Veilleux placed on waivers (updated with Veilleux reaction); Wild opens season Oct. 11 vs. Boston
Posted on July 16th, 2008 – 12:09 PMBy Michael Russo
Here’s a sneak peek at tomorrow’s article. Remember, since it’s running tomorrow, “today” is tomorrow in the article. Got it!
This could be Stephane Veilleux’s final day with the Minnesota Wild. As I reported this morning, the 2001 draft pick was placed on waivers earlier today by the Wild as the team looks to resolve a contract dispute with the restricted free agent.
Remember, Veilleux fired his agent earlier this summer, so he is representing himself in negotiations.
This is the basic strategy here, and it’s exactly what I speculated on the earlier post.
Veilleux is one year from unrestricted free agency. There is a major bridge between what the Wild feels he’s worth next year and beyond as an unrestricted free agent and what Veilleux thinks he’s worth.
So the Wild is trying to “solve the problem,” said Tom Lynn.
If Veilleux is right, another team will claim him knowing, conceivably, it will need to pay Veilleux what he wants. If the Wild is right, he’ll clear waivers and Veilleux will conceivably learn his value isn’t as high as he thinks it is.
Any team can claim Veilleux by 11 a.m. Thursday. If another team claims Veilleux, he immediately becomes their property and it will be their responsibility to either negotiate a contract with him or go to arbitration.
If Veilleux goes unclaimed, the Wild will either sign him to a one-year deal, go to arbitration where Veilleux would be awarded a one-year deal or the team will continue to attempt to sign him long-term. I’ve gotten some confused emails. Remember, waivers in the NHL are not like other sports. If he clears waivers, it doesn’t mean the Wild releases him. He’s still the Wild’s property.
I just got off the phone with Veilleux. He is taking this maturely, but he is deeply saddened and disappointed “that we have to go this far.” He said Doug Risebrough called him this morning, explained to him the waiver decision and offered him one final contract. Veilleux still turned it down. He said Risebrough was very nice and there would be no “bad personal feelings” if he clears waivers and is still Wild property tomorrow.
He would not divulge what he’s asking for and he does not regret his decision to fire his agent. If this is his last day with the Wild, Veilleux wanted me to thank the fans for how he’s been treated in his five seasons here. I’ll have more in Thursday’s paper.
Clayton Stoner has signed a one-year deal, and Peter Olvecky was officially announced as signing.
The Wild will open the season Oct. 11 at home against the Boston Bruins. Manny Fernandez will be back, but will he be starting? The Wild will also play each Eastern Conference team once next season, but will play Boston, Tampa Bay and my favorite team as a kid, the New York Islanders, twice.
The Wild is 6-0-1 in home openers. The Wild will release its preseason schedule at a later date, the regular season schedule Thursday. Preseason single-game tickets go on sale Aug. 23, regular season single-game tickets Sept. 20.
In other news, as you read here last week,
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / JULY 16, 2008
BLACKHAWKS TO HOST RED WINGS AT HISTORIC WRIGLEY FIELD
IN NHL WINTER CLASSIC ON NEW YEAR?S DAY
NEW YORK (July 16, 2008) ? The Chicago Blackhawks will host the Detroit
Red Wings at Wrigley Field in NHL Winter ClassicTM 2009 on New Year?s Day.
The 701st all-time meeting of the clubs ? no NHL opponents have played
more regular-season games against each other ? will begin at the memorably
unique venue at 1 p.m., ET/Noon CT.
NHL Winter Classic 2009 will be the second regular-season outdoor NHL game
played in the United States (the Buffalo Sabres hosted the Pittsburgh
Penguins at Ralph Wilson Stadium last New Year?s Day) and the third
regular-season outdoor game in League history (the Edmonton Oilers hosted
the Montreal Canadiens at Commonwealth Stadium Nov. 22, 2003). Several of
the game?s brightest stars will be on display, including the young
Blackhawks tandem of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews and new addition
All-Star defenseman Brian Campbell. The Stanley Cup champion Red Wings
boast an All-Star roster that includes Henrik Zetterberg, Nicklas
Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, Chris Osgood and newly acquired Marian Hossa.
“The NHL is delighted to bring its most historic rivalry to one of the
most historic venues in sports,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “We
thank Rocky Wirtz and John McDonough for their vision. We thank Mike
Ilitch and the Red Wings for their cooperation. And we thank Mayor Daley,
in advance, for the warm welcome we know the City of Chicago will extend
to our newest tradition.
?We also acknowledge the interest and efforts of the New York Yankees and
the City of New York throughout the NHL Winter Classic 2009 site selection
process,? Commissioner Bettman said. ?We look forward to continuing
discussions regarding the possibility of playing a future Winter Classic
game at the new Yankee Stadium.”
NBC will provide live broadcast coverage of the game in the U.S. In
Canada, CBC and RDS will televise the event live. NHL Radio on Westwood
One will provide coverage for radio stations across North America and XM
Satellite Radio, and NHL.com will provide extensive digital video
coverage. More detail on the NHL Winter Classic will be announced soon.
350 Responses to "Veilleux placed on waivers (updated with Veilleux reaction); Wild opens season Oct. 11 vs. Boston"
?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!????!?!?!!!!!?!?!?!
i don’t get it. it being defined as anything.
why the heck would they try a stunt like this???
WTF??
Wow.
Use an agent, kids!
Wow! I don’t get this at all but I can tell you this DR - fans like SRV more than you so this better not blow up in your face.
This is just stupid, what are they trying to do here? I am starting to get really annoyed with the GM of our team.
I think that McHale is giving DR pointers.
WTH happened? What is the Wild doing? I don’t like the way they are treating players.
Without knowing what the numbers are, I think Veilleux deserves better.
I agree sunshine, they are really starting to be very bad to players towards the end of their contracts. What message are they trying to send to the fans and players now? That they are cheap and that if you don’t want their prices go play somewhere else?
At least DR signed Stoner to a 1 year contract. We have that problem solved. Anyone want to bet that he completely screws up the Gaborik negotiations as well?
I will take that bet jpro 75. He screwed up Rolston, didn’t add too much to the team, put SRV on waivers, wouldn’t surprise me if both PMB and Gaby deals get screwed up too. I was reserving judgement before because I really didn’t know but I am really starting to think we need a new GM. DR just isn’t getting it done for this team.
It’s Doug Smugborough’s Wild - we just get to be fans of it.*
* Preemptive shot will be retracted if this move actually makes sense and is not disrespectful to SRV.
Waiving him would open up a spot for a Gillies, or a Clutterbuck, would it not? Just sayin.
The only thing I can think of is that if someone does claim him, it opens a spot for Gillies. But if nothing, then they still have to go to arbitration with bad blood.
Bad move. Bad move.
Is DR even involved in this negotiation? I thought Lynn was running this deal.
WTF????
You jack ticket prices, and can’t cough up ~$600K for SRV?
That’s pretty craptastic, man!!!
NNNOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t want SRV to go away I like him. **sniffle** 
I like the fiesty red-haired French Canadian (to be said in an outrageous French accent).
At least it’s not Boogie, at least it’s not Boogie, at least it’s not Boogie………………………………..Go to happy place….I wonder if there is any chocolate in the house?
Veilleux is an average player…nothing hurt
Lynn gets his orders from DR. If SRV is asking for $1 million, DR might just say well, we have a guy who is ready for the NHL named Gillies and we would rather pay him that million instead of SRV.
It should be interesting to see what Gaborik decides. My fear is that the “talk” Gaborik had with Hossa would possibly rub off on Gaborik to move to a team with a shot at the cup. If Gaborik leaves or doesn’t sign by the beginning of the season (making this a distraction during the season), DR should be let go.
Riser just doesn’t want Russo to go on vacation. 
I’m beginning to think everyone here is also in the stock market and selling the news, any news.
personally, I will wait for details before stringing up DR and the rest of the front office.
on the surface, it sure seems like a strange move. perhaps there is a good reason for it though.
I don’t have an issue one way or the other on SRV. He is a dime a dozen and to be honest, i can’t believe there is uproar over it.
It seems that DR is sticking up to his plan, 3rd and 4th liners are replaceable (even if its a 3-4 year vet on this team) while top 6 needs to be kept.
If Rocky Dennis is asking for a contract upwards of a million per, then I don’t really have a problem with the Wild doing this.
As has been stated before, he is an average player, and there are many players who can fill his shoes.
Offer him $750,000 per for 2 or 3 years, throw in some poutine and be done with it.
People are acting as though Veilleux is an all-star or something, he’s nothing special at all. Like was pointed out, if he stays good….if he doesn’t it’s a spot for someone like Gillies. Nothin wrong with this at all.
G* - I think the uproar is more due to everyone saying that they were close to a deal and then pulling the pin on him.
Note to construction staff in Rochester, mandatory overtime on the HUGGY institute project, get that building moving….
without knowing numbers, the don’s explanation of this seems like good business.
if i was a wagering type, i’d say SRV thinks he should be getting 1.5 per. i’d say he is more like 750k to 1 max. if SRV is right, then he will get his money and still play hockey. if the wild are right, then he will still get to play hockey and get a good dose of reality.
this isn’t personal, it’s business.
DR and Co. are testing SRV’s market value. Man, its tough being a third-fourth liner. Also the Wild has an abundance of them waiting in Houston.
They must have really liked what Clutterbuck and Gillies were bringing to the table. Russo said that those two were banging away at unsuspecting players.
throw in some poutine and be done with it.
trouble is you can’t find poutine in the cities. which is a shame
So, here’s my question… will the GMs around the league basically get behind DR and deliberately help him make his point?
