is Johnasson because he was picked by the same guy that drafted Zach Phillips. I guess you can just twist the facts how you want them to fit your needs?

 

[Saga of the Elk]

So about 7 posts apart you talked about Zach Phillips being a bust to justify passing on Veleno, Zach Phillips being a guy drafted when Brent Flahr ran the draft, and now you are saying we should trust is Johnasson because he was picked by the same guy that drafted Zach Phillips. I guess you can just twist the facts how you want them to fit your needs?

The Wild since its inception drafted pretty heavily from the Q, makes sense since Guy Lapointe, the nominal director, is a Quebec guy. Without going through the whole list we can remember guys like Sheppard, Bouchard, Bussieres, Pouliot, Phillips, Belanger. But I do think Flahr took a much more active role in recent years and his strength has been defensemen. Maybe guys like Khovanov and Boudrias pan out, but the Q is not as strong as it once was. It attracts high-end imports but the quality of play as a whole has been brought down by clubs that are not good.

The reason I say to trust Flahr on Johansson is that he has a track record of identifying defensemen. Even guys like Nick Boka and Pontus Själin had promise. No one bats 1.000 but Brodin and Dumba and Seeler and Spurgeon are pretty good, no? And as I said Fenton drafted plenty of stars too, not lottery picks either. If he was convinced, then why aren't you guys?

He's playing pro hockey and nay-sayers have a vested interest in their own lists. Of course it's easier to bet on a kid to fail. Lots of guys never become NHL players. I prefer those who put their actual balls on the line and bet that the promise they and Team Sweden and a pro coach in a pro league and others put in this kid will work out.

We don't know but bitching about it is just wrong - for now!

 

[AKL]

Hey, remember Zack Phillips? Check his Q stat line if you forgot about him. It should be obvious why Veleno was lower on the Wild's list. They learned from a really bad pick to avoid garbage production stats and focus on actual professional hockey skills.

What the actual f*** are you talking about? One of the biggest (and one of the few) knocks on Veleno was his offensive upside.

Things that weren’t a concern:

Intelligence
Skating
Two-way play
Leadership qualities
Work ethic

What “actual professional skills” are you referring to?

 

[AKL]

The reason I say to trust Flahr on Johansson is that he has a track record of identifying defensemen. Even guys like Nick Boka and Pontus Själin had promise. No one bats 1.000 but Brodin and Dumba and Seeler and Spurgeon are pretty good, no? And as I said Fenton drafted plenty of stars too, not lottery picks either. If he was convinced, then why aren't you guys?

Flahr didn't draft Spurgeon. And Seeler is a 3rd pairing guy. Brodin and Dumba were both top 10 picks, certainly with Dumba it wouldn't have taken a rocket scientist to pick him there.

Nothing in our draft history proves that Flahr is exceptional, or even above average, at any aspect of drafting.

 

[Bazeek]

 

[Saga of the Elk]

Flahr didn't draft Spurgeon. And Seeler is a 3rd pairing guy. Brodin and Dumba were both top 10 picks, certainly with Dumba it wouldn't have taken a rocket scientist to pick him there.

Nothing in our draft history proves that Flahr is exceptional, or even above average, at any aspect of drafting.

Flahr apparently identified Spurgeon as a free agent target.

What you're saying is it's so easy just to pick NHL defensemen from a list of 18 year old kids?

Look at those drafts you mention. Guys like Reinhart, Koekkoek, Pouliot... not to mention the forwards ... who never became what Dumba and Brodin did. Look at other first round picks that scouts identified that never played a single game, not out of injury but because it takes an elite athlete, a driven individual, and a bit of luck. Since Flahr took the reins, the Wild have done very well in the first. You dog a guy like Nick Seeler? How many guys went before him and failed? ANYONE playing an NHL game beat the odds. To make that pick and to give a kid a chance to develop is highly commendable and admirable. The Wild identified and procured the ones I mentioned. Fenton identified and procured others.

You have done... what?

What are people trying to prove by critiquing my defense of Johansson? It was a left-field pick. It was a pick that may not turn out. It may be a pick that turns out to fit the long run of first round picks Brent Flahr has made having NHL success.

 

[AKL]

Flahr apparently identified Spurgeon as a free agent target.

What you're saying is it's so easy just to pick NHL defensemen from a list of 18 year old kids?

Look at those drafts you mention. Guys like Reinhart, Koekkoek, Pouliot... not to mention the forwards ... who never became what Dumba and Brodin did. Look at other first round picks that scouts identified that never played a single game, not out of injury but because it takes an elite athlete, a driven individual, and a bit of luck. Since Flahr took the reins, the Wild have done very well in the first. You dog a guy like Nick Seeler? How many guys went before him and failed? ANYONE playing an NHL game beat the odds. To make that pick and to give a kid a chance to develop is highly commendable and admirable. The Wild identified and procured the ones I mentioned. Fenton identified and procured others.

You have done... what?

What are people trying to prove by critiquing my defense of Johansson? It was a left-field pick. It was a pick that may not turn out. It may be a pick that turns out to fit the long run of first round picks Brent Flahr has made having NHL success.

Are you really saying that because Flahr has drafted more NHL players than I have, that means he's an above average or exceptional?

Jesus man. What I've done or haven't done has no bearing on where Flahr ranks when it comes to drafting. Don't be dumb. He has done nothing to establish himself as one of the top drafting guys in the NHL. Nick Seeler is certainly not proof of it.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

Are you really saying that because Flahr has drafted more NHL players than I have, that means he's an above average or exceptional?

Jesus man. What I've done or haven't done has no bearing on where Flahr ranks when it comes to drafting. Don't be dumb. He has done nothing to establish himself as one of the top drafting guys in the NHL. Nick Seeler is certainly not proof of it.

So an NHL player that he drafted is not proof that he drafts future NHL players? And I'm dumb?

Is Flahr a top guy? Maybe, maybe not. It's hard to tell when so many picks that one would expect to contribute to a pipeline were traded. But it's moot now too. The Flyers will be the beneficiary of his skill. And if you look at the Wild's success for ADP you'll see that he is definitely above-average.

You're saying that your judgment is superior to the judgment of a man who drafts for a multi-million dollar business enterprise, has a proven track record of success, and continued employment in that capacity. I disagree.

 

[AJ Thelen]

FIRESALE!

 

[Nsjohnson]

Here it comes....

 

[P10p]

Are you really saying that because Flahr has drafted more NHL players than I have, that means he's an above average or exceptional?

Jesus man. What I've done or haven't done has no bearing on where Flahr ranks when it comes to drafting. Don't be dumb. He has done nothing to establish himself as one of the top drafting guys in the NHL. Nick Seeler is certainly not proof of it.

Love how you ignore the whole other parts of the post that explain where hes coming from and attack a tiny portion or his argument. Where it was clearly evident he was being snark.

 

[Wild11MN]

Of note in that article is that when Russo mentioned the untouchables, he mentioned Kaprizov, Greenway and Kunin, but not Eriksson Ek. Not a huge surprise, but noteworthy.

 

[Bazeek]

Of note in that article is that when Russo mentioned the untouchables, he mentioned Kaprizov, Greenway and Kunin, but not Eriksson Ek. Not a huge surprise, but noteworthy.

I think that's because of reports earlier in the year that Fenton was at least talking to teams about him. It's hard to say he's untouchable when he wasn't like 2 months ago.

I don't know that his recent play is enough for me to want him completely off the table, but I'd like to keep him around at this point. If we do move some major pieces at the deadline he'll have an enormous opportunity to show what he can do in the top-6. He does have me curious about that.