Speculation: Trade Ideas and Free Agency XXV

[TaLoN]

The only problem is we would run a top 4 of

Suter - Dumba
Scandella - Brodin

Not that great.

Not to mention IF Vegas picks up Scandella:

Suter - Dumba
Brodin - Olofsson? Reilly?

If the return upfront is good enough, we can weather the downturn on defense and build it back up.

You have to give something to get something. If you expect to make a splash for someone maybe like... Kuznetsov for example, I think many here would be more than willing to take a step back in the short term on defense.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

What if Fletcher shocked the world... and didn't move either Dumba or Brodin... and instead traded Spurgeon?

What do you think we could get? He's starting to pick up legit respect across the league these days and would provide the largest cap relief of the 3.

I'd be pretty damn ticked off.

 

[elnewby]

I feel like Wild fans still underrate Spurgeon.

 

[TaLoN]

I feel like Wild fans still underrate Spurgeon.

Wanting a player like Kucherov or Kuznetsov in return in a deal is underrating Spurgeon?

Nobody else we could trade would possibly return so much IMO.

 

[Digitalbooya]

I don't see anyway Tampa trades Kucherov for Spurgeon.

 

[TaLoN]

I don't see anyway Tampa trades Kucherov for Spurgeon.

There are more players than Kucherov who could be in the conversation though too. Like I said, it depends on what's on the table. Just because one player is off the table, doesn't mean other players+ couldn't be had.

All I know is this team needs a shakeup. I don't think Brodin or Dumba will bring enough of a return to provide the type of shakeup needed. Maybe there isn't a deal out there at all that Spurgeon fits into that gives us the right shakeup either... but it doesn't hurt to explore the idea.

I just don't think it's like last year or the years prior, where his value to us outstripped his perceived value across the league. He garners a lot of talk outside of the Wild now. He's becoming a known commodity. I think GM's across the league are well aware of his true value...

That's why I think it would be possible for such a blockbuster to happen that could really change this team.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

There are more players than Kucherov who could be in the conversation though too. Like I said, it depends on what's on the table. Just because one player is off the table, doesn't mean other players+ couldn't be had.

All I know is this team needs a shakeup. I don't think Brodin or Dumba will bring enough of a return to provide the type of shakeup needed. Maybe there isn't a deal out there at all that Spurgeon fits into that gives us the right shakeup either... but it doesn't hurt to explore the idea.

I just don't think it's like last year or the years prior, where his value to us outstripped his perceived value across the league. He garners a lot of talk outside of the Wild now. He's becoming a known commodity. I think GM's across the league are well aware of his true value...

That's why I think it would be possible for such a blockbuster to happen that could really change this team.

Do we though? I know we crapped out in the playoffs, but I think I saw enough during the year to be OK with giving this group another run at it, as constructed. Re-assess after next year, when we have more room to maneuver cap-wise, we have another year of the 24/25 year olds to form an opinion on, and a better idea of what kind of players we have in the Tuch/Eriksson Ek/Kunin group.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Do we though? I know we crapped out in the playoffs, but I think I saw enough during the year to be OK with giving this group another run at it, as constructed. Re-assess after next year, when we have more room to maneuver cap-wise, we have another year of the 24/25 year olds to form an opinion on, and a better idea of what kind of players we have in the Tuch/Eriksson Ek/Kunin group.

I don't want to lose more players to free agency. But a shakeup might be a good for the team. Look at Nashville.

 

[TaLoN]

Do we though? I know we crapped out in the playoffs, but I think I saw enough during the year to be OK with giving this group another run at it, as constructed. Re-assess after next year, when we have more room to maneuver cap-wise, we have another year of the 24/25 year olds to form an opinion on, and a better idea of what kind of players we have in the Tuch/Eriksson Ek/Kunin group.

A shakeup is not a blow up of the current team... it's an adjustment in the core. I agree the team is close, but a tweak here or there like we've done the past couple years clearly hasn't been enough.

I'd like to see a serious shake in the assets that adds legit skill into the top 6. Granlund is a very good skill player, but we need that potential elite to go with him, to allow him to truly do his thing in the postseason.

We have serious depth on D, but only Spurgeon or Suter could get us into the conversation for a potential elite player in return, and Suter can't be moved.

That means Spurgeon is really the only chip that gets us into such a conversation... with a little add on our side.

It frees up more cap space than any of the other readily tradable asset as well.

I'm not suggesting giving him away by any means, but I would be interested to see what kind of blockbuster could be had.

You have to give something to get something. Giving Brodin/Dumba will get us into conversations of getting types of players we already have, but won't get us the type of player we've been missing since we let Gaborik walk. Spurgeon possibly could at this point now that he's getting his due credit around the league. If nothing is available at the wanted value, obviously we hold onto him.

 

[Wabit]

What if Fletcher shocked the world... and didn't move either Dumba or Brodin... and instead traded Spurgeon?

What do you think we could get? He's starting to pick up legit respect across the league these days and would provide the largest cap relief of the 3.

I've been saying that's the d-man that should be traded all season. I don't think he'd get much more than either Brodin or Dumba.

He's a $5.2m cap hit for a complimentary (2/4) d-man. He doesn't produce on the PP like a Barrie, Shattenkirk, or Krug. He's solid defensively, but it paired with one of the best defensive d-men in the game with Suter the last 2 seasons. He's never played a full 82 game season. He's small and isn't a physical player. He plays a shot blocking style of defense, and that leads to injuries. These are all dings (warranted or not) against him value wise.

