Bruno, Wild pursuing each other?
Posted on June 28th, 2008 – 8:59 PMBy Michael Russo
I think so.
I talked with Andrew Brunette this early evening, and he’s interested in returning to Minnesota as you can read in this article. The Wild isn’t permitted to talk about potential free agents, but I think the team is interested in Brunette returning.
So this could very well come into fruition.
If you watched Brunette the last three years in Colorado and in the playoffs against the Wild, you know he can still play the game at a high level. Brunette could be a positive addition, not just on the ice, but in a locker room that’s going to definitely lose Keith Carney and Sean Hill, and almost certainly Brian Rolston (see below post), as well as Todd Fedoruk – four beloved veterans. The Wild will need Brunette’s type of character.
I never covered Brunette in Minnesota. He left the season I came, but I feel like I’ve covered him because the stories are plentiful. The guy was loved inside that room, and you can bet he’d be a welcome addition with guys like Nick Schultz and Marian Gaborik.
I’ve also been told by friends of Gaborik that Brunette’s return would make for a happier Gabby. Does that get him to sign on the bottom line? I’d say there are other key issues at hand, but Brunette and Gaborik are pals.
Here’s, by the way, the last passage of the Brunette story that needed to be trimmed for space:
“I looked through the teams the other day and the Wild is as close as anybody in the West to making a real push,” Brunette said. ”There’s a lot of young talent there, and within a year or two, I think they have the right pieces in place.”
Plus, if Brunette returns, all will be forgiven with his wife, Lorie.
“I don’t think she’s still gotten over leaving Minnesota,” Brunette quipped.
I’ll write more about free agency Tuesday, but I see the Wild going after a top-four defenseman, if not via free agency, but via a trade this summer.
Besides Brunette, I also think it’ll try to go after another “impact” forward if it loses Rolston. And like I wrote in the below post, Rolston appears to be a goner. The sides still haven’t talked, and it’s gotten so close to July 1, as one NHL player said to me today, “Now he might as well wait and see.”
I think the Wild definitely has interest in Ryan Malone if he gets to free-agent status (Tampa owns his rights now, and is going for the full-court press by hiring Malone’s dad, Greg, as a scout, I hear), but I think his price will be sky high. They definitely will be pursuing other impact guys, but again, and I sound like a broken record, this free-agent class is pretty porous.
All 30 teams are going to go after the same five or six impact forwards and the same five or six “top four” defensemen. If the Wild swings and misses, I see them trying to improve later in the summer via the trade route rather than throwing a bunch of cash at lesser quality players.
In other words, maybe try to trade a second-round pick for a top-four D with two years left on his contract rather than signing a marginal No. 4 to a five-year, $15 million deal.
OK, Bye bye.
93 Responses to "Bruno, Wild pursuing each other?"
Bruno: Listen to your wife. Come back to where you had your best years. We need centers. You will be taken care of.
Come back. 
WRT???
I thought Brunette was a left wing.
Yeah, fine…add Old Player #1. He was at 1.6 mil last year. D’ya think he’s gonna want a raise? 2.5? 3.0? Overpay for a guy because he is buddies with Gaborik? If you overpay for Brunette, you throw your whole ‘reckless spending’ argument out the window.
Russo…do you see a push from the Wild to try to win this year or to just tread water? Again…when exactly IS the future?
Why does TF have to go? Going to cost that much???????
In an off season ripe for fan alienation, bringing Bruno back could go a long way.
I was in Denver for that famous goal in game 7. Once in a lifetime memory, I know, and not worth 3 million dollars, but as Russo said, he has been a solid player since the lock out.
If they can get him in the 2 mil range, I say say lock him up.
kj: He probably is a left wing, but Bruno will at least bang away at the puck when it’s near him. He’s not afraid of the ‘greasy’ goal, as long as it counts.
Ask any of our Slovaks to do that? Not on their lives…
Reports had Bruno + Gabby at the ALS walleye tourny up here a few weeks ago. Think Russo is sniffing in the right spot here.
WRT…agreed.
However, all the UFA blather about spending smart is rendered meaningless IF they overpay.