If they need to BNAG there are some unused former IBM and PemStar buildings in Roch, the HUGGY could move into one of those until the new building is finished.
Its the how they are going about it rather than the amount of money that has me up in arms. It doesn’t give good vibes for other FA — no minimum respect for players.
It seeems that DR is sticking up to his plan, 3rd and 4th liners are replaceable (even if its a 3-4 year vet on this team) while top 6 needs to be kept.
Rolston and Demo played on lines 3 and 4?
If I’m SV I’m looking at what AV got from the Rangers and figuring I’m worth at least that, eh?
So, here’s my question… will the GMs around the league basically get behind DR and deliberately help him make his point?
that would be collusion i think abd would get the NHLPA all over their shat. not sure a 4th liner is worth that.
ms. conduct: I don’t think other GM cares. They have problems of their own to deal with. Plus its only a checker not an elite player.
Michael,
Quick question, your thoughts on how much lack of agent played into this situation?
And yes I found some chocolate.
I’m mostly pissed at the way the players are being treated as they near the end of their contracts. SRV has worked hard for the Wild and now they pull this crap…
I think the lack of an agent is a large factor. There is no reality check saying, “uuuuhh, Steph, you really aren’t worth 1.25 or 1.5, try more like 750 or 1 on for size…”
I am with Band and Sunshine on it is the player treatment more then anything else that is the frustrating thing.
Wallshot: I had the same thought on Rolston and Demo
Ms. Conduct: If I’m SV I’m looking at what AV got from the Rangers and figuring I’m worth at least that, eh? +1
Based on the update, I agree with the move assuming JL is OK with the other options taking SRV’s time on the PK - the Wild’s PK has already lost Rolston and Branko but added AM. I guess another side of this could be freeing some cap space for PMB.
Just a case of bringing in more #2s. YoungBlood!!!!!!!
This is a pivotal season for the Wild. New ownership, no major moves on the FA market, key losses, increase in ticket prices, coming off a disappointing playoff appearance. The Natives are Restless!!!!!
Wow, I go to lunch to come back and find this?
WTF DR? This is getting stupid. I do wish I knew how big this “Gap” is though…
I guess another side of this could be freeing some cap space for PMB.
But who will he play ping pong with???
While I’m sure SRV’s ego is in a happier place for all the gnashing of teeth at this development, it still doesn’t mean he’s irreplaceable.
If he was way out of line with his salary demands, then he only has himself to blame. He saw Fridge and Voros (and Simon and Radio) take a hike - and he saw what they got, which does establish an overall market rate for him. He knows who we’ve got in the pipeline and that there are considerably more players like him than there are like Gaby.
I like the kid, I like his 11 goals, I would be fine if they brought him back. But not if they have to overpay him to do so.
I’m surprised people are getting so upset about this. I think it is a stretch for us to say this move is “disrespectful.” We don’t know the full context of the situation.
From what I can see, it seems like a shrewd move by the Wild. I like Veilleux, but let’s be honest, he is easily replaceable. Just like Voros or Radio. If he gets claimed, sayonara. And then welcome Gillies or whomever.
If he doesn’t, then maybe he’ll sign for your asking price and avoid arbitration altogether.
They must think an arbitration award will be higher than they are willing to pay, or else they would have accepted that route and tried to negotiate something long term later. Couldn’t they trade his rights for something…anything. Someone WILL pick him up.
Anyone clamoring for DR to sign the likes of Hossa, Malone, Commodore, Campbell, Fleury and Jagr better bite his/her tongue at this development.
Just sayin’.
- I am with Band and Sunshine on it is the player treatment more then anything else that is the frustrating thing.
Me four but I could be convinced management felt they had no other option - we shall see based on what Russo reports.
- BNAG - I didn’t even realize how nicely I set that up for you
Someone WILL pick him up.
I’m sure the Leafs are already planning the press conference.
/sarcasm
What do you supposed you’d be able to get if you traded his rights anyway? 4th or 5th round pick - maybe?
I’m mostly pissed at the way the players are being treated as they near the end of their contracts. SRV has worked hard for the Wild and now they pull this crap…
so the wild should roll over and tell SRV to name his price? i’m mean he’s worked hard…
F that.
4th or 5th round pick - maybe?
To Wild brass/scouts that’s like getting one sock back.
“I guess another side of this could be freeing some cap space for PMB.
But who will he play ping pong with???”
LOL. Indeed. I wouldn’t mind too much if SRV got picked up I guess.. as long as PMB definitely gets extended. Also, I really want to see waht Gillies can do… so this could be a good opprotunity for that. But I still think DR is being a bit foolish. But maybe I am wrong.
Maybe DR just has a deep seated fear of Gingers. SRV is a borderline Ginger and that has to freak the man out.
SRV is a borderline Ginger and that has to freak the man out.
LOL
To Wild brass/scouts that’s like getting one sock back.
LOL. Totally!
I don’t like how they are going about dealing with SRV but I do like the fact that Gillies will have a legitimate spot on the team.
That is exciting.
Only presuming a claim is made on Veillex, sunshine.
Green Star- While deliberate collusion between DR and other GMs is unlikely, it is a very real possibility that he has had conversations about it with them. He probably knows what SRVs value is, and SRV doesn’t.
As for those who don’t understand the blow-up over this. It is all about fan favorites. SRV is a fan favorite. No he’s not an all-star, but hockey fans like their fiesty, hot-blooded, blow-up-in-your face type. They don’t want to hear “it’s business” when it comes to the little guys. Problem is, they are more likely to be a victim of the game than anyone.
Thats all this is. A game. My guess is he clears waivers, and has a better idea of what he is worth. He is a fourth line checker, and unfortunatley, he is replacable. As much as I hate to say it, he is.
He is one of my favs too, but he is not worth 1 million a year. He does deserve a deal equal to Weller though… 600K a year seems reasonable.
I am presuming a lot here. Its exciting for the possibility of Gillies but I am extremely worried about the team.
SGS: it Rolston and Demo played on lines 3 and 4?
They were both UFA and DR made a decision to let Demo go while Rolston … well we all know what happened.
I am not saying that I like the move just repeating what DR said on his blog. I do think that unless SRV asked for a load of money, he should be kept on the roster.
I can see Atlanta picking him up. They have cap space and need someone like him. He might even score more goals there.
Wallshot-
Got a fourth round for Rolston’s rights. No one is going to trade for SRVs, not more than a seventh…
Lastly, who is going to put shaving cream in Mikko’s helmet as a birthday joke if SRV is gone?
Look all I’m saying is that their jerkin’ SRV’s chain, it seems like their doing the same thing to PMB. It’s like they didn’t even acknowledge Demo’s existence once the season ended, and it feels like they did that same thing Voros and Fridge. I love my boys, I support my team, but the upper management is really sucking right about now. This just gives me a bad feeling as to how the Gabby negotiations are going to go.
There are no good players in Houston. So give up the lets make room for Minor League players. The Wild have never given 1 player 1 penny more than they have offered. That is not negotiationg. One thing thay are good at is raising ticket prices over the years. They even added special touch in the 2007 playoffs by raising tap beers .25, which has remained. Thanks for the thanks. If only there was not a season ticket waiting list, the loyal/patient/frustrated (watched too many minor leaguers over the years) season ticket holders, we could send them a message.
Got a fourth round for Rolston’s rights. No one is going to trade for SRVs, not more than a seventh…
Maybe, maybe not. Rolston was a UFA and Rocky Dennis is an RFA, so you’d be guaranteed at least one year, but were guaranteed nothing with Rolston.
If he was way out of line with his salary demands, then he only has himself to blame.
Ultimately, there really isn’t much more to it than that, I guess.
A dose of reality for the the unrepresented SRV? Who knows.
The team certainly will have a much stronger position in arbitration if SRV does clear, though, admittedly.
“Anyone else wanna negotiate?”
I really wouldn’t be that upset if he was gone. I’m pretty sure we’ve already got a spot for Gillies so this one would go to Clutterbuck.
- BNAG - I didn’t even realize how nicely I set that up for you
Belt high fastball baby!!!!! WOOOOOOO!!
SRV is a fan favorite. No he’s not an all-star, but hockey fans like their fiesty, hot-blooded, blow-up-in-your face type.
so if i don’t share the same “they are treating SRV wrong” sentiment, i am not a hockey fan?
They don’t want to hear “it’s business” when it comes to the little guys.
no one ever does want to hear it but that is exactly what this is. with the cap the way it is and teams (and fans) wanting to allocate major dollars to stars, the bottom 6 to 10 players are never going to see their stock rise becuase of finite dollars and will be cycled thru.
Yeah, Buddha, I wasn’t suggesting even a discussion or any other kind of communication among GMs that would need t happen to prove collusion. I can just see them looking at this situation, seeing what Riser is doing, and taking this as a chance for them to control the “market” a bit after the FA frenzy and get at least these 3rd/4th line checker salaries back under control after guys like AV were so grossly overpaid.
Maybe I’m oversimplifying it a bit but I can’t imagine that there’s a GM out there who’s looking at this situation and doesn’t have a POV on the matter and will … not really blackball SV, but at least not act when they might have had interest otherwise.
I’m not suggesting collusion… just an unspoken consensus.
I love my boys, I support my team, but the upper management is really sucking right about now
Ok, but won’t you be able to say the same affirmations for next year’s team? Doesn’t it really matter which role-players we have?
I disagree that PMB is getting the same treatment as the other players you mentioned.
The Wild have never given 1 player 1 penny more than they have offered.
for all intents and purposes, neither have the Red Wings.
