Speculation: Trade and Free Agency Talk XLIV

[ODoyle]

Russo thinks Fiala will be part of a top center deal. Sucks to lose him, and even worse if he ends up in Buffalo.

Where are you seeing this?

 

[Webster]

Where are you seeing this?

His latest podcast with LaPanta.

But it does make sense. Fiala is not a 3rd line player, and Boldy is coming.
We have many good wingers, one of them needs to go for a top center.

 

[MNNumbers]

His latest podcast with LaPanta.

But it does make sense. Fiala is not a 3rd line player, and Boldy is coming.
We have many good wingers, one of them needs to go for a top center.

But only if it's a 'safe' option. What I mean by that is that I wouldn't trade Fiala for Eichel until I knew for sure that Eichel's neck was going to be ok. Otherwise, it's just throwing an asset away.

Doesn't matter if Fiala isn't a 3rd liner. One would be crazy not to the like the possibility in a couple of years of:

Kap-Hartman-Zucc
Foligno-Ek-Greenway
Fiala-Rossi-Boldy
???-Sturm-???

Where Zucc and Boldy are exchangeable. Or, Rossi and Hartman are exchangable.

 

[StateofCelly]

But only if it's a 'safe' option. What I mean by that is that I wouldn't trade Fiala for Eichel until I knew for sure that Eichel's neck was going to be ok. Otherwise, it's just throwing an asset away.

Doesn't matter if Fiala isn't a 3rd liner. One would be crazy not to the like the possibility in a couple of years of:

Kap-Hartman-Zucc
Foligno-Ek-Greenway
Fiala-Rossi-Boldy
???-Sturm-???

Where Zucc and Boldy are exchangeable. Or, Rossi and Hartman are exchangable.

I think the only person I would want to trade Fiala for.. and it would kill me because I love the kid, but it would be as part of a deal to get Barkov with some other bigger adds from us. I don't think that is realistic anymore with how Florida came to life. But I could not imagine a better player to pair with Kaprizov.

 

[StateofCelly]

Fiala is not a 3rd line player,

I don't really think it is as easy to assign numbers to the Wild lines as you can other rosters. Sure the Kap/Zucc line is the 1st line.. but its more about who there is to put on Fiala's line. That line plays more like a top 6 line just has borderline taxi squad guys on it. The Ek line is the perfect 3rd line with high upside and top defensive capabilities. It is more of an indictment on the talent put around Fiala as it is on an actual number assignment.

 

[MuckOG]

His latest podcast with LaPanta.

But it does make sense. Fiala is not a 3rd line player, and Boldy is coming.
We have many good wingers, one of them needs to go for a top center.

When you look at even strength TOI he is.

 

[2Pair]

Not sure how anyone could watch yesterday's game and want to see Hartman between Zuccarello and Kaprizov full time going forward.

 

[MNNumbers]

When you look at even strength TOI he is.

Which makes his production all the more impressive and makes it all the more important not to let him go, unless it's for a sure thing.

Here's a question:
How good do you think Zucc will be in 2 years?

 

[MuckOG]

Which makes his production all the more impressive and makes it all the more important not to let him go, unless it's for a sure thing.

Here's a question:
How good do you think Zucc will be in 2 years?

I'm not trying to diminish the importance of Fiala to this team...and I agree that Guerin shouldn't move him (or anyone) for Eichel unless he is confident that he will be 100% healthy.

 

[MNNumbers]

I'm not trying to diminish the importance of Fiala to this team...and I agree that Guerin shouldn't move him (or anyone) or Eichel unless he is confident that he will be 100% healthy.

Gotcha. I assumed you were being the reporter, not the advocate.

 

[StateofCelly]

Not sure how anyone could watch yesterday's game and want to see Hartman between Zuccarello and Kaprizov full time going forward.

Love him as a 4th line wing. But agree.. our centers and their inability to win a face off and let any other team control both zones will be the major undoing as things move forward.

 

[Webster]

Here's a question:
How good do you think Zucc will be in 2 years?

Started his NHL career late, at 23. Not worn out yet.
Actually says he's never been in better shape. And you can see it on the ice, he has lots of speed when he needs it.

 

[MNNumbers]

Love him as a 4th line wing. But agree.. our centers and their inability to win a face off and let any other team control both zones will be the major undoing as things move forward.

I think this might be the real problem. It's not a lack of elite center talent (because our top3 wingers are really good, and Boldy is coming, and Beckman might be great, too), it's lack of FO prowess. A decent C for Kap and Zucc who can win 49-51% of faceoffs (in other words, just make it fair) would come far cheaper than elite socring talent, and might just work well.

 

[Slotski]

Not sure how anyone could watch yesterday's game and want to see Hartman between Zuccarello and Kaprizov full time going forward.

I really like Hartman's game, but I would be shocked if he develops at this stage of his career as anything higher than a bottom 6 forward.

 

[StateofCelly]

I think this might be the real problem. It's not a lack of elite center talent (because our top3 wingers are really good, and Boldy is coming, and Beckman might be great, too), it's lack of FO prowess. A decent C for Kap and Zucc who can win 49-51% of faceoffs (in other words, just make it fair) would come far cheaper than elite socring talent, and might just work well.

