Wild's Future at Center

[nickschultzfan]

Wondering what people are thinking about our future down the middle in the Fenton era. Agree or disagree with his moves, it's clear that he wants his type of guys on this team. And Koivu suffered a significant knee injury at 35, he's miss part of next season, and he'll be in the last year of his contract.

I'm inclined to start developing Greenway at center.

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[MuckOG]

I hate to see teams intentionally lose or tank games, so I would prefer to see the Wild figure out a way to maneuver into the top 10 picks of the draft. Maybe Zucker and our 1st could be packaged together to jump up and grab one of the top end centers like Cozens.

With Kaprizov hopefully coming over after next season, I think it's crucial to come out of this draft with a high-end center prospect that will hopefully be ready to jump into the line-up in 2020.

 

[Twoods1623]

If you talked to me a couple weeks ago I would be all for tanking to get a draft pick, and I still kind of am to a much lesser extent. This would be my number one option, but I do love seeing this team playing decent against good teams like we've seen in the past week or so.

If the cap goes up to $83 mill, we are going to have nearly $20 mill to resign our players plus free agency. Four players are going to receive raises in Ek, Donato, Aberg, and Fiala. How much those raises will be I could not tell you. If we went after Duchene for 9+ I would be excited, but that would also handicap us a bit cap wise.

I do not want to go the Brock Nelson route to overpay a player to be a top 9 center. I feel like we have enough options to play the 2nd/3rd line center on our team already.

I think that we should play out the season playing guys like Kunin, Ek, Greenway, and even Donato at center in order to see if anyone would take the reigns and run with it.

 

[Wabit]

Roll with what they have and stay away from the UFAs.

The time to try and develop Greenway at center was this year in the AHL.

 

[Digitalbooya]

I dunno man, Rask could be that 1C we are looking for ala Warren Peters

 

[Bazeek]

Good poll, but it almost needs to allow ranked selections or something. I think the baseline "stay the course" option is actually not bad:

2019-20: Staal-Koivu-Ek-Rask
2020-21: Staal-Koivu?/Kunin/Greenway-Ek-Rask
2021-22: ????

I'm less concerned about next year in particular if Eriksson-Ek can keep playing well. Our top-3 centers aren't great, but with good wingers they should be alright. And as much as I rag on him it's not impossible that Rask will rebound into more of a 3C.

2020-21 I'm less sure about. Staal will be wearing pretty thin by then and I'm not sure how much we can count on Koivu being a factor, but Kunin was drafted as a center and I think Greenway has the tools to do well there if needed. So there may be options internally.

For 2021-22 and beyond that I have no idea, but maybe we'll actually have a prospect pan out by then: maybe this year's 1st if we fall lower in the standings, or maybe someone like McBain or Khovanov if we don't. No idea what the trade or free-agent options would look like at that point.

Having Staal back for 2 years on a chump-change cap hit and Eriksson-Ek doing better recently has dampened my sense of urgency about the whole thing. It'd be nice to sign Duchene, but I don't think our entire future is riding on it or anything.

 

[Aurinko]

Easiest answer of my life. Trade one D-man to Vegas for Haula. He won't be expensive, since VGK don't have a spot for him and the only good d-man they have is Nate Schmidt.

I can't understand how the Knights let go of Hunt, even though fans and players adored him.

 

[Wild11MN]

Gotta draft a 1C. Probably the only way it happens. Hope to have one by around 2021-22 when the next wave hits their prime.

 

[Twoods1623]

Easiest answer of my life. Trade one D-man to Vegas for Haula. He won't be expensive, since VGK don't have a spot for him and the only good d-man they have is Nate Schmidt.

I can't understand how the Knights let go of Hunt, even though fans and players adored him.

I would love to have Haula back, but I am afraid of the price Vegas would want for him. He's making less than 3 mill for next year, but I am also wondering about his injury he had this season. Don't watch Vegas games really unless they play us.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

Newhook could be available in the 9-13 range and he screams a Fenton pick. FAST, Skilled, fast, going to college, fast, has warts he need to work on, fast, and on top of all that, he’s left handed.

All in all I would like a newhook pick. Has 1C potential of he can put it all together.

 

[Bazeek]

Easiest answer of my life. Trade one D-man to Vegas for Haula. He won't be expensive, since VGK don't have a spot for him and the only good d-man they have is Nate Schmidt.

I can't understand how the Knights let go of Hunt, even though fans and players adored him.

If "one D-man" means anyone in our top-4 I'll pass.

 

[Aurinko]

I would love to have Haula back, but I am afraid of the price Vegas would want for him. He's making less than 3 mill for next year, but I am also wondering about his injury he had this season. Don't watch Vegas games really unless they play us.

I absolutely see this as a potential trade.

Haula signed Vegas because they promised him 1st&2nd line ice time. They don't have spot for him in those lines and if the Knights don't end up in the finals, they have to make a move to strengthen the defense. Might as well pick him up then, since he could play a 1st or 2nd line center here.

 

[Aurinko]

If "one D-man" means anyone in our top-4 I'll pass.

Haula + 2nd rounder for Brodin? Think again.

 

[Wild11MN]

Newhook could be available in the 9-13 range and he screams a Fenton pick. FAST, Skilled, fast, going to college, fast, has warts he need to work on, fast, and on top of all that, he’s left handed.

All in all I would like a newhook pick. Has 1C potential of he can put it all together.

You sold me on "left-handed".

 

[Bazeek]

Haula + 2nd rounder for Brodin? Think again.

Adding Haula would just be adding another middle-6 guy and I see no point in cracking the spine of the team to do that. The 2nd isn't that much of a motivator.

 

[Twoods1623]

Haula + 2nd rounder for Brodin? Think again.

I have a huge bias, since Brodin is my favorite player on the team. I wouldn't be super upset with that, but I would rather keep our top 4 intact just for the fact that we don't have anyone that could easily replace them in our prospects pool or AHL roster.

 

[Aurinko]

Adding Haula would just be adding another middle-6 guy and I see no point in cracking the spine of the team to do that. The 2nd isn't that much of a motivator.

This team won't be a contender in the next 5 years, might as well make it at least fast and entertaining!

 

[Bazeek]

This team won't be a contender in the next 5 years, might as well make it at least fast and entertaining!

I've been plenty entertained by it lately.

 

[2Pair]

Haula isn't a top 6 center

 

[MuckOG]

Haula isn't a top 6 center

But he is fast and left handed.

 

[57special]

Love Haula, but he has been injured all year( has a badass scar on his knee, broken kneecap?), and he is in no way worth Brodin. Just a dumb trade. Haula is a 3c....not a need for us.
Nelson has been having a good year points wise, but he is not well regarded by the NYI fan base. Also not much of a C.
Let's not take shortcuts, and do the things the right way. Draft a young C, and hope he develops into a #1 C.

 

[Aurinko]

I've been plenty entertained by it lately.

I have no trust in the team in general, but I like the organisation and Fiala trade makes the Wild more entertaining to watch.

 

[2Pair]

But he is fast and left handed.

Touche

 

[Bazeek]

But he is fast and left handed.

Can't argue with FACTS and LOGIC

 

[nickschultzfan]

I dunno man, Rask could be that 1C we are looking for ala Warren Peters

Belanger!

Moore!