“Anyone else wanna negotiate?”
Fifth Element?
beat me to it Wallshot…great pull, Lucky!
Green Star- Not saying you aren’t a fan if you don’t tagree. Just trying to put out there why some of the people on here are freaking out about it. Meant no offense.
Ms.Conduct- I was agreeing with you, but suggesting it was more of a wink wink nudge nudge type of thing. Picture DR drinking his kool-aid, talking about the “hypothetical fourth line winger” with his GM buddies.
Look all I’m saying is that their jerkin’ SRV’s chain,
really? because they put him on waivers? I don’t think so.
it seems like their doing the same thing to PMB.
They seem to have been clear about PMB’s future. he has gotten a series of one year deals and was offered up in trade.
It’s like they didn’t even acknowledge Demo’s existence once the season ended,
demo did nothing last year to warrent acknowledgement.
and it feels like they did that same thing Voros and Fridge.
voros and fridge were made offers, it was reported but they opted to test the market. no acknowledgement would mean they didn’t call or answer the phone or invite them on the road tour.
I love my boys, I support my team, but the upper management is really sucking right about now.
because they didn’t give voros, fridge and SRV whatever they demanded?
This just gives me a bad feeling as to how the Gabby negotiations are going to go.
I can understand why.
GreenStar-
I think you and I think a lot alike. May not seem like it, but I think we do.
I knew someone would catch it! Good job as always Russoville.
Well, if SRV wanted $1M, at least when they negotiate w/Gabby, they’ll have an extra ~$300K/yr to help seal the deal. LOL.
—-
…and can you really not get poutine in the `Cities? Damn! How can that be?
none taken. just wanted to point out you can be a fan but still understand the business of things.
…and can you really not get poutine in the `Cities? Damn! How can that be?
I thought that was only on Sundays??
…and can you really not get poutine in the `Cities? Damn! How can that be?
I think because euthanasia is still illegal here.
Well this is suprising news. Hopefully we can get some more info *nudge, nudge Russo* about how much SRV thought he was worth. From the previous post, and I can’t remember who said it, but I take the bus home Fridays as hockey doesn’t start until 2:30ish so I drive.
they’ll have an extra ~$300K/yr to help seal the deal
300k is 30% of 1mil. that is significant at that level. that would be similar to #10 wanting 10mil per and we offer 7mil per.
I thought that was only on Sundays??
That is any ol’ day!
But who will he play ping pong with???”
thanks for plugging the ping pong concerns for me while I was gone ATX.
Whatever. I’ll catch up once everyone’s settled down this evening.
Still nonsenical though…
Haven’t read all comments.
Hmmm, perhaps I was wrong about SRV yesterday. Maybe he is seeking a payday and DR’s trying to kick him down a notch. Well, either way, I don’t like this move by DR. Three possible outcomes:
1) SRV claimed off waivers - he’s gone and we’ve got another hole to fill.
2) SRV not claimed, finds out he’s not worth as much as he thought, finds out DR and Co. don’t really care about him, confidence takes a hit, doesn’t play with as much heart.
3) SRV not claimed, DR says “see kid, I told you”, SRV says “can’t blame me for trying” and we all chuckle, SRV signs and everyone skates off happy.
If SRV clears waivers, does that mean DR can sign him to a 2 way contract as well?
DR must be clearing cap space to sign Gaborik… 
300k is 30% of 1mil. that is significant at that level. that would be similar to #10 wanting 10mil per and we offer 7mil per.
OK, that one bombed.
The joke was that if they “hardballed” SRV into $700K/yr, the $300k/yr that they “saved” in the SRV negotiations, they could throw in the Gabby Moolah Bucket. See? 
More possibly irrantional comments…
I think we all liked how DR traded Rolston’s rights once he knew he wasn’t going to sign him prior to free agency. Did DR try that route with Demitra? I mean I’ve gotta think his rights (right after the season mind you - much more negotiation time) would’ve been worth something.
Wow, lets all dump on Bandgeeks opinion today. How generous of you. Many of my favorite players are GONE, so when one more looks like he’s going out the door, I get a little testy. Maybe I’m over sensitive after being jerked around recently by management, but still. I see what the rest of you are saying, at least try to see my point of view.
Yeah, I knew you were, B. I was just putting a finer point on my “theory.”
On the one hand, I kinda respect DR for playing hardball and for not letting this negotiation stall out like Rolston’s did.
On the other hand, SV is replaceable (Clutterbuck is a great fit for his spot), but it stings as a fan to see a guy with spunk and heart basically get pwned by management.
I mean I’ve gotta think his rights (right after the season mind you - much more negotiation time) would’ve been worth something.
seeing he signed without much fanfare and late in the signing season…probably not worth much.
Mybe Dr is trying to explain to SRV that firing his agent and coming in with too high a value is the same as buying condoms on the way to the graveyard?
seeing he signed without much fanfare and late in the signing season…probably not worth much.
Methinks Smilin’ Pav had “nowhere else to go”. At least he’ll be relatively close to Puget Sound…
SRV = Paddy Verbeek…on valium
mike (ntm)…nice work!
problem with not having an agent is the wild - as negotiators do - will low ball SRV right to his face - because they have to. There is no agent to buffer the hit. It’s now personal for SRV when it is just business for the wild. Feelings always get hurt when you have to tell someone their not as good as they think they are.
Collusion never happens among GM’s in sports, look at Barry Bonds!
That being said, SRV is replacable and may be asking too much based on Fridge/Voros signings. The funny thing is that I thought the guy was as worthless as Kyle Wanvig until the last couple of years when he grew into his roll on the checking line. Then I actually liked what he was bringing to the ice. C’est la vie!
I am sure he will clear waivers. I am sure the Wild offered him a competitive contract and he thinks he is worth more. Like Russo said… he will soon find out. That being said, I am sure he will be in a Wild uniform this season.
I like SRV and would be sorry to see him go. SRV does work hard and is a perfectly solid checking line guy. Having said that there are many other SRV’s around the league and if he is asking too much he is replaceable. Just like Fridge. I really liked him and didn’t want to see him leave but he sure isn’t worth $1.3M for each of 3 years. And, he ought to give JL a portion of that because he resurrected Fridge’s career. He was on waivers and no one wanted a punching bag fighter. JL made him into a solid checker with some very modest scroing touch and now he actually looks like a hockey player. It will be interesting, however, to see how he fares over the next 3 years with Phoenix.
Whoops that would be “scoring touch”
I have to wonder though how much of the apparent lack of interest in Demitra is due to reports of him touring Vancouver, etc. Prior to FA beginning, everyone thought he was a lock to Vancouver so they didn’t try very hard.
Or, I suppose it could be that everyone saw how he played here and as such didn’t think he’d be worth the $$ he’d demand…
Someone WILL pick him up.
I’m sure the Leafs are already planning the press conference.
5 years, $16M.
Anyone ever watch that show NewsRadio? This SRV reminds me of one scene from that show
[Negotiating with Beth]
Jimmy James: [slamming shoe on table and screaming] I WILL BURY YOU!
[Beth jumps]
Beth: What was that?
Jimmy: Standard opening move. Your turn.
*This SRV thing
Forget Demitra– let’s focus on SRV, PMB, and Gaborik. That chapter is closed now.
5 years, $16M.
LOL…maybe he and Finger are buddies.
Maybe the coolest thing I seen.
Ever.
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=243557&lid=sublink01&lpos=headlines_nhl
LOL…maybe he and Finger are buddies.
Perhaps, they are — dare I say? — Finger buddies?
Maybe the coolest thing I seen.
Leafs +1, first time since early 80’s
Leafs +1, first time since early 80’s
First time since the Gilmour Trade.
Doh!!
yep
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Wild only want to sign him to a 1 year deal and maybe he wants more years?
Wallshot,
Yeah, that mention of wanting a long-term deal (whatever that means to him) was what raised my eyebrow when reading the initial story.
*RAISES HAND*
Mr. Russo!
Have you heard anything about the Wild entering into some kind of agreement with this Justin Hodgman kid? An eagle eye found this blurb in a Fort Wayne paper today: “Franke said playoff MVP Justin Hodgman will attend a second rookie camp with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, which now owns his rights.”
NHL93,
That was some funny @$$ sh!t…
Anyway, interesting move by the Wild. As far as him getting claimed… maybe. At this point there’s probably not a ton of roster spots still open on teams, and of course GMs will know the back story if they’re thinking of claiming him. So we’ll see if there’s a team out there that thinks enough of him to make a play for him.
Hodgman is intriguing for sure. Hope the Wild did get some paper in front of him.
I don’t see him getting claimed without a contract already being signed. It seems likely headed to arbitration, and I doubt many GMs would want to spend the time and resources on that when there are other players available without the headache.
Atlanta and LA are looking for cap space and bodies.
I think that’s exactly what DR/TT are thinking, Wallshot. I don’t think they want to lose him, but are willing to risk it. SV must have really brought some crazy ideas to the negotiating table.
How many prospect camps does the Wild hold? Only one, right?
I think Hodgman would be good for Houston with more scoring.
Sunshine, there was development camp and then the prospect tourney? I’m not really sure. Could be total misinformation there.
Either way, I like Hodgman’s numbers and hope he gets to Houston.
Is this possible:
‘Nuther GM: Hey Dougie, what’s Veilleux doing on waivers? I was thinking about putting in a claim.
DR: He thinks he’s Jari Kurri and we needed him to understand what his salary value actually is.
‘Nuther GM: What’s he asking for?