Overpaying for Johnsson, Hossa, etc is the same as overpaying for Brunette.
Yeah, fine…add Old Player #1.
wow. how fast opinions change around here. wasn’t even 3 months ago we wented to put a noose around DR’s neck for letting brunette go. now we don’t want him.
me thinks hossa will be looking for a max deal. we already have someone like that. it is hard to field a great team with 2 players tying up 40% of your cap. if there were no cap then i can get on board. if you want to go the ranger rout and have 4 top tier players, you must trust that the front office can mine exceptional talent that come with a price under 1 mil. I got no issue with that but i also believe you can win just as well by taking one 10 mil a year player and getting 2, 5 mil players.
and my bit about signing has been stars to fill cap space. if they are one year deals than why not. but if not then you got problems and if the price is high enough, they will be keeping a younger player off the ice. now maybe you catch lightning in a bottle a la owen nolan, find some name everyone knows, that was great 4 or 5 years ago, and find that he still has a little game left. or you could find a brett hull type that had the game pass him up. is there enough reward for the risk.
as for when is the future? a lot depends on what happens with #10 i think. if he extends then the future starts now. if not then it won’t be next year but it starts the year after. we have the core locked in. something we didn’t have until last season. now that they have that group i’d say they can start building around it. how that happens depends on #10. and i’d say how benny looks in camp. I think his setback last year was not expected and slowed the progress of the team as i do think he was expected to be part of that core. Foster as well.
I still don’t see why we are down on brunette. he is the same as rolston without the shot and will instantly be the best we have in the corners and behind the net in the offensive zone. something severely lacking on this team. he did have a then career best 69 point in the 6 goalie system that was only bested when playing with hejduk and sakic and svatos. it isn’t the big splash to satisfied the critics but it doesn’t appear to be a bad move.
How about overpaying for Skoula, hmmm?? (Of course, ANY amount is overpaying for the now fully-qualified press box popcorn machine operator…)
kj: You know SOMEONE will overpay for Malone, Hossa, etc., but they need to overpay, too, for the right player. Not for Demitra, not for Rolston, but for that forward who will put the Wild over the top. The Wild have never had that…yet.
Ok, so let’s say we add Bruno… at $2.5 million a year for two years.
(start the dream music)
DR begs Demo to come back at $4 million a year for three years, which is less than he made last year.
Then call ole Hossa (who is hopefully ALSO friends with Bruno.. lol 
And see if he’d come here for $8 million a year for 5 years.
$14.4 million spent… Lines could be:
Gabby-Demo-Hossa
Bruno-Koivu-PMB
Parrish-Shep-Pouliot
Gillies-Belanger-SRV
I could live with that…
Phone rings(dream music quickly interupted)
I pick it up… (pre-recorded message) “Hi, this is DR from the Minnesota Wild and we are exited for the upcoming season with the additions of Bruno, Holik, and Kuba. Thanks for being a season ticket holder and we look forward to seeing you at the X.”
Overpaying for Johnsson
i feel like i am in bizzaro land.
all season yawnson was beaten senseless for his salary and now he is used as justification to spend whatever it takes for malone or hossa. maybe it is because it is summer.
i suppose a case could me made that all UFAs are overpaid. i think there is a difference in a hossa and brunette and to be honest, i’m not sure hossa is overpaid at the max. i’m not sure the wild can afford to have 2 player at the max is where i am coming from. also, brunette is a proven commodity. malone, not so much. lots of risk giving malone 5 mil per. not so much paying brunette 2.5.
I’m not picking on you, Schmidty (honestly, though I know it seems like it). You tend to throw out that $8 mil/5yrs for Hossa, and you’re not the only one. So that’d be $40 mil for 5 years. He had a deal for $50 mil for 7. My question would be, which would you guys take if presented with those two offers? Keep in mind a) you’d be approaching 35 with no guarantee you’d still be playing at your current level, and b) teams might hesitate to offer a multi-year deal due to that 35+ thing.
(Note: I’m still resigned that he’s gone. You’ll notice I didn’t even mention where or with whom he’d be playing. And I’ll concede that maybe he will still be playing at his current level, so maybe he could still cash in easily.)