Saw lots of people complaining about how slow the Wild looked yesterday, and though even whistle to whistle they started flat footed I think a lot of this was due to losing so many draws. Vegas is too good on their breakouts so we lose, over pursue and then they are out of our end. I think this is the culprit for how many breakaways and odd man rushes they got during the regular season vs us too. I think the shot totals were inflated by how Vegas just puts everything to the net and plays rebound games, and our high chance total seemed much higher.. but puck possession is such a big part of the post season, and it was an ugly disparity that started with every drop of the puck yesterday.

 

[AKL]

When you look at even strength TOI he is.

This says far more about our coach and our GM than Fiala.

 

[SMTHook]

I like the way the club is trending. Is a big move really necessary? Fiala carried the team last season and his absence is obvious when he sits. I suppose Rossi's standing is crucial. How about a smaller plus move or a draft day move up. I don't pretend to know center quality in the draft but Fiala is a scorer. Those don't grow on trees.

 

[AKL]

I like the way the club is trending. Is a big move really necessary? Fiala carried the team last season and his absence is obvious when he sits. I suppose Rossi's standing is crucial. How about a smaller plus move or a draft day move up. I don't pretend to know center quality in the draft but Fiala is a scorer. Those don't grow on trees.

I think there is absolutely a path to success without trading for a top center like Eichel or Barkov. Rossi and Boldy will probably replace Rask and Johansson next season, and that's already a significant improvement. You would have the personnel for two competent scoring lines, which you can't say if you want to trade Fiala+Rossi/Boldy++ for Eichel. Trading a massive package for Eichel to have Eichel and Kaprizov be the only high end forwards in our system would be taking two steps backward to take one step forward.

 

[MNNumbers]

I think there is absolutely a path to success without trading for a top center like Eichel or Barkov. Rossi and Boldy will probably replace Rask and Johansson next season, and that's already a significant improvement. You would have the personnel for two competent scoring lines, which you can't say if you want to trade Fiala+Rossi/Boldy++ for Eichel. Trading a massive package for Eichel to have Eichel and Kaprizov be the only high end forwards in our system would be taking two steps backwards to take one step forward.

I agree with this, except that the unknowns about the lineup are large. One would hope that Boldy especially would start with the NHL club. Rossi might come slowly due to post-COVID.

Rask might need to stay for cap reasons in 22-23 (not buying him out saves 1.3M on cap).
Parise is a big ?? with a lot of speculation surrounding him.

 

[MuckOG]

I agree with this, except that the unknowns about the lineup are large. One would hope that Boldy especially would start with the NHL club. Rossi might come slowly due to post-COVID.

Rask might need to stay for cap reasons in 22-23 (not buying him out saves 1.3M on cap).
Parise is a big ?? with a lot of speculation surrounding him.

I can't see Parise coming back as a 13th forward with a $7.5 million cap hit. Guerin has his work cut out for him.

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

I think there is absolutely a path to success without trading for a top center like Eichel or Barkov. Rossi and Boldy will probably replace Rask and Johansson next season, and that's already a significant improvement. You would have the personnel for two competent scoring lines, which you can't say if you want to trade Fiala+Rossi/Boldy++ for Eichel. Trading a massive package for Eichel to have Eichel and Kaprizov be the only high end forwards in our system would be taking two steps backwards to take one step forward.

Agreed, we have already seen Eichel fail in a stacked single line approach and our lineup depth is where we have been most successful. I have no issues with us staying the course with internal growth.
I won’t claim to be an expert on the upcoming draft but scouts seem to think there not very many true centers available, especially where we will be picking. Part of me wishes we could try and defer them to 2022 or 23 with a more volatile team and see if we can luck out on getting a high tier pick. We have the incoming youth on the roster to cover a 1-2 year delay and I happen to think the 2021 players will be delayed in entering the league anyway.

 

[MNNumbers]

I can't see Parise coming back as a 13th forward with a $7.5 million cap hit. Guerin has his work cut out for him.

This is exactly what I mean. Getting Parise off the squad without retaining his cap hit, or the potential of his cap hit in the future.....that's a hard ask.

As it stands, Minnesota is about 20M in cap debt on his contract. Somehow we have to pay that back if he retires early from anywhere. Effectively, that's no savings on his contract compared to simply buying him out. But, even then, you only get real cap relief next year, and while that helps sign Kap, Fiala and EEK, it means there is no room the following summer.

LTIR is the only way there is reasonable solution to the problem, because he is NOT going to play 4 more years in the league - unless there is some injury affecting him that we don't know about, from which he might improve a little.

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

This is exactly what I mean. Getting Parise off the squad without retaining his cap hit, or the potential of his cap hit in the future.....that's a hard ask.

As it stands, Minnesota is about 20M in cap debt on his contract. Somehow we have to pay that back if he retires early from anywhere. Effectively, that's no savings on his contract compared to simply buying him out. But, even then, you only get real cap relief next year, and while that helps sign Kap, Fiala and EEK, it means there is no room the following summer.

LTIR is the only way there is reasonable solution to the problem, because he is NOT going to play 4 more years in the league - unless there is some injury affecting him that we don't know about, from which he might improve a little.

Put him in the lineup and have him battle Reaves for a game or two. Boom, easy LTIR candidate. Only half joking.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

What’s the recapture for a mutual termination? Same as if he retired?

 

[Bazeek]

What’s the recapture for a mutual termination? Same as if he retired?

I'm not positive but you figure it must be since it's effectively the same thing with fewer consequences.