DR: (names dollar figure)
‘Nuther GM: How delusional! Maybe we should save that roster spot for one of our prospects instead, too.
SV must have really brought some crazy ideas to the negotiating table.
Lynn: “Okay Stephane, it says here that you are requesting to be compensated in the amount of $5.12M. Is that right?”
SRV: “Yes, dats right. Five point one two million pesos.”
Lynn: “Excuse me, did you say ‘pesos’?”
SRV: “Dat’s correct, yes.”
Lynn: “Well, uh, we may be able to arrange that. Are there any other riders you’d like to request on this contract?”
SRV: “Okay, fer sure. I would also like da following tings:
1. A complete DVD set of the last tree seasons of da ‘Sex in da City’ show.
2. An all-expenses paid trip to da Stiga world headquarters.
3. A twenty-five touzand dollar shopping spree ad da Lacoste store.
4. Four bottles of chocolate Yoo-Hoo, chilled, at my stall after every game.
5. Tree pure bred, AKC registered Mastiff pups, assorted colors.
6. Gaby’s F1 racing simulator.
7. A signed affidavit from Burnsie saying he will never sneak into my house and leave dat damn python in my bed again.
8. Carney’s collection of 1960s Playboys.
9. To wear da number 1.
and 10. To get to sit on da Zamboni during da intermissions of dee games.”
ss,
yeah those team are looking for bodies and salary, and there’s a few others that still need to pick up some players as well. I think it becomes a question of if he’s a better option for them all things considered.
One prospect camp, and then there’s that Traverse City prospect tourney, which will be here before we know it.
Nice NiNY. I especially liked this one:
3. A twenty-five touzand dollar shopping spree ad da Lacoste store.
I like SRV, appreciate his effort and improvement last season and wish he would be on the team, too. Not the end of the world if he’s not, though. Curious move that I am still trying to understand. Any possibility that this move was, in some way, mutual between SRV and the Wild?
Four bottles of chocolate Yoo-Hoo, chilled, at my stall after every game.
Gold.
However the lack any mention of racquet sports is glaring.
Stephane Veilleux sucks-he loses every fight and cant hit the net to save his life-its awful to watch him play-not a good rep for minnesota fans.
HD: I don’t think it was a mutual decision between the Wild and SRV. It sounded like DR said we are going to do this to test your value. Then, they did it.
No way in hell is Carney parting with those Playboys.
However the lack any mention of racquet sports is glaring.
toivo: knowest thou not of Stiga??
from the “sort of but not really related to hockey” files: BareNaked Ladies lead singer Stephen Page arrested on coke possession. Iiiiiimmm going to go out on a limb and say that won’t help the sales of their new kids album.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080716/ap_en_mu/singer_arrested
We all have our favorites from the NiNY posting but I thought the python line was great.
NiNY - so, I work in an area that is pretty open, meaning I had to do everythign in my power to not laugh out loud uncontrollably in regards to your post.
Comic GOLD my friend.
Heh. Well, they’re really rock stars now.
Yeah, sunshine - since writing that, I re-read the Don’s post and see where it was the Wild informing SRV of its tact. Still, just wondering whether it might have been something discussed between the sides as a way to guage their positions and the Wild eventually acquiescing.
Another thought might be that the Wild, seeing what below-avg guys like Voros just got, see the writing on the wall that SRV might do very well at arbitration, which they might find intolerable and/or the basis to dampen their interest in SRV long-term (at that price). Sooo, the theory continues, if we’re wrong about his market value, better find it out now and avoid over-paying him for this season when we have no interest in paying him that much and more for future seasons.
Any of that make sense?
BareNaked Ladies lead singer Stephen Page arrested on coke possession. Iiiiiimmm going to go out on a limb and say that won’t help the sales of their new kids album.
At least it wasn’t child porn.
…or poutine.
SRV on waivers = (in your best danny b voice) “WHO…CARES!!!”
Wallshot says:
“BareNaked Ladies lead singer Stephen Page arrested on coke possession. Iiiiiimmm going to go out on a limb and say that won’t help the sales of their new kids album.
At least it wasn’t child porn.
…or poutine.”
He’s a rock star and he’s white. He will give the public apology, and will be a non-story by this time next week.
Any of that make sense?
“Wait - Hold on a second. Pie? Drunk? The? You got yourself a sheriff!”
here is the schedule from wild.com:
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Wild announces 2008-09 home opener Minnesota opens at home against Boston Bruins on Saturday, Oct. 11 Minnesota Wild Jul 16, 2008, 3:49 PM EDT
Bouchard
SAINT PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild will open the 2008-09 season at Xcel Energy Center on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 7:30 p.m. against the Boston Bruins. The complete National Hockey League (NHL) schedule is slated to be released Thursday.
This will mark the Wild’s fourth straight season opener at home. Minnesota is 6-0-1 all-time in home openers, including a 5-1 victory over the Bruins on Oct. 11, 2002.
The Wild also announced three “at-large” home games against Eastern Conference opponents. Minnesota will play each Eastern Conference team once - but three of those teams will play a home-and-home with the Wild. The Bruins, New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning will all play home-and-home sets with the Wild in 2008-09.
The Wild will announce its preseason schedule at a later date. Preseason single-game tickets will go on sale Saturday, Aug. 23. Regular season single-game tickets will go on sale on Saturday, Sept. 20. F
sorry about the formatting.
Like it, Klauss. He’s got another sound byte that might apply.
In your best Barreiro voice:
“We don’t NEED you!!”
No way in hell is Carney parting with those Playboys.
COMC!!
So..Manny is back for the home opener! wow!
We get Detroit twice…
So..Manny is back for the home opener! wow!
Thought they were gonna buy him out?
Keep the dream alive BFW… it’s been a COMC kinda day, really.
Those are boring home-and-home opponents. Well, maybe the Lightning will be cool with their crazy new team and that blonde kid.
Oh well, it will be fun to see if Gabby can bust up DiPi’s hip again.
Bruins, Tampa Bay, and Islanders twice.
Just the latest example as to why good free agents avoid the Wild like the plague. They treat their players like garbage because the fans keep coming back like beat dogs.
Keep the dream alive BFW*… it’s been a COMC kinda day, really.
Those are boring home-and-home opponents. Well, maybe the Lightning will be cool with their crazy new team and that blonde kid.
Definitely down for Tampa and their ridiculous 35-headed monster!! That’s gonna be a roller-hockey score!
Bruins, Tampa Bay, and Islanders twice.
Forget my arguments about how the East can play defense…(well Boston’s not too bad)
So do we place bets as to how long it take for Wes to tear on on the bench when he comes back??
Blazing Saddles
“Blazing Saddles”
Where are all teh white women at?
why did they do this? is SV asking for too much money?
DR REALLY NEEDS TO GO…WAY TOO MANY QUESTIONABLE DECISIONS.
This is the 3rd time in our favorite franchise’s brief little history that it’s opened at home against the Bruins, isn’t it?
NiNY - Fine work… *Looks NiNY’s direction, tips cap*
With all due respect, you left off the last request….
SRV: Lastly, We need some balls for da ping pong table.
TL: Sorry Stephane, the Wild has no balls nor the ability to obtain any.
It doesn’t matter if you like SV or not, or think there is minor league talent available.
DR is potentially giving away a proven resource. At the very least, trade him for a draft choice, or package him with someone. Whatever, get some value.
And may I just throw my vote out there that this “teaser” schedule announcing vs. just putting it all out there is utter bullchit. We spend the whole offseason being teased and teased… for once, just lay out the information you have and let us have our way with it. Jerks.
*ms.conduct is a little on edge*
toivo: knowest thou not of Stiga??
You know, I was going to google that before I replied. Now I know better.
ms.conduct - 2 minutes for UnWildAreTheGeatestFranchiseInSports Conduct - DR will appeal to the league for a fine latter.
Who Needs Sleep?
Words & Music by Steven Page & Ed Robertson
Now I lay me down not to sleep
I just get tangled in the sheets
I swim in sweat three inches deep
I just lay back and claim defeat
Chapter read and lesson learned
I turned the lights off while she burned
So while she’s three hundred degrees
I throw the sheets off and I freeze
Lids down, I count sheep
I count heartbeats
The only thing that counts is
that I won’t sleep
I countdown, I look around
Who needs sleep?
(well you’re never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me what’s that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what you’re getting
There’s a guy who’s been awake
since the Second World War)
Who needs sleep?
(well you’re never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me what’s that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what you’re getting
There’s a guy who’s been awake
since the Second World War)
My hands are locked up tight in fists
My mind is racing filled with lists
of things to do and things I’ve done
Another sleepless night’s begun
Lids down, I count sheep
I count heartbeats
The only thing that counts is
that I won’t sleep
I countdown, I look around
Who needs sleep?
(well you’re never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me what’s that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what you’re getting
There’s a guy who’s been awake
since the Second World War)
Who needs sleep?
(well you’re never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me what’s that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what you’re getting
There’s a guy who’s been awake
since the Second World War)
There’s so much joy in life,
so many pleasures all around
But the pleasure of insomnia
is one I’ve never found
With all life has to offer,
There’s so much to be enjoyed
But the pleasures of insomnia
are ones I can’t avoid
Lids down, I count sheep
I count heartbeats
The only thing that counts is
that I won’t sleep
I countdown, I look around
Hala Hala Hala…
Who needs sleep?
(well you’re never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me what’s that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what you’re getting
There’s a guy who’s been awake
since the Second World War)
Who needs sleep?
(well you’re never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me what’s that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what you’re getting
There’s a guy who’s been awake
since the Second World War)
*runs GGGGGGS, in defense of Ms. Conduct*
“Ms. Conduct’s a KILLER!”
