Successful Off-season?

[thestonedkoala]

Yeah, I don't think some people realize how impractical it is to make a big splash every summer. We've already kind of made one with Reilly; not sure what else is to be expected.

I'd expected more internal changes. Maybe that's coming? Maybe not? But keeping Bruno on the PP was a bad decision. We need to dump Jim Mill, Richard Park and Guy LaPoint. Our player development has been underwhelming to the point of disappointing. Can you honestly say that Coyle, Granlund, Bussieres, Bulmer, Haula, Phillips have really met expectations? The only one that has is Zucker. Brodin, Scandella, Spurgeon have been good. As has Dumba and that's the problem. We know how to develop defensemen. But we don't know how to really get the best out of our forwards. At one time, I'd thought Coyle had top 6 potential and 25-30 goal potential. He's lucky to see 20 and that to me is a huge, huge disappointment.

 

[MuckOG]

I'd expected more internal changes. Maybe that's coming? Maybe not? But keeping Bruno on the PP was a bad decision. We need to dump Jim Mill, Richard Park and Guy LaPoint. Our player development has been underwhelming to the point of disappointing. Can you honestly say that Coyle, Granlund, Bussieres, Bulmer, Haula, Phillips have really met expectations? The only one that has is Zucker. Brodin, Scandella, Spurgeon have been good. As has Dumba and that's the problem. We know how to develop defensemen. But we don't know how to really get the best out of our forwards. At one time, I'd thought Coyle had top 6 potential and 25-30 goal potential. He's lucky to see 20 and that to me is a huge, huge disappointment.

Didn't Richard Park just join the org? How could he carry any responsiblity for the blame you are directing his way?

 

[thestonedkoala]

Didn't Richard Park just join the org? How could he carry any responsiblity for the blame you are directing his way?

Did he? Yeah, he did last season. But Mill and LaPoint need to go. Especially LaPoint.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I'd expected more internal changes. Maybe that's coming? Maybe not? But keeping Bruno on the PP was a bad decision. We need to dump Jim Mill, Richard Park and Guy LaPoint. Our player development has been underwhelming to the point of disappointing. Can you honestly say that Coyle, Granlund, Bussieres, Bulmer, Haula, Phillips have really met expectations? The only one that has is Zucker. Brodin, Scandella, Spurgeon have been good. As has Dumba and that's the problem. We know how to develop defensemen. But we don't know how to really get the best out of our forwards. At one time, I'd thought Coyle had top 6 potential and 25-30 goal potential. He's lucky to see 20 and that to me is a huge, huge disappointment.

No argument with Bruno and LaPoint, but I'm still not going to write-off a 22 year old's potential just yet.

 

[123TripleDoge]

I'd still like to find a way to bring Brodz back, we're gonna miss him a lot IMO

 

[thestonedkoala]

No argument with Bruno and LaPoint, but I'm still not going to write-off a 22 year old's potential just yet.

Unless Yeo changes his philosophy and takes the training wheels off and gives the kids more ice time on the PP, PK and 4 on 4 situations, I just don't see them developing much more. I think Coyle will eek out a 20 goal season here or there but that's really stretching it. Granlund might hit 22 goals if he pushes himself. This organization just needs to lessen the defensive responsibilities and let their centers play a little more free without worrying about covering the defense.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Unless Yeo changes his philosophy and takes the training wheels off and gives the kids more ice time on the PP, PK and 4 on 4 situations, I just don't see them developing much more. I think Coyle will eek out a 20 goal season here or there but that's really stretching it. Granlund might hit 22 goals if he pushes himself. This organization just needs to lessen the defensive responsibilities and let their centers play a little more free without worrying about covering the defense.

Once he gets bumped back to wing, as was the original plan, I'm confident that we'll see a bump. He'll be a 20+25 player.

 

[Avder]

So far these have been my expectations for the offseason and if I think they're getting done:

[X] - Re-sign Dubnyk
[ ] - Re-tool the powerplay
[ ] - Solve the Backstrom Problem
[X] - Good draft
[ ] - Get some RFA's re-signed.

Not expecting a big splash in free agency this year. In fact I'd be happy if we did absolutely nothing other than deal with our own players.