My point is I’m thinking it’ll take more than $8/yr to get him to sign (like 8.5-9.5).
It surpises me that Bruno and Gabby are that close of friends…he’s not part of the slovakian mafia… ‘course Demo was a bust and I don’t want him back so if Bruno can be the elixir we need so be it.
Rolston, we should not over-pay and if he wants too much, let huggy bear go..I don’t begrudge either side if we part company with him. Geez, looking at the tax thing alone, for a 4 million dollar contract from both the Wild and Tampa, Rolston would get an “extra” roughly 400k by going to Florida…that’s real money that would be worth considering even if he truly does like it here; it’s hard for the Wild to compete with the tax man.
All this Rolston talk is making it seem like he’s the whole team.I say our more pressing issue is filling the holes in “D”. Any good prospects out there? If this has been discussed already, sorry but I didn’t want to read 500+ previous comments.
crap. where they really both at the ALS tourney on Island Lake reservoir, or were you speaking of a different event? I’m gonna be pissed i didn’t walk over there if it was.
Bruenete would help the Wilds powerplay. For that reason alome you have to make a solid effort to get him. Power Play is number 1 priority. No way Rolston and Bruenete are here on the same team. To Good Old Wally Brunette is more valuable then Rolston because of what Brunette does for the Wild on the powerplay. We can replace Rolstons slapshot
So GoW, the PP is really your only concern for the Wild? That’s what they should make their priority? You love your defense 1-6? Your primary and secondary even strength scoring?
Green*…Overpaying for Johnsson (which we know the Wild did) is the SAME as overpaying for Brunette. That’s all I am trying to get across. You cannot like Brunette for too much money and say it is different than overpaying for Johnsson OR Hossa.
Overpaying is overpaying. Using it to justify in one case and exclude in another is hypocracy.
I hate to break it to some of you with Hossa dreams, but Bruno coming to the Wild would be a far better addition. I think to many of you are thinking of you NHL 2K seasons and not what makes a really good hockey team.
With Bruno we could have, him, Gabby and Koivu as our first line. Bruno does the behind the net dirty work, Koivu does the two way game/ pick up what’s left when Gabby takes the big shot. That is an effective line. Hossa and Gabby are basically the same player and in Lemaire’s system, a center can’t really be the behind the net guy. So it would be a bad line except in international play.
The same could be said if he was on line two with Bouchard. The Wild would be best served to land a forward like Huselius who could be effect on a 3rd line with a youngster like Gilles, but also effective in leading the 2nd power play line with Bouchard.
The round out the free agent signings with Mike Commodore, who would give the defense the junk yard dog they’ve missed since Mitchell left. If they decide to not trust Pouliet as a center, they should go for Peca, because he’s custom build for our system and would provide grit and leadership. Which we need.
To Win the cup in 2009 according to Las Vegas. How you read this is, If you bet on the Red Wings, say $ 1000 and they won you would win $ 1500.00 or + $ 500.00
If you bet the Wild say $ 1000.00 you would win $ 2800.00 or + $ 1800.00
I think that I am doing it right
Anaheim Ducks +1000
Atlanta Thrashers +10000
Boston Bruins +4000
Buffalo Sabers +3000
Calgary Flames +2000
Carolina Hurricanes +3500
Chicago Blackhawks +3500
Colorado Avalanche +1800
Colombus Blue Jackets +6000
Dallas Stars +1800
Detroit Red Wings +500
Edmonton Oilers +5000
Florida Panthers +5000
Los Angeles Kings +10000
Minnesota Wild +1800
Montreal Canadiens +600
Nashville Predators +3500
New Jersey Devils +1500
New York Islanders +6000
New York Rangers +1200
Ottawa Senators +1500
Philadelphia Flyers +2000
Phoenix Coyotes +6000
Pittsburgh Penguins +600
San Jose Sharks +1000
St Louis Blues +6500
Tampa Bay Lightning +4000
Toronto Maple Leafs +8000
Vancouver Canucks +3000
Washington Capitals +1500
Hey Beav interesting stuff !
