Management Paul Fenton

[2Pair]

Literally don't remember hearing his name other than the OT penalty. But I missed the first half of the game.

I was just trying to be funny. But, he wasn't good in either game.

 

[Wild11MN]

I was just trying to be funny. But, he wasn't good in either game.

Right. I'm saying I never even noticed him. We'll say the baby is keeping him up all night.

 

[thestonedkoala]

I think the only "crazy reasonable deal" I ever saw on UFA signing day is when we signed Staal. My bet is that Duchene will receive something in between $9-$10 million/season AAV, which is completely ridiculous for a guy who's only topped the 70 point mark once in his career.

I'd argue when we signed Kim Johnsson as that gave Minnesota a top 2 defensemen was a crazy reasonable deal. Think it was a 4 year/20 million deal.

 

[Bluesguru]

Fenton is a GENIUS!

I’m warming up to the 2 previous trades but the Rask deal is still horrendous.

 

[BagHead]

Rolston was only two points shy of 50pts before coming here. How was $3m not reasonable?

First off, $3 million was a bigger chunk of cash back then as the salary cap was only $39 million (equivalent of a $6.11 million deal today), and secondly, he was coming off a 19 goal season (his 30 year old season) after previously having 31 and 27 in the two seasons before that, plus a lockout year in which he played no hockey. It had been three years since he put up 27 goals as a 29 year old, and most people didn't expect the 32 year old version of him to do that again. I didn't say we didn't expect a good player, but most people didn't expect a goal scoring dynamo, either, yet that's what we got. The Rolston deal wasn't great for us because he signed super cheap, but because he played way above expectations.

 

[BigT2002]

First off, $3 million was a bigger chunk of cash back then as the salary cap was only $39 million (equivalent of a $6.11 million deal today), and secondly, he was coming off a 19 goal season (his 30 year old season) after previously having 31 and 27 in the two seasons before that, plus a lockout year in which he played no hockey. It had been three years since he put up 27 goals as a 29 year old, and most people didn't expect the 32 year old version of him to do that again. I didn't say we didn't expect a good player, but most people didn't expect a goal scoring dynamo, either, yet that's what we got. The Rolston deal wasn't great for us because he signed super cheap, but because he played way above expectations.

That is still a player that this team desperately needs. Someone who can smack the puck like he could.

 

[57special]

goal scoring never gets old.

 

[TaLoN]

First off, $3 million was a bigger chunk of cash back then as the salary cap was only $39 million (equivalent of a $6.11 million deal today), and secondly, he was coming off a 19 goal season (his 30 year old season) after previously having 31 and 27 in the two seasons before that, plus a lockout year in which he played no hockey. It had been three years since he put up 27 goals as a 29 year old, and most people didn't expect the 32 year old version of him to do that again. I didn't say we didn't expect a good player, but most people didn't expect a goal scoring dynamo, either, yet that's what we got. The Rolston deal wasn't great for us because he signed super cheap, but because he played way above expectations.

There was no salary cap when he signed that contract. You said it yourself, lost a year to the lockout. The salary cap was something that the lockout achieved.

League salary structure thus was not as today. Bottom 6 players were getting very large deals compared to today in terms of percentages of team total salaries, it's why low budget teams couldn't compete.

$3m sounds like a lot, but compared to his peers making $4-5m, he was a bargain the day he signed.

That's why a budget team like the Wild could afford to sign him in the first place.

 

[MuckOG]

There was no salary cap when he signed that contract.

League salary structure thus was not as today. Bottom 6 players were getting very large deals compared to today in terms of percentages of team total salaries, it's why low budget teams couldn't compete.

$3m sounds like a lot, but compared to his peers making $4-5m, he was a bargain the day he signed.

That's why a budget team like the Wild could afford to sign him in the first place.

The salary cap came to be in 2005, the same year Rolston signed with the Wild.

 

[TaLoN]

The salary cap came to be in 2005, the same year Rolston signed with the Wild.

Rolston signed before the lockout, not after.

 

[MuckOG]

Rolston signed before the lockout, not after.

Right you are.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

The grace period is officially over. I’m really skeptical of Fenton, but a good summer would go a long way to gaining my trust back. This might be the biggest summer in terms of future direction of this team in a long time. If I were him, I would try and be bad next year as well to get another high pick, while also giving the young guys prime developmental roles. Come back after the next ED and try to compete.

 

[57special]

I completely and utterly disagree. As long as he doesn't mortgage the future like Fletcher did, you try your best. Who saw NYI's having the season they have after losing JT?

Just don't f*** up the picks, and make better trades. I will put up with lame ass public presentation if you do your job well.

I will be very interested in seeing how Fenton deals with Rask, if he continues to be as awful as he has been.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

I completely and utterly disagree. As long as he doesn't mortgage the future like Fletcher did, you try your best. Who saw NYI's having the season they have after losing JT?