 

[MuckOG]

So far these have been my expectations for the offseason and if I think they're getting done:

[X] - Re-sign Dubnyk
[ ] - Re-tool the powerplay
[ ] - Solve the Backstrom Problem
[X] - Good draft
[ ] - Get some RFA's re-signed.

Not expecting a big splash in free agency this year. In fact I'd be happy if we did absolutely nothing other than deal with our own players.

I think our "big splash" in free agency was signing Mike Reilly.

 

[thestonedkoala]

I think our "big splash" in free agency was signing Mike Reilly.

Which isn't a bad sign either, though it could turn out to be like Folin.

 

[Jarick]

My biggest issue with the roster is the center position. Look at the faceoffs taken by the centers over the last three years along with the percentage:

Koivu: 54.8% (4073)
Granlund: 49.9% (1979)
Brodziak: 48.8% (2673)
Haula: 45.7% (921)
Coyle: 44.5% (1202)

Koivu is high-end to elite in faceoffs. Granlund is average. Big drop off to Haula and Coyle, who are well below average. It's entirely possible that those two will improve over the next couple years to about average, but are the Wild built to compete in a couple years?

It would make a lot more sense to bring in another center and move Coyle back to wing, IMO. I'd wonder about Cullen's availability. He's still productive in terms of points and he's good at faceoffs:

Cullen: 55.6% (1507)

At the least, use him as another matchup center when the Wild need to win a draw and Koivu's coming off the ice.

 

[thestonedkoala]

It would make a lot more sense to bring in another center and move Coyle back to wing, IMO. I'd wonder about Cullen's availability. He's still productive in terms of points and he's good at faceoffs:

Graovac? Maybe an internal callup?

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I'd be fine with Cullen, but we couldn't offer him anything more than a million.

 

[Dee Oh Cee]

Vermette is probably going get overpaid but if we had more capspace he would be intriguing.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Graovac? Maybe an internal callup?

Graovac would be best served in Iowa for another year. There should be a little bit of talent filtering in for him to play with, but he should definitely be our #1 center call up if a top 9 goes down.

 

[DANOZ28]

i agree i would like to see graovac center keranen & mitchell as our top ahl line. haula has to bounce back. i doubt brodz will re-sign cheap so i think hes gone.

 

[MuckOG]

Which isn't a bad sign either, though it could turn out to be like Folin.

I have no issues with Folin.

 

[nickschultzfan]

I have no issues with Folin.

Folin needs bigger minutes.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Folin needs bigger minutes.

In Iowa.

 

[Bruce Granville]

Vermette is probably going get overpaid but if we had more capspace he would be intriguing.

Vermette would be nice, but we have to move some players first.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

If we could somehow get Backstrom out of here, even retain 50-60% of it, we could have enough space to offer Cullen a 1 x $2M swan song deal to play #3C. Bumps Coyle to the Zucker/Koivu RW and gives Graovac another year in Iowa for sure.

 

[Engebretson]

If we could somehow get Backstrom out of here, even retain 50-60% of it, we could have enough space to offer Cullen a 1 x $2M swan song deal to play #3C. Bumps Coyle to the Zucker/Koivu RW and gives Graovac another year in Iowa for sure.

Would be awesome to get Arizona to take him, even with retention. They still need about $14M on the books to reach the cap floor.

 

[saywut]

I wouldn't be upset with Cullen on a 1-year deal for around 1M, though I'm not sure he'd play in our healthy top-9. Would put us at 4 left-handed centers though, but I guess Pominville/Coyle can take draws. Ryan Carter's over 50% for his career in the dot but hasn't really taken draws consistently for a few years. Still wouldn't mind re-signing him as I do like what he brings as a 4th line forward.

What about Mark Letestu? Down year last year, over 50% the past couple seasons on the draw, just under 40pt/82 pace for the 3 seasons prior. Right-handed center, ties with Fletcher in Pittsburgh and has been playing under our former head coach in Todd Richards, so Fletcher has strong ties to him.

 

[nickschultzfan]

OMG no more Cullen. I cannot take more of Bambi. Just go with Haula if that is what you are looking for.

 

[DANOZ28]

if we could dump backs i'd want stewart to help us play the big boys!