Hmmm
I like the coyotes odds. The Ducks I dont like
You know Columbus dont look bad either
The Wild I thought you would get better odds on but it looks like they are in the favored category
Good Old Wally is right about being able to replace Rolston’s slap shot on the power play, we already did… with Bergeron.
Kevin PA
In JL system of defense first. You have to assume a little that DR will build system for JL type hockey. If your power play is average in that system, it throws off the system. No goals Kevin in PA
Sure, GoW, but then your scoring depends on primarily your PP, and I don’t think that’s a smart thing to do.
I still don’t see why we are down on brunette. he is the same as rolston without the shot and will instantly be the best we have in the corners and behind the net in the offensive zone. something severely lacking on this team. he did have a then career best 69 point in the 6 goalie system that was only bested when playing with hejduk and sakic and svatos. it isn’t the big splash to satisfied the critics but it doesn’t appear to be a bad move.
Exactly - and the decent price to boot, this is a solid part of the solution.
sorry beav but you are wrong. those numbers are for a 100 dollar bet.
100 on detroit wins you 500.
100 on wild wins you 1800
I had a vision of what’s going to happen this summer. It looked like this:
I think Russo is right… sign Bruno, let Huggy and Demo go, and make some solid acquisitions via trading later in the summer. Free agency is mostly going to be way too expensive.
It might be different if we were one player away from being a cup team, but we all know that isn’t the case. We need to be smart with our money.
Bruno does have the durability that Rolston has, if not the shot.
I think the 2003 playoff team are really tight with each other. I listened to the Wild Pondcast with Richard Park and he sounds wistful when he talks about his time with the Wild and that playoff run.
I have as much hope that CL will be a great owner as anyone, but let me know if I missed anything on this list:
Since TB’s new ownership took over, they have:
- Acquired the rights to Malone and Roberts
- Spent huge $ on a new coach
- Gave Lecavalier long-term contract
- Got Prospal back
CL has:
- Traded for MAB
- Raised ticket prices
- Resigned Terhar and Greenlay long-term contracts*
* Long way to go for a D&D shot
Acquiring the rights to Malone (who really cares about Roberts) is a great PR move but it could also backfire. I mean its only a 4th or 5th round pick but it could be wasted since Malone has been pretty adamant about wanting to test FA. Though, I admit Tampa Bay does have alot more appeal than CBJ - Stamkos, Lecavalier, warm weather, and no state income tax.
The other day, there was such an uproar about the Wild trading for Demitra to entice Gaborik to stay. Why isn’t there an uproar about bringing Bruno back to entice Gaborik? Is it because Bruno is not Slovakian?
My son and I are looking forward to seeing Andy again! Please come back!
(No Bruno hatred here. Never had it never will.)
What is with all the hope with Leipold? He has said that he isn’t going to change anything. It isn’t like the Wild haven’t been spending to the cap — because they have.
DR aggressively went after Olli but the deal didn’t work out. I think from reading most of the posts on this blog, people understand that teams will overpay in FA but there is a breaking point with overpayment. For example, $5 million for Malone doesn’t make sense and DR would be mainly vilified for making such a deal.
I think the Demo trade was the right move but the full payoff for trading O’Sullivan and the pick would have been to retain a happy (on wing) Demo for another 2 years at a favorable cap hit. Getting Bruno comes probably at a good cap hit with nothing spent on a trade.
sunshine: I was just taking a D&D shot but I will say I am in the minority on Malone as I would do a $5 million deal. JL needs a player like him on the PP and PK.
I have come to the conclusion that most if not all moves the Wild makes will be to entice Gaborik. Going after Olli to center Gaborik — wouldn’t he relish having a #1 center, finally? We need a puck moving defensemen to make that first outlet pass to Gaborik.
Getting secondary scoring players will relieve the pressure off Gaborik.
Enticing Gaborik = making Wild better too.
sunshine: we are on the same page with Holik as the next, best option at C. Any names you like for the new d-man?
I was generalizing, I guess I should have said that if an under 35 years-old #1 center or top 4 dmen were available in FA, I would give them $5 million.