Just don't **** up the picks, and make better trades. I will put up with lame ass public presentation if you do your job well.

I will be very interested in seeing how Fenton deals with Rask, if he continues to be as awful as he has been.

So if I’m understanding you correctly, you’d be more interested in adding players now to compete next year while drafting competently and always kind of have prospects coming?

I would be fine with that approach, it’s just I’ve always longed for a star and I think now is as good a time as ever to try and get one with how stacked next years top end draft class is.

 

[2Pair]

There's clearly no chance of a tank happening.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

There's clearly no chance of a tank happening.

If we don’t add this summer, we could be really bad next year.

 

[2Pair]

If we don’t add this summer, we could be really bad next year.

Not really any worse than they were this year, and that's still 10-15 points better than you would need to be for a "tank" season.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

Not really any worse than they were this year, and that's still 10-15 points better than you would need to be for a "tank" season.

7-9-3 since the trade deadline is a 73 point projection over 82 games, which would be good for 4th last. I get that Dumba will be back, but there will be other injuries next year too. Add in potential regression from guys like Suter, Staal, Parise and things aren’t looking good. The young guys will need to step up and turn into 20 goal guys for us to be about where we are this year. I also wouldn’t bet on Donato being as good throughout a full season as he was in his short stint this season, which probably accredited for a few more wins than it should have.

The way this team has played, and how the young guys have looked, things could get ugly.

 

[2Pair]

7-9-3 since the trade deadline is a 73 point projection over 82 games, which would be good for 4th last. I get that Dumba will be back, but there will be other injuries next year too. Add in potential regression from guys like Suter, Staal, Parise and things aren’t looking good. The young guys will need to step up and turn into 20 goal guys for us to be about where we are this year. I also wouldn’t bet on Donato being as good throughout a full season as he was in his short stint this season, which probably accredited for a few more wins than it should have.

The way this team has played, and how the young guys have looked, things could get ugly.

Wouldn't put much weight in meaningless games at the end of the season. But yes, if you assume that every single scenario actually gets worse, they could probably have a chance at the 4th pick.

 

[Goose312]

So this is one of the most concerning things I've heard of a GM doing from Russo's mailbag:

Fiala definitely has the skills. But he has to take care of the puck better and then he's got to finish. What we saw here is what everybody that knew him in Nashville said he was. Lots of flash, little finish. But he is very young and that could come. My concern is Paul, in his mind, thinks of him like all GM's/scouts that are responsible for drafting a specific player thinks of him. In other words, they want so much to be proven right, they continue to not accept that maybe he's not the player he scouted/drafted. We will see. But from talking to other GM's around the league, it verifies what I was reporting before the trade. Granlund wasn't really on the trading block. He was the trading block to one team because Paul so wanted this one specific player. And I do wonder what Granlund could have hooked if he was available to everybody around the league

Not only is that the same lack of objective assessment of their drafted players that was Fletcher's downfall, but he's not even considering other options? I don't know how much farther Fenton can take the Island of Misfit Predators thing but this one gets a big oof.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

So this is one of the most concerning things I've heard of a GM doing from Russo's mailbag:


Not only is that the same lack of objective assessment of their drafted players that was Fletcher's downfall, but he's not even considering other options? I don't know how much farther Fenton can take the Island of Misfit Predators thing but this one gets a big oof.

or maybe he was offered to certain GMs but not the ones Russo talked to? speculation!

 

[2Pair]

So this is one of the most concerning things I've heard of a GM doing from Russo's mailbag:


Not only is that the same lack of objective assessment of their drafted players that was Fletcher's downfall, but he's not even considering other options? I don't know how much farther Fenton can take the Island of Misfit Predators thing but this one gets a big oof.

And how would Russo possibly know this?

Not sure how anyone could read that Q n A and come away thinking that Russo has any clue what's going on with the current front office?

 

[Goose312]

And how would Russo possibly know this?

Not sure how anyone could read that Q n A and come away thinking that Russo has any clue what's going on with the current front office?

But from talking to other GM's around the league, it verifies what I was reporting before the trade.

uhh... that part. How did he find out Zucker was almost traded? Fenton can withhold info all he wants, if he talks to other GM's who doesn't share his need for absolute secrecy what he's doing is going to get out.

 

[Goose312]

or maybe he was offered to certain GMs but not the ones Russo talked to? speculation!

Let's say it's one GM to give you full benefit of the doubt. So one GM called about Granlund, was told Granlund isn't being traded, then Granlund was traded for Fiala without at least being called back. From your perspective that's acceptable? That's a fireable offense in my book.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Russo wrote an entire article centered around a Granlund/Fiala trade the night before TDL, so something obviously got out.

I'm sure he still has Fletcher's number: "did you have any idea that Granlund was on the trade block? No? Ok." Rinse and repeat to any other GM he knows. It wouldn't be that hard to find out.