I’m not blaming the Wild. I’m blaming the league. RAWR!!!!!!!
This Wiki pearl on the Wild helmsman……Throughout his career, Risebrough was an agitator, often assigned to pester the opponents’ top players. In one famous chapter of the Battle of Alberta, Risebrough, while playing with the Flames fought with Marty McSorley. Risebrough lost the fight, but ended up with McSorley’s jersey, which he shredded with his skates.
Why does none of this surprise me?
Damn right you better run. Where’s the f’ing UPS truck with my hockey gear??? The only thing that will cure this is the terror of my first stick and puck…
Stoned, that kinda makes me like Riser… but then I love the agitators… I guess this is the GM equivalent of breaking SV’s stick over his knee.
*runs GGGGGGS, in defense of Ms. Conduct*
“Ms. Conduct’s a KILLER!”
Ms.C, need to re-read that one. I RAN SixGoalieSystem (aka GGGGGGS), face first, into the boards, in YOUR defense.
*phew*
I better hang ‘em up today. Marble (cyber)mouth.
That’s very sweet, BFW. I appreciate the enforcing there, eh. But you might still want to run. I’m in “lock the kids in the bathroom and kick the dog” mode at the moment. It’s fading a bit, though. I’m too lazy to stay angry for long.
But you might still want to run. I’m in “lock the kids in the bathroom and kick the dog” mode at the moment.
*Sigh*
The perfect linemate.
Okay. Now I’m just really sad reading Russo’s update. But at least everyone can come out of safe hiding now.
Steve Kelly signed a 2-way deal with the BJ’s.
But you might still want to run. I’m in “lock the kids in the bathroomand kick the dog” mode
But.. why did you let them out of the cellar in the first place?
Even though I blew the call and got ran, in classic ref style my defense is that even though it is an NHL and not a Wild decision, the Wild are the self proclaimed model NHL team so they were really behind this anyway
Am I the only one who doesn’t think Blue Jackets when they see BJs?
Adios Steve Kelly. Don’t let the door hit ya.
Why let the only guy who truly goes full throttle every f’ing shift walk? I thought hard work was rewarded in hockey….
I can see locking the kids in the bathroom, but why would anyone kick a dog??
Am I the only one who doesn’t think Blue Jackets when they see BJs?
Wholesale club?
Wallshot, the little chits busted the door down. They take after mama. (Okay, I actually don’t have kids, don’t like kids, don’t want kids, so don’t be sending CPS after me.) I do sometimes give the dog a thump with my hockey stick, but he thinks its funny.
There.
Now, 6GS, I’m gonna have to think about that one. But I’m pretty sure, in classic ref style, you’re full of it.
ms.conduct says:
July 16th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Am I the only one who doesn’t think Blue Jackets when they see BJs?
it’s so refreshing when a woman says something like this…as I’m sure all the men here were thinking it!
I want to cry for SRV. Outside of this hockey business, he is still a good person. Good luck, SRV.
I too, think that it’s absurd that DR would try to negotiate on every single player. What a jerk. Just pay the players whatever they ask for.
I bring the same philosophy when buying a car. I pay sticker price every time.
ms.conduct: that is why I always type CBJs instead of BJs.
Am I the only one who doesn’t think Blue Jackets when they see BJs?
*Sigh*
The perfect linemate.
“I swear I’ve seen a lot things in my life, but THAT…
…was…
AWESOME!!!”
Mike, women think it, just that most have enough class to not say it.
Ditto Sunshine. Crap like this just bums me out. Logically, I get it. Emotionally, not so much.
i’m sure there’s a response I should make, but for the life of me, I just don’t know what it is…
LOL You’re a smart man. And you don’t want BFW checking you into the boards. Way to keep your head on a swivel.
So does that mean DR is an ‘agitator’ GM?
He’s only around to piss us fans off?
The ULTIMATE BJ story…
Back in HS (St. Paul Johnson) our JV football team got new jerseys in our Soph year. Yep…they were known as the ‘B’ team that year and the jerseys were misprinted…they were supposed to be a capital J with a small B. You guessed it…they reversed the letters…LOLOLOLOLOLOL
LOL You’re a smart man. And you don’t want BFW* checking you into the boards. Way to keep your head on a swivel.
That’s right, Ms.C.
Stick down, heads up!
kj, I think the idea is to piss the other team’s fans off, not your own.
kj, I think the idea is to piss the other team’s fans off, not your own.
Well, in true DR fashion, he screwed that up too…
Indeed. He’s gone to the Avery side of agitating.
The highlight of one of my friend’s HS career was senior year when he got #69 on the football team. Ok, back to work.
Or the McHale side of GMing.
WTF are DR and TL trying to do? Set honest negotiating with players directly back a generation or more??
SRV may not be worth as much as he thinks, but is that enough to pull the rug out from under him and put him on waivers? Michael (Russo), there’s GOT to be more to this than just a numbers game. There’s something else here that we are ALL missing. Only SRV and the ‘troika’ (DR, TL, JL) know for sure.
Heckuva way to negotiate, guys. We’ll see him when the Islanders come to town. He’ll look good alongside Parkie.
Great way to throw away you own developed talent. Also, DR, a great message to send to your fans: “Anyone you fans actually like, we will be sure to rid the roster of.”
Ms.Conduct, sunshine and kj are all correct. Way to screw it up again, DR.
What do you mean SRV is replaceable?
SRV’s positives
- Trustworthy with the puck.
- Able to operate on the penalty kill.
- Agitates effectively.
- Sticks up for/fights for his linemates.
- Made fun of a toothless Aves player during the playoffs.
- …Fun to watch
- He’s improved every year
- He has heart
- 11 goals are good numbers for a 3rd 4th liner
What do you want clueless Matt Foy/Kyle Wanvig types trying to guide their seemingly giant and unwieldy skates around the ice as they fruitlessly try to chase down swifter opponents? Or wimpy ineffectual so-called skill players like Jeff Nielsen (sorry Gopher fans)/Pascal Dupuis/Richard Park/Branko Radio…/who do nothing more than give the Zamboni a job to do?
Bottom line is get the deal done or cut him loose because he doesn’t fit into your plans. Waivers gives other teams a chance to pick up a guy that you wanted on your team - because you offered him a contract. Understand what he brings to the table and that you don’t really have his skills in Houston.
The way I see it, the cap increased about 12% right? Veilleux’s point production increased 0% this year. And by only 2 points the year previously. So, logically, he should get a 12% raise over his $600,000 salary. That would be $672k, but since hey is such a hard worker (and ping pong player), round it up to say $750,000.
Obviously, he must be asking for over a million at least. I don’t know about you, but if I asked my boss for a 100% (or more!) raise after my production increase was 0% - well, he’d probably put me on “waivers” too.
such a hard worker (and ping pong player),
I get really excited every time we mention the ping pong thing.
I’m really hoping, Russo, that you do a story on what they’re going to do with the ping pong table come training camp if PMB and SRV are gone. See if they can send it to the Austin’s!!
It’d be a sort of feel-good/metaphorical goodbye/starting anew type of story.
I bet your editor likes it!
wallshot, not to defend SRV by any means, because I have no idea what he’s asking for and might very well be fine with parting ways, but his role on this team is not to score, but to check the opponent’s top line.
- He’s improved every year
18 points, -13 rating in 07/08
18 points, +3 rating in 06/07
16 points, -13 rating in 05/06
Looks like pretty similar results to me.
Sucre Blue, What’s the big deal about the possibility of losing Veleux.
SV = Voros with a brain. I bet SV wears his helmet around the house. I bet he’s got tinfoil on his knuckles. SV led the team in hits. that’s a great stat, but a 5′10″ guys bouncing himself around the rink doesn’t help put the puck in the net (or take any steam out of the other team)
If SV leaves it free’s up a spot for a minor league’r to come up to the bigs and show everyone his passion for the game by bouncing himself around the rink. And who knows the minor league’r may knock in a goal or two.
You’re right Hockeydad - but you have to measure success somehow, right?
Dougie is following the Red Wings blueprint for salary mgmt. Pay your stars, don’t pay your grinders. I love Steph, but he’s a grinder. We need to save the dough for Gabby and all of our superstar free agent signings next year.
I would love to have Steph back but it won’t break my heart if he goes.
I wonder how this will affect the negotiations with Butch…
Pay your stars, don’t pay your grinders.
Demo and Rolston were not stars?
this is a little disappointing. I thought we finally had a good checking line last year and both SRV and Branco had really stepped up their game to get it done. God only knows we couldn’t put the puck in the net, so thank god our shut down line did as well as they did.
DR is not quite on par with McHale yet. I will give him that. However, if he fails to sign PMB and Gaborik long-term or gets nothing in a trade for either of them, I think CL should look at DR’s job performance.
I think Demo and Rollie were different. Rollie got a rediculous contract and he is over 35. Demo can’t stay healthy enough to pay him north of $4M.
I would have loved to have them both back….and honestly I don’t know why we summarily wrote off Demo other than the injury factor.
I wonder if Steph honestly believes teams will be lining up to claim him. The Crysler plant may be calling.
I think the Wild put themselves into this position when they signed AM, who is a grinder with a better scoring touch than SRV. AM got a $7 million for 3 years. He doesn’t deserve $2.3 million a year. AM should have only gotten $1.5-$1.8 million a year.
i think a few teams still need to hit the cap floor, so (probably) see ya…if gillies is even half as good as advertised you’ll forget about srv by december…
“I’m really hoping, Russo, that you do a story on what they’re going to do with the ping pong table come training camp if PMB and SRV are gone. See if they can send it to the Austin’s!!”