I would not give Holik $5 million nor would he be my first choice– not that I really have one either. To be honest, the centers available in FA are not very desirable. Holik is an interesting choice in that he might be a good veteran to mentor Koivu, Sheppard, and Pouliot — learn from a SC winning center. Belanger doesn’t inspire mentorship since he is not on par with Koivu.
I think Carney and to some extent Hill did wonders for Burns, Foster and even Schultz.
I don’t feel picked on KiPA….
I say a 5 year deal at $8 million a year is more enticing for two reasons if I am a player.
#1 - I get $8 million a year versus $7 million
#2 - I’ll be 33 when that contract expires and I’ll be able to get another deal for at least 2 years, but maybe 3 or 4 years for around $6 million. Keeping in mind that the cap continues to go up so $6 million might not be to hard to swallow
#3 - I (being Hossa) have played at a high level nearly my whole career and haven’t had any MAJOR injures that have kept me out for that long. So with that said, I think I could easily get that next deal at 33.
#4 - If I get $50 million over 7 years and am 35, my next contract will be a major hit because of the over 35 rule.
Those are my reasons, and specifically why I put that number out. Others may disagree… but that’s my reasoning KiPA.
Good question to poll on though.
And by the way.. a Top 4 D-man will cost WAY more than $5 million a year. Try $6-7 million…. the price that Campbell and Redden are asking for. And someone will pay it because they are so hard to come by.
I think the system helps the average D-man on our team and think the money would be better spent on a forward… who can score.
Lastly.. before going to bed.
Current Shoot-out ranking?
PMB
Koivu
Gabby
Burns
???
???
???
Let’s hope it doesn’t go past 4 rounds.
Hossa’s 29, so he wouldn’t be 33 at the end of a five-year deal. That might change your reasoning a bit. Valid point on Nos. 3 and 4.
We assume the cap will go up each year, and while that seems fair to assume, I don’t really think we should. I seem to remember reading something that suggested it wouldn’t always go up (maybe that was a hypothetical situation if a year went badly, can’t remember).
Schmidty — not all top 4 D-men will cost $6-7M/yr. Sure Campbell or Redden may get that, but they are TOP ONE D-Men on most teams and arguably the top 2 UFA defensemen.
“Overpaying” for Bruno, if it happens, will mean we gave a 2 or 2.5M/yr player a couple hundred grand more. We overpay for Rolli or Malone, it’s more likely to be for $1M/yr or more.
Lastly, people talk about Fla not having a personal income tax, which it doesn’t, BUT just because that is where your home team is does not mean that you don’t pay taxes on a PORTION of your salary in EACH STATE where you perform. These guys pay taxes in every state in which their team plays. I agree it does help to have a “home” state with no income tax, but it does not help quite as much as you think.
– aka Taxman
Holik = conditioning (content to compete)
WTF???
The Wild have 14 mil (at least) in cap space to spend. That is with Gaborik signed for this season.
Why is it so hard to realize that they can AFFORD to bring in 2 top line players??? I’m not even demanding that.
Just. One. Player.
Ah…Green*…how did I know you’d nail the betting line???
RE: Centers — somebody mentioned Peca and I had not heard his name since the trade deadline. How did he look this year? He’s younger than Holik, no?
If not Holik, who? The C spot is thin in UFA (hence the OJ trade). However, maybe Bruno could get Sakic to come here
6GS…Jason Williams is one. Brendan Morrison is another. Perhaps Marty Reasoner?
RFAs…
Jarret Stoll. Antoine Vermette is another. Brooks Laich? However, if it were me, I would make a BIG offer to Valtteri Filppula of Detroit. He is an RFA and he’s 23. And his name is on the Cup.
Internet nuggets:
- Columbus is now expected to go hard for C Brendan Morrison. Doctors have sent an email to select clubs informing them that Morrison will be 100 percent by the start of training camp.
- Columbus giving up hope on Malone and moving to Huselius. Malone’s dad to scout in TB or wherever Ryan signs.
- Campbell going East, Atlanta willing to pay $7 million per. If so, his cap hit will be Burns x2 for the next three years.