He's a good puck mover, has good positional defense, and makes smart outlet passes; are all things in his favor.

The value really comes from the other team's positional needs, cap space, and overall status of the team (rebuilding, fringe Playoffs, Cup contender). Spurgeon isn't really a good fit for about half the teams in the league.

 

[Wabit]

Do we though? I know we crapped out in the playoffs, but I think I saw enough during the year to be OK with giving this group another run at it, as constructed. Re-assess after next year, when we have more room to maneuver cap-wise, we have another year of the 24/25 year olds to form an opinion on, and a better idea of what kind of players we have in the Tuch/Eriksson Ek/Kunin group.

I think the team we saw at the end of the season is the actual Wild team. They just played way over their heads the first half of the season and had some puck luck. It's not even Dub falling apart to end the year.

There were lots of blown leads of 2+goals throughout the season. They ended up winning a lot of those games, but if this team is up by 2 goals the game should be over with the d-corps, goalie, and overall team defense. A couple times over an 82 game season is to be expected, but it was in the double digests before February started iirc.

 

[Mickey the mouse]

I've been saying that's the d-man that should be traded all season. I don't think he'd get much more than either Brodin or Dumba.

He's a $5.2m cap hit for a complimentary (2/4) d-man. He doesn't produce on the PP like a Barrie, Shattenkirk, or Krug. He's solid defensively, but it paired with one of the best defensive d-men in the game with Suter the last 2 seasons. He's never played a full 82 game season. He's small and isn't a physical player. He plays a shot blocking style of defense, and that leads to injuries. These are all dings (warranted or not) against him value wise.

He's a good puck mover, has good positional defense, and makes smart outlet passes; are all things in his favor.

The value really comes from the other team's positional needs, cap space, and overall status of the team (rebuilding, fringe Playoffs, Cup contender). Spurgeon isn't really a good fit for about half the teams in the league.

Right shot, Mobile, Smart, Puck moving D = Chaching $$$

Probably Hottest commodity in NHL right now

 

[District 5]

I think the team we saw at the end of the season is the actual Wild team. They just played way over their heads the first half of the season and had some puck luck. It's not even Dub falling apart to end the year.

There were lots of blown leads of 2+goals throughout the season. They ended up winning a lot of those games, but if this team is up by 2 goals the game should be over with the d-corps, goalie, and overall team defense. A couple times over an 82 game season is to be expected, but it was in the double digests before February started iirc.

So your solution to this problem is to trade away our second best defenseman?

 

[Wabit]

So your solution to this problem is to trade away our second best defenseman?

No I don't want to trade Brodin, but thanks for asking.

 

[Bazeek]

If what this team needs is a core adjustment, trading Spurgeon is probably the your best bet to do that. But man... it'd have to be a hell of a return to actually justify it.

 

[Wabit]

Right shot, Mobile, Smart, Puck moving D = Chaching $$$

Probably Hottest commodity in NHL right now

Hot commodity, yes. But how many are good trading partners for the Wild?

Teams that can take the cap without sending about equal cap back, and he fits their needs, not so many. Probably 10 teams don't need Spurgeon, another 10 can't afford him.

So 10 teams in the mix? Half of those he'd be a 2nd pair d-man, a couple that are rebuilding.

Dumba is cheap, that's one of the reasons he garners so much interest.

 

[District 5]

No I don't want to trade Brodin, but thanks for asking.

That's the great thing about opinions, everyone has one.

 

[Nharris31]

I think the team we saw at the end of the season is the actual Wild team. They just played way over their heads the first half of the season and had some puck luck. It's not even Dub falling apart to end the year.

There were lots of blown leads of 2+goals throughout the season. They ended up winning a lot of those games, but if this team is up by 2 goals the game should be over with the d-corps, goalie, and overall team defense. A couple times over an 82 game season is to be expected, but it was in the double digests before February started iirc.

The Wild were not the only team to blow multiple two goal leads this season I'm pretty sure Nashville, Anaheim(they did against the Wild) Chicago etc all blow two goal leads this season.

 

[Nharris31]

Change to make Change is dumb. I'm pretty sure the people saying hey let's change a 100 point team just for the sake of it are the same people who criticized Florida for changing so much after winning the division.

 

[Minnesnota]

Mikael Granlund
Matt Dumba


Nikita Kucherov
2017 1st Rounder (14th Overall)

 

[keppel146]

Mikael Granlund
Matt Dumba


Nikita Kucherov
2017 1st Rounder (14th Overall)

I'd rather keep Granlund and Dumba. (Besides Kucherov is almost untouchable.)

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Kucherov is one of the 3 or 4 best RW's in the game, and they aren't 'Edmonton desperate' for defense; I don't think that's going to cut it, let alone getting the 14th pick.

 

[Dickie Dunn]

Mikael Granlund
Matt Dumba


Nikita Kucherov
2017 1st Rounder (14th Overall)

Wild adds....a lot. And Tampa removes the 1st.

 

[TwiztedHeat]

Mikael Granlund
Jared Spurgeon


Nikita Kucherov

That would be closer and no way in hell do I do that.

 

[ThatGuy22]

It's 100% confirmed Spurgeon is still undervalued league wide. Heck even to some extent among the Wild fanbase.

(eyes Wabit...)