Keep pushing for that jimlove! I would be super stoked! And PMB and SRV should sign it!
Veilleux? WHO IS THAT?
Veilleux? WHO IS THAT? How about getting some Minnesota born players on the Wild? Isn’t this the State of Hockey?
Ugh… we had and have MN born players. Sean Hill(gone) and Mark Parrish(stuck with him 3 more years). Pass on the MN born players.
Michigan born players did not win the cup for the Wings and California, Florida and CArolina born players didn’t win the cup for THOSE teams.
I think we get too hung up on our Minnesota players to see straight. Was Parrish worth all of that money? heck no. And that should be their lesson.
Gopher Hockey may be a big deal but compared to Euoropean Elite hockey or Russian Hockey..no comparison.
What happened to the days when a team was actually a team for more than a year or 2. Veilleux is an asset to the team and at least if you keep players around the team has an identity. What is the Wild’s identity this year? A half-assed shot at whatever formula worked for the last few cup winners with whatever random cheap players come along?
NHL94 - The current CBA happened.
Isn’t the Wild’s identity already the most defensive system in hockey?
The first three things come to players’ mind when they talk about the Wild are: defensive system, disciplined, and well-coached? Sometimes boring hockey…
Last year for two months, we added goonery but that has since gone away with the loss of Fedoruk, Voros, and Simon.
However, we remain still the most oppressive defensive system where offensive players are turned into defensemen… okay, slight exaggeration at the end there.
The thing that makes it touph for fans when a GM makes a decision like this is that fans are not seeing what he is seeing like personality of the player as it relates to chemistry and other manners. Mister Know it all is not saying that their is anything wrong with Mister SRV, but we dont know.
It sounds like Danny Irmen has been given some love by the Wild, that should make fans happy
I’ve spent the last 20 minutes looking on the other NHL team sites for their home opener and none have listed the Wild. Sure, some sites don’t have a home opener listed yet, but I haven’t been able to determine if the Wild open the season on the road, which I assume they do.
Has anyone figured out from what’s been released at this point, who the first opponent is (not the Bruins game)?
If the fans held Smug and Lynn as accountable as they seem to be holding their players, there would be about 6000 empty seats a night at the X. They don’t seem too bothered that we loyally sit in overpriced seats, drinking overpriced beers watching hockey that isn’t nearly as entertaining as it could be. They are running the string out and if Leipold doesn’t recognize this pretty quick, he is going to be looking at a $260M pig in a poke. Its not like it hasn’t happened here before.
The Wild’s first game is against the Bruins and that is the home opener also. That is what I got from this statement:
“The Minnesota Wild will open the 2008-09 season at Xcel Energy Center on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 7:30 p.m. against the Boston Bruins. This will mark the Wild’s fourth straight season opener at home.”
The business of running any sporting club would not be the least bit fun!
As fans we want everyone signed.
But, as GM, you need to figure out how to get the very most for Cap $$$ spent.
Meanwhile, fans demand the team not only be competitive, but also make a deep run into the SCPO.
If you sign SRV for too much you will not be able to fill other holes!
We need a dose of realism here, if someone offered any of us a million dollars more than whatever you earn right now, for whatever job you are doing that is a hell of a lot of money!
But, we think SRV is being cheated because he is not being given an extra million?
I like the guy but there is a point you simply cannot keep him. If he wants so much money you cannot pay Gabby or PMB it would be a bad deal to retain him.
I tought Laaksonen was a contributing player to the Wild. But, I did understand when his demand for $$$ exceeded what he could produce for the team goals.
Same here with SRV!
So I’ve gone from surprised/angry to fine, it’s a business decision, back to thinking that this is a really jerk move.
What exactly is the point of arbitration? I get that there’s only so much money to go around, but it feels like they are manipulating the arbitration system.
Overpriced seats Stoned?
For a wider perspective, did you see what I posted last week about scalped ticket prices when the Twins were at Boston?
Iceman, I’d agree with your post except I don’t really think SRV is looking for an extra million (I could be completely wrong though). I know they’re “far apart”, but that could mean a lot of different things.
I read Russo’s sneak peak article and understand what and why the Wild is doing what it is doing but its still a really jerk move.
Sunshine, thanks. I read through the story too quickly and misinterpreted the home opener as just the home opener and nothing more. Totally missed the “season opener sentence”. Whoops.
Horcoff signs for $33M for 6 years.
Hide the cheerios boys
wood — is that a lot? Good price?
Maybe Delta would pick SV up and Burke and DR could get back into there grudge match. Heck throw Lowe in there to just for entertainment
I was in trouble with my local movie theater. I was watching the previews of some movie. I don’t remember which movie it was. After a particularly awesome preview, I stood and applauded. I did it for ten minutes. Finally, security came and took me away. We went to the birthday room so they could question me. I ate some leftover cake. They wanted to know what the hell was wrong with me. I told them my story:
“My friend had a friend down the street that he really liked. Her dad worked at 3M. One day on his way to work, the dad ran over a squirrel.
At a potluck lunch at work that day, he was talking to this one coworker that lived out in the country. Everyone asked this guy what he had brought, because it was so damn good. The country guy, named Scotty, told them it was squirrel pot pie.
I once had chicken pot pie at the Old Country Buffet. I also had ham. I also had french fries. I also had Jell-O. I also had salad. I also had chocolate milk. I also had mashed potatoes. I also had peas. I also had cake. I also had ice cream. I almost got run over by many of the fat people there.
This guy that lives one town over was one of the guys that almost ran me over. He works at a bowling alley. One day when working someone bowled a 300 game. This was a kid that went to my high school. To celebrate, he chugged some Mr. Pibb.
I was angry because my Taco John’s no longer has Mr. Pibb, just Dr. Pepper. That’s not as cool. So for a while I would have to go to the grocery store to get Mr. Pibb before I would buy a six pack and a pound from Taco John’s.
There’s this kid I know from school that worked at the grocery store. His mom was on Wheel of Fortune. She won about five thousand dollars but didn’t make it to the bonus round. The funny thing was that the guy who made it to the bonus round looks just like the kid that works at the grocery store. The bonus round guy won a car.
I was hanging out in my dorm room with this girl to work on a class project. We talked as we worked, starting hitting it off a little bit. Things were going pretty well. I turned on the TV and went to the MyTV channel or whatever the hell it is. We watched an episode of Seinfeld. It was the car dealership episode. We laughed hard. She asked if I thought it would be funny if the show had included the Vietcong. I immediately started bawling my eyes out. After she got me settled down fifteen minutes later, I explained to her why I reacted that way:
When I was in high school, I was in a bowling league. One of the kids on another team was this huge Asian kid. My teammate’s dad told me “Jesus, it’s a giant Vietcong!” Well, when I got NHL 2K7 last year, I created a team named the Kiss Army. All the players were people I knew in real life. Well, one of them was this giant Vietcong kid. I didn’t know his name, so his video game name is “Viet Cong.” As the story goes, I played 28 seasons with the Kiss Army. It was the best pretend 28 years of my life. When I finally decided to end it, I cried and cried. Every night when I went to bed, I cried myself to sleep. My dreams were haunted by the images of those 28 seasons. So naturally, when she said Vietcong, I became very sad.
After telling her all this, she stared at me for a minute. Then she grabbed her stuff and started running. We finished our project individually and combined the parts. She avoided me in class and out, and I haven’t talked to her since.
Now the reason that I’m telling you this is you might one day be in a similar situation. Or someone you know might be in a similar situation. And here’s the advice I have for you:
This song is called Alice’s Restaurant, and it’s about Alice, and the
restaurant, but Alice’s Restaurant is not the name of the restaurant,
that’s just the name of the song, and that’s why I called the song Alice’s
Restaurant.
You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant
You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant
Walk right in it’s around the back
Just a half a mile from the railroad track
You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant
Now it all started two Thanksgivings ago, was on - two years ago on
Thanksgiving, when my friend and I went up to visit Alice at the
restaurant, but Alice doesn’t live in the restaurant, she lives in the
church nearby the restaurant, in the bell-tower, with her husband Ray and
Fasha the dog. And livin’ in the bell tower like that, they got a lot of
room downstairs where the pews used to be in. Havin’ all that room,
seein’ as how they took out all the pews, they decided that they didn’t
have to take out their garbage for a long time.
We got up there, we found all the garbage in there, and we decided it’d be
a friendly gesture for us to take the garbage down to the city dump. So
we took the half a ton of garbage, put it in the back of a red VW
microbus, took shovels and rakes and implements of destruction and headed
on toward the city dump.
Well we got there and there was a big sign and a chain across across the
dump saying, “Closed on Thanksgiving.” And we had never heard of a dump
closed on Thanksgiving before, and with tears in our eyes we drove off
into the sunset looking for another place to put the garbage.
We didn’t find one. Until we came to a side road, and off the side of the
side road there was another fifteen foot cliff and at the bottom of the
cliff there was another pile of garbage. And we decided that one big pile
is better than two little piles, and rather than bring that one up we
decided to throw our’s down.
That’s what we did, and drove back to the church, had a thanksgiving
dinner that couldn’t be beat, went to sleep and didn’t get up until the
next morning, when we got a phone call from officer Obie. He said, “Kid,
we found your name on an envelope at the bottom of a half a ton of
garbage, and just wanted to know if you had any information about it.” And
I said, “Yes, sir, Officer Obie, I cannot tell a lie, I put that envelope
under that garbage.”