- Morrison can play the system so now that it appears he will be good to go for camp, I like it as much as Holik. Holik will be cheaper and for only 2 years so I like him as a good fit for the system as well as the cap space saved for wing and a d-man.
- If JL says Jason Williams can play the system at C than that could work. Holik has been more durable over the last three years however.
- Jarret Stoll it seems like he would be a great fit - can the Oil and Wild work out a trade to avoid a RFA offer?
Random Positive Thought: Rolston’s departure foreces PMB to take more shots and he becomes more of a goal scorer. What would be a good deal for both sides for an extension completed this summer?
I’m guessing here but it would make sense for the Wild to go after in this order:
1) Malone or Huselius
2) Brunette
3) Jason Smith
Personally I would take Malone over Huselius because of the dirty goal factor Malone provides.
The Wild go after Brunette regardless of whether they go after Malone. They would have acquired Brunette even if they had retained Rolston, and they would have acquired a center whether they had retained Rolston. I stand by my predictions of Holik, Brunette and someone like Finger or Sauer on the blueline but now they need to add someone else to replace Rolston. I wouldn’t rule out a one-year deal to someone like Recchi, Tucker or like people have mentioned, Peca (though don’t know if he is healthy) or for the homers in the bunch, Jeff Taffe can play both wing and center, plays physicaly and is decent on the power play and would likely come cheaply. Heck, maybe they’re stupid enough to get Miro Satan. My guess is that Rolston may end up in Chicago if they can afford him in their cap.
Next year Gaborik, Backstrom, Queen MAB and Skoula (thank God!) become UFAs.
Next year another 14 mil in salary comes off the books.
Maybe Harding is ready to step up. If so, 3.1 mil becomes available.
Dumping Marty’s 1.9 into Gaborik’s 7.5 gets him close to the 10 million mark.
If Queen MAB pans out, re-sign him.
Looking ahead, the Wild MUST pick up a top notch forward this FA signing period. They must sign either Hossa, Malone, Huselius or make a play for an up-and-coming RFA (like Filppula). Obviously the Wild don’t need draft picks - they gave up a 3rd just to move 1 spot in the draft.
There is enough cash, they don’t have to do EVERYTHING on the cheap.
Planning for future UFAs is not a plan at all. Too much is out of your control - like the player re-signing with their club.
Looking ahead, the Wild MUST pick up a top notch forward this FA signing period. They must sign either Hossa, Malone, Huselius or make a play for an up-and-coming RFA (like Filppula)
I’m willing to be wrong but I would not consider malone a top notch forward.
51, 31, 44 are his point totals the last three seasons.
he is 28 not 23.
PMB has more points and he doesn’t play with crosby and malkin and he is 24.
I don’t think the risk is worth the reward.
Huselius is much more attractive, IMHO.
Just wanted to give everyone a good chuckle going into the lunch hour.
Here is the top 37 UFAs according to the all-knowing Eklund (and top teams vying for them):
1. Sundin: MON, NYR, DET
2. Hossa: BOS, SJ, MON, OTT, VAN
3. Campbell: NYR, PIT, SJ, BUFF
4. Jagr: NYR
5. Redden: NYR, BOS, SJ, EDM
6. Vrbata: CBJ, PIT, NJ, OTT, TOR
7. Straka: NYR, PIT, CHI
8. Demitra: VAN, SJ, NASH
9. Dupuis: BUF, CHI, PHX
10. Roszival: NJ, NYR, NYI, EDM, TAM
11. Huselius: CBJ, MON, NYI, WAS
12. Rolston: MIN, BUF, TOR
13. Streit: SJ, BOS, NYR, MON
15. Brunette: MIN, CHI, CAL
16. Liles: BUF, PHI, NYR, DAL
17. Huet: WAS, OTT, CHI
18. Stuart: LA
19. Rob Blake: LA, COL
20. Jeff Finger: PHL, COL, CBJ
21. Avery: NYI, MON, TOR, VAN, SJ
22. Nagy:EDM, NAS, WASH, CAR
23. Stillman: OTT, CAR,
24. Ryder: DET, PIT, BOS, NJ, VAN
25. Jason Williams: TOR, NASH, TB, BUF
26. Hainsey: PHL, SJ, STL
27. Cooke: CAR, NJ
28. Theodore: DET, TAM
29. Brylin: NJ, ATL, DAL
30. Jason Smith: PHL, NJ, EDM
31. Fedorov: WAS
32. Morrison: CBJ, BUF
33. Weight: STL, FLA
34. Peca: BUF, MON
35. Satan: NJ, NYR
36. Commodore: OTT, CAR, ATL
37. Naslund: VAN, PIT
Where is the chuckle you may ask?