After speaking to Obie for about fourty-five minutes on the telephone we
finally arrived at the truth of the matter and said that we had to go down
and pick up the garbage, and also had to go down and speak to him at the
police officer’s station. So we got in the red VW microbus with the
shovels and rakes and implements of destruction and headed on toward the
police officer’s station.
Now friends, there was only one or two things that Obie coulda done at
the police station, and the first was he could have given us a medal for
being so brave and honest on the telephone, which wasn’t very likely, and
we didn’t expect it, and the other thing was he could have bawled us out
and told us never to be see driving garbage around the vicinity again,
which is what we expected, but when we got to the police officer’s station
there was a third possibility that we hadn’t even counted upon, and we was
both immediately arrested. Handcuffed. And I said “Obie, I don’t think I
can pick up the garbage with these handcuffs on.” He said, “Shut up, kid.
Get in the back of the patrol car.”
And that’s what we did, sat in the back of the patrol car and drove to the
quote Scene of the Crime unquote. I want tell you about the town of
Stockbridge, Massachusets, where this happened here, they got three stop
signs, two police officers, and one police car, but when we got to the
Scene of the Crime there was five police officers and three police cars,
being the biggest crime of the last fifty years, and everybody wanted to
get in the newspaper story about it. And they was using up all kinds of
cop equipment that they had hanging around the police officer’s station.
They was taking plaster tire tracks, foot prints, dog smelling prints, and
they took twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy photographs with circles
and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each
one was to be used as evidence against us. Took pictures of the approach,
the getaway, the northwest corner the southwest corner and that’s not to
mention the aerial photography.
After the ordeal, we went back to the jail. Obie said he was going to put
us in the cell. Said, “Kid, I’m going to put you in the cell, I want your
wallet and your belt.” And I said, “Obie, I can understand you wanting my
wallet so I don’t have any money to spend in the cell, but what do you
want my belt for?” And he said, “Kid, we don’t want any hangings.” I
said, “Obie, did you think I was going to hang myself for littering?”
Obie said he was making sure, and friends Obie was, cause he took out the
toilet seat so I couldn’t hit myself over the head and drown, and he took
out the toilet paper so I couldn’t bend the bars roll out the - roll the
toilet paper out the window, slide down the roll and have an escape. Obie
was making sure, and it was about four or five hours later that Alice
(remember Alice? It’s a song about Alice), Alice came by and with a few
nasty words to Obie on the side, bailed us out of jail, and we went back
to the church, had a another thanksgiving dinner that couldn’t be beat,
and didn’t get up until the next morning, when we all had to go to court.
We walked in, sat down, Obie came in with the twenty seven eight-by-ten
colour glossy pictures with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back
of each one, sat down. Man came in said, “All rise.” We all stood up,
and Obie stood up with the twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy
pictures, and the judge walked in sat down with a seeing eye dog, and he
sat down, we sat down. Obie looked at the seeing eye dog, and then at the
twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy pictures with circles and arrows
and a paragraph on the back of each one, and looked at the seeing eye dog.
And then at twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy pictures with circles
and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one and began to cry,
’cause Obie came to the realization that it was a typical case of American
blind justice, and there wasn’t nothing he could do about it, and the
judge wasn’t going to look at the twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy
pictures with the circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each
one explaining what each one was to be used as evidence against us. And
we was fined $50 and had to pick up the garbage in the snow, but thats not
what I came to tell you about.
Came to talk about the draft.
They got a building down New York City, it’s called Whitehall Street,
where you walk in, you get injected, inspected, detected, infected,
neglected and selected. I went down to get my physical examination one
day, and I walked in, I sat down, got good and drunk the night before, so
I looked and felt my best when I went in that morning. `Cause I wanted to
look like the all-American kid from New York City, man I wanted, I wanted
to feel like the all-, I wanted to be the all American kid from New York,
and I walked in, sat down, I was hung down, brung down, hung up, and all
kinds o’ mean nasty ugly things. And I waked in and sat down and they gave
me a piece of paper, said, “Kid, see the phsychiatrist, room 604.”
And I went up there, I said, “Shrink, I want to kill. I mean, I wanna, I
wanna kill. Kill. I wanna, I wanna see, I wanna see blood and gore and
guts and veins in my teeth. Eat dead burnt bodies. I mean kill, Kill,
KILL, KILL.” And I started jumpin up and down yelling, “KILL, KILL,” and
he started jumpin up and down with me and we was both jumping up and down
yelling, “KILL, KILL.” And the sargent came over, pinned a medal on me,
sent me down the hall, said, “You’re our boy.”
Didn’t feel too good about it.
Proceeded on down the hall gettin more injections, inspections,
detections, neglections and all kinds of stuff that they was doin’ to me
at the thing there, and I was there for two hours, three hours, four
hours, I was there for a long time going through all kinds of mean nasty
ugly things and I was just having a tough time there, and they was
inspecting, injecting every single part of me, and they was leaving no
part untouched. Proceeded through, and when I finally came to the see the
last man, I walked in, walked in sat down after a whole big thing there,
and I walked up and said, “What do you want?” He said, “Kid, we only got
one question. Have you ever been arrested?”
And I proceeded to tell him the story of the Alice’s Restaurant Massacre,
with full orchestration and five part harmony and stuff like that and all
the phenome… - and he stopped me right there and said, “Kid, did you ever
go to court?”
And I proceeded to tell him the story of the twenty seven eight-by-ten
colour glossy pictures with the circles and arrows and the paragraph on
the back of each one, and he stopped me right there and said, “Kid, I want
you to go and sit down on that bench that says Group W …. NOW kid!!”
And I, I walked over to the, to the bench there, and there is, Group W’s
where they put you if you may not be moral enough to join the army after
committing your special crime, and there was all kinds of mean nasty ugly
looking people on the bench there. Mother rapers. Father stabbers. Father
rapers! Father rapers sitting right there on the bench next to me! And
they was mean and nasty and ugly and horrible crime-type guys sitting on the
bench next to me. And the meanest, ugliest, nastiest one, the meanest
father raper of them all, was coming over to me and he was mean ‘n’ ugly
‘n’ nasty ‘n’ horrible and all kind of things and he sat down next to me
and said, “Kid, whad’ya get?” I said, “I didn’t get nothing, I had to pay
$50 and pick up the garbage.” He said, “What were you arrested for, kid?”
And I said, “Littering.” And they all moved away from me on the bench
there, and the hairy eyeball and all kinds of mean nasty things, till I
said, “And creating a nuisance.” And they all came back, shook my hand,
and we had a great time on the bench, talkin about crime, mother stabbing,
father raping, all kinds of groovy things that we was talking about on the
bench. And everything was fine, we was smoking cigarettes and all kinds of
things, until the Sargeant came over, had some paper in his hand, held it
up and said.
“Kids, this-piece-of-paper’s-got-47-words-37-sentences-58-words-we-wanna-
know-details-of-the-crime-time-of-the-crime-and-any-other-kind-of-thing-
you-gotta-say-pertaining-to-and-about-the-crime-I-want-to-know-arresting-
officer’s-name-and-any-other-kind-of-thing-you-gotta-say”, and talked for
forty-five minutes and nobody understood a word that he said, but we had
fun filling out the forms and playing with the pencils on the bench there,
and I filled out the massacre with the four part harmony, and wrote it
down there, just like it was, and everything was fine and I put down the
pencil, and I turned over the piece of paper, and there, there on the
other side, in the middle of the other side, away from everything else on
the other side, in parentheses, capital letters, quotated, read the
following words:
(”KID, HAVE YOU REHABILITATED YOURSELF?”)
I went over to the sargent, said, “Sargeant, you got a lot a damn gall to
ask me if I’ve rehabilitated myself, I mean, I mean, I mean that just, I’m
sittin’ here on the bench, I mean I’m sittin here on the Group W bench
’cause you want to know if I’m moral enough join the army, burn women,
kids, houses and villages after bein’ a litterbug.” He looked at me and
said, “Kid, we don’t like your kind, and we’re gonna send you fingerprints
off to Washington.”
And friends, somewhere in Washington enshrined in some little folder, is a
study in black and white of my fingerprints. And the only reason I’m
singing you this song now is cause you may know somebody in a similar
situation, or you may be in a similar situation, and if your in a
situation like that there’s only one thing you can do and that’s walk into
the shrink wherever you are ,just walk in say “Shrink, You can get
anything you want, at Alice’s restaurant.”. And walk out. You know, if
one person, just one person does it they may think he’s really sick and
they won’t take him. And if two people, two people do it, in harmony,
they may think they’re both faggots and they won’t take either of them.
And three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people walking in
singin a bar of Alice’s Restaurant and walking out. They may think it’s an
organization. And can you, can you imagine fifty people a day,I said
fifty people a day walking in singin a bar of Alice’s Restaurant and
walking out. And friends they may thinks it’s a movement.
And that’s what it is , the Alice’s Restaurant Anti-Massacre Movement, and
all you got to do to join is sing it the next time it come’s around on the
guitar.
With feeling. So we’ll wait for it to come around on the guitar, here and
sing it when it does. Here it comes.
You can get anything you want, at Alice’s Restaurant
You can get anything you want, at Alice’s Restaurant
Walk right in it’s around the back
Just a half a mile from the railroad track
You can get anything you want, at Alice’s Restaurant
That was horrible. If you want to end war and stuff you got to sing loud.
I’ve been singing this song now for twenty five minutes. I could sing it
for another twenty five minutes. I’m not proud… or tired.
So we’ll wait till it comes around again, and this time with four part
harmony and feeling.