He has Pascal Dupuis listed at #9. Yeah, sorry… Dupuis? Really?
3. Campbell: NYR, PIT
I stopped reading after that.
Just throwing this out there…
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=burnside_scott&id=3462934
This article on ESPN talks about the limited number of UFA goaltenders available this season. Knowing the Wild may need to trade for players, is Harding ready for the starting job, thus making Backstrom good trade bait.
Given people’s assumption that the Wild are taking a step back if they do not sign a top FA, is it time to let Harding learn on the job?
Just a thought…
Green*…You may not like Malone, but I think he is the type of player the Wild needs.
PMB is an RFA and may not be here.
I agree that Huselius would be a good acquisition too.
But, the crux of what I am trying to say is the resources (i.e. $$$) are there for the Wild to add a major improvement to the roster. And I also believe that they will avoid that scenario and spin it to the masses that this isn’t the right time and that they need to build for the future that never seems to arrive.
I’d certainly like to be wrong.
Harding is not quite ready to be a starter. He’s shown flashes, though. If he knew he was the #1, could he perform better on a consistent basis? Backstrom got his form back when JL went exclusively with him — sink or swim at the end of the year.
However, right now, I don’t think it would be a good idea to trade Backstrom. We need a little stability in the net with both him and Harding there when our front lines are in a disarray at the moment.
Oh I’m the one that mentioned Peca before, he did miss some games due to a groin pull… but come on, this is the Wild. We specialize in groin pulls here and dealing with them. Otherwise his game was good and on. Holik and Jason Smith are both good choices too, since they both came up in Lemaire’s Devil days, so they know the system.
but I think he is the type of player the Wild needs.
a few years ago we needed an offensive defenseman and paid to get yawnson and ended up with a minute muncher who can pass.
I’d say it makes a guy understandibly gun shy.
Malone may be what the wild need but wouldn’t those skills be covered if Parrish could figure it out and brunette is signed for half of what malone will get? It isn’t because i’m looking to be cheap. it’s because the 3 mil not spent on Malone, could be used to extend one of our goalies, or extending #10 or signing PMB.
If you sign Malone and he goes parrish on us, that is a big time problem for years to come. you can hide 1.8mil much easier than 5mil.
To be clear. it isn’t that i don’t like malone. I do think he would help. but at $5mil per, you better be damn sure what type of player he will be going forward and I don’t think that is clear.
or extending #10
I think you also need players to get that done but with you on extending PMB.
My bad KiPA, I thought he was 28. So then I would offer him a 4-year deal at $8 million for the same reasons I spelled out in the other points.
LOL - Chicago Wild, name me ONE Top-4 D-man that IS available and that would accept less than $6 million year… just one. Good luck with that.
We might not need Malone. Gillies, who is likely to make the Wild team in the fall, plays a similar type of game. He lacks Malone’s experience but would be much cheaper, though we won’t see much production from him for a year or two.
rosival interests me. he might 4th in top 4 and I think can be had for well under 6mil. probably under 4mil.
He lacks Malone’s experience but would be much cheaper, though we won’t see much production from him for a year or two.
I give up.
Gillies, who is likely to make the Wild team in the fall, plays a similar type of game. gillies is not an acceptable substitute, at this time, for malone
lol.. sorry Green*….
“Having just played out a two-year, $4.2 million deal, Rozsival was looking to at least double his annual salary.”
Not to mention he just had hip surgery.
Try again… anyone name me ONE Top-4 D-man that doesn’t want at least $6 million a year….
didn’t realize he had hip surgery.
good luck to him being able to double his salary although that would still keep him under 6mil…
- Wade Dubielewicz bolts for Russia - http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=241971
- If Campbell’s best offer is $7 million from ATL, most of the rest will be under $6 million. Two years in and after two years of increases to the cap, Johnsson’s contract doesn’t look so bad
All I’m going to say until after Tuesday is….. If Bruno comes home I’d be happy. If nothing else he’d plug the leadership hole Walz left in the locker room. Come home Bruno, come home.
By the way, found a nice Bar and Grill in Mendota, place called Lucky 13, they have a drink theat tastes like grape kool-ade, I kid you not. Although the liberal amounts of vodka in it sure make it kick harder than kool-ade. Served in medium wide mouth mason jars.
- Of THN’s top 10 UFA d-men, only Campbell and Redden are expected to get over $6 million per season - http://thehockeynews.com/articles/16847-The-Hockey-Newss-top-unrestricted-free-agents.html
- Idea for DR: trade Rolston’s pre July 1 rights to teams rumored to be interestd for the same rights to a D-man. Expamles: Rozsival at NYR (he is expected to be fine from the hip surgery) and Hainsey at CBJ.
If we get Bruno back, who would wear #15? Would he have to arm wrestle Shep for the rights?
They could work it out by battling for the puck along the boards. Longest puck possession wins #15.
When you think of DR, think of the game Jeopardy, and the from the following, come up with a question:
1) To make over as if new, or
2) Designed to extend the useful lifespan, or
3) the cost of ________ will usually be 30% to 50% less than better version
Answer?
What is re-tread!
Saladin…I’ll take NHL Castoffs for $500…
I will take former Hartford Whalers for $1,000
Wild need Bruno and Rolston both…
AND.. Minus TWO….
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2008/06/29/lightning_signings/
Malone gets approximately $4.5 million a year from the Lightning.
Roberts $2 million for 1 year…
Tick Tock Tick Tock… who’s next to go before DR realizes it’s time to sign folks?
Congrats to Malone, but it is way more than DR would have or should have payed him
Well, that will cut down at least 1/2 the threads
Who’s everyone’s next favorite? (besides Bruno as that’s basically a done deal)
Hossa (by me..hehe)
Huseluis
Holik
Campbell
Demo
Rolston
Who’s next to be “the man” for the Wild and slip through our fingers…..
“Breakfast, schmeckfast Renee! Breakfasts come and go, but Heartford, the Whale! They only beat Vancouver once, maybe twice in a life time.”
Name that movie!!!
Malone gets approximately $4.5 million a year from the Lightning.
For 7 YEARS! - That’s where DR probably would not have gone nor should he have. The wild card is if the cap keeps going up or not (or what the next CBA brings). Still, although Tampa Bay is a great situation, I am surprised he didn’t take some calls on July 1.
Come on people!!! No guess’ even? I’ll give you a hint, it was filmed in Eden Prairie.
Mall Rats
Mallrats?
I agree that Malone deal is one that I would not have offered.
Ok, on to the next one on the list. Oh wait, Hossa will get a much BIGGER contract than Malone so scratch him off too.
Next up?
Food
DING DING DING !!!!!!! Yes Schmidty and kj the answer is Mallrats!!!
By the way, food has been served above.
Come on KJ… let’s not put the fork in my guy until July 1st please
Can’t we pick on some other UFA that will think may resign with the team before July 1st? (as Hossa said he isn’t)
Thanks Bandgeek…. good quote, but the hint was the big help!
I am surprised to see Rolston Leave (although not official yet) I thought for sure he would stay in Minny!! This isnt a good way to start off for the New owner Leipold, first raising ticket prices now looking to go on the Cheap once FA begins and letting 2 valuable players in Rolston and Demitra Walk, thats roughly 50 goals needing to be replaced in your lineup, Not sure how it will get done but DR better be Busy on Tuesday
On Tuesday wild2274? How bout should have been busy a week ago and still busy today?
Again, the silence from all the hard work is deafening!
I agree Schmitty, What do you think about Husellius?? We could have had him already for Dupuis a couple years back, do we take a chance on him now?