We’re just waitin’ for it to come around is what we’re doing.
All right now.
You can get anything you want, at Alice’s Restaurant
Excepting Alice
You can get anything you want, at Alice’s Restaurant
Walk right in it’s around the back
Just a half a mile from the railroad track
You can get anything you want, at Alice’s Restaurant
Da da da da da da da dum
At Alice’s Restaurant
And this brings me back to my original point, since my friend’s crush down the street was named Alice. She was named after Alice from the Brady Bunch. I told him, “make her break up with her boyfriend. She wants you”. So they hung out. He asked how she had down in her classes the previous semester. She told him that she got “A, A, A”. My friend immediately started crying. For, you see, he had been a part of the Kiss Army dynasty. And one of the players was this short, fat black guy named “.a aaa” who kicked everyone’s ass. Tragically, he disappeared from the game after one year. I concluded that he had died in a car accident. Kind of like the squirrel. When he told the girl this whole long story, including the part about Alice, you remember Alice, she has the restaurant, she slapped him in the face and ran away from his house. She has hated him forever because she gave up a good relationship to try things out with him.”
When I finished talking an hour and a half later, I finally got to what they were looking for. The music in the preview was the same that my friend played that day he freaked out Alice. It just made me think of the enormity of it all. Everything had come full circle. And that’s what I told them. They stood and applauded, and let me have the rest of the leftover cake.
$5.5 million for an average of 17 goals 50 point guy and even on +/-?
I know its early but in three years time, that might be Koivu’s cap hit.
I think that’s a pretty good price for Horcoff. He was excellent last season for the Oilers before he got hurt.
OK Wanvig, I get your point. I could have snipped just a couple of lines.
There was a point to Wanvig’s post?
Yeah, SV isn’t gone nor dead- but my favorite recollection is a few years back, last home game of the season. He got the game winning goal in the third period. The next shift, there was a fight on the other end of the ice. Boogie? No, it was SV. Tossed from the game.
Russo- awesome work. Thanks.
I think the point was something about cake.
Horcoff? Hmm. Probably pretty good. I assume no repercussions from his knee injury. Would carry him until he is 36. Was having good year last year not so great previous year, excellent year before that. So, 5.5 is somewhat high now but probably good over time (assuming cap goes up) and it does lock him up.
$5.5 million for an average of 17 goals 50 point guy and even on +/-?
Had 23 goals and 50 points in 53 games last year before getting hurt. I think that’s a decent price for him. His stats were bad two years ago but so were the Oilers as a whole (they had Petr Sykora playing center).
Still could have sworn that the Wild has already opened up at home against Boston on two prior occassions. Can anyone name the opponents in each of the Wild’s first 8 home openers?
I admit to being surprised by the move to put him on waivers. I like SRV but unless we discover something there is no reason to be upset with the Wild.
KiPA: I did a rough average of his goals and points. I made no real judgments on the contract.
My point is that we might be seeing that amount with Koivu in three years time.
OK, I think I have answered my own question, except for 2001. Anyone know the answer??? Anyone?
2000 – Flyers
2001 – ???
2002 – Bruins
2003 – Rangers
2004 – Lock-out
2005 – Flames
2006 – Avalanche
2007 – Blackhawks
2008 - Bruins
I wasn’t trying to criticize you, sunshine, just chimed in with my thoughts.
Hockeydad: Here you are…
2000: Philadelphia, 3-3 tie
2001: Boston, 2-1 Win
2002: Boston, 5-1 Win
2003: NY Rangers, 5-3 Win
2005: Calgary, 6-3 Win
2006: Colorado, 3-2 OT Win
2007: Chicago, 1-0 Win
…and remember, no season in 2004-05 due to the labor dispute…
Iceman says:
>>>Overpriced seats Stoned?
For a wider perspective, did you see what I posted last week about scalped ticket prices when the Twins were at Boston?<<<
How is that relevant? Supply and demand is a pretty basic economic law. Bosox are currently a premium product in a legendary venue with a huge population base. At that, it wasn’t all that long ago that I got walk up seats for Bosox/Twins at Fenway for less than face. The point is that the Wild have been riding on fan’s generosity and belief that a higly competitive team is just around the corner. I think this offseason is a step back and my hope is that fans will not be gullible enough to continue buying Smug and Lynn’s rhetoric. It is time for them to put up or shut up.
…and of course, 2008: Boston, Oct. 11 (Saturday), which leads me to another question:
Usually, on the day of the home opener, they give away free goodies and breakfast along Kellogg Blvd., in front of the ‘X’, from 6 AM to 9 AM (the Twins and Wolves do this also). What will they do this year with the game on a Saturday? Not many people in Downtown St. Paul work early on Saturdays…
Thanks, WRT! I wasn’t losing my mind - I thought we had opened up against Boston twice before.
Stoned, I just don’t think that’s going to happen. I tend to believe that a lot of people will continue to go to Wild games, regardless of a perceived “step back” this year, or even just a competitive team. People like going to games. It’s an experience that a lot of people still enjoy. So they will continue to go. Not every fan goes to games assuming that their team will be challenging for the Stanley Cup. Some people just like to go.
I have to say that I have a lot of respect for the way Veilleux has handled himself in this whole thing. Obviously you don’t want to bite the hand that might feed you, but he certainly seems to have taken the high road.
Wherever he ends up, I’ll wish him the best.
Seems that the Wild management is willing to pay more for players from other teams than they are willing to spend to keep players that have been with the team for a few seasons…guess they think the players coming in are better than keeping the ones they have or are allowing them to leave.
I am a devout beliver in team chemistry, be it in sports teams or in the work place. I think good chemistry is hard to come by with what seems to be a ‘revolving door policy’in Wild Country.
I have got to wonder about the parallel of when CL owned Nashville..he gutted the team before selling it…now comes to MN and think w/DR’s help has done the same…realize about 13 players from last years team are gone.
That’s quite a turnover, and we still await on SV’s and PMB’s fate…and on the horizon, Gabby’s.
What if the Wild threw a home opener vs Bruins and nobody came?
Usually, on the day of the home opener, they give away free goodies and breakfast along Kellogg Blvd., in front of the ‘X’, from 6 AM to 9 AM (the Twins and Wolves do this also). What will they do this year with the game on a Saturday? Not many people in Downtown St. Paul work early on Saturdays
The cheap Minnesota Wild strike again
JS: You have to admit that some of the players needed to go: Hill, Nummy, Carney, Branko, Foy, and Voros. These are not great losses . To some extent Demitra, too but it was a mutual decision.
Nashville’s gutting including some of their best players: Hartnell, Timonen, and Vokoun.
The Wild just couldn’t re-sign Rolston. Now if we lose PMB and Gaborik then its a different issue.
Foy, Voros, and Hill are not Hartnell, Timonen or Vokoun.
been out of the loop: is morrison still out there? with whom did horcoff sign?
Foy, Voros, and Hill are not Hartnell, Timonen or Vokoun
hill has to be laughing all the way to the bank.
either christine clayburg’s jacket is too small or something’s too big under there.
KJR:
Morrison signed with the Ducks (1 yr for $2.75 million)
Horcoff re-signed with the Oilers ( $33 million for 6 years)
supply and demand is a pretty basic economic law.
Then you do understand that a sellout means that demand is higher than supply, right? This is why the Wild’s tickets are “overpriced” stoned. Each year there is a sellout the demand curve has shifted to the right, resulting in a higher price.
Until sellouts stop (demand curve shifting to the left) prices will continue to rise for the tickets. The team is a business and in business to make money. They have the perogative to increase profit by increasing ticket prices to the “market” value (market defined by St. Paul/Minnesota).
Things are a bit more complicated in sports economics due to the fact that there is a fixed quantity of supply (in this case, a team of 18,000), thus resulting in an eventual inelastic supply curve. When the demand curve shifts right along this demand curve, price jumps more than would normally be expected.
Whew. Thank Gretzky for that minor in econ.
When the demand curve shifts right along this demand curve,
Sorry, second demand should read supply
My two-cents worth on the “overpriced” tickets…
Ticket prices are fully based on supply and demand, not on on-ice productivity. You need look no further than the Toronto Maple Leafs to see that.
The way to show your distaste at what the Wild are doing is to not go to the games. Complaining about ticket prices, but still buying the tickets is the equivalent of complaining about gas prices while not changing any of you gas-use habits. It’s an empty complaint.
As for SRV, I don’t think you can choose a side on if DR was right or wrong until you see how much SRV eventually signs for. Look at Fridge & Voros. We were all sad to see them leave until we saw how much someone was willing to pay them.
WildinATX says:
>>>>Stoned, I just don’t think that’s going to happen. I tend to believe that a lot of people will continue to go to Wild games, regardless of a perceived “step back” this year, or even just a competitive team. People like going to games.<<<<
I am not saying that the arena will empty. Just that if Smug and Lynn don’t get their act together, the Wild Golden Era will be in the rear view mirror for the foreseeable future. I would disagree that these guys get a free pass just because its hockey in Minnesota. It has been proven time and again that if Minnesota sports teams aren’t providing a superior product, the fans will find other things to do. Kentucky b’ball this ain’t.
Explain to me again why Hossa/Huselis/Jokinen wouldn’t come, Rolston and Demitra left, PMB almost got traded, and Owen Nolan is being overpaid to end his career in Minnesota. One name: Doug “Kevin McHale” R.
I thought much more of the front office after they did the Kurtis Foster move last year, but now I believe they understand the team is a sinking ship and want to lose some dead weight.
The big news Oct 10th will be Gabby being traded. If he does stay, in what month will he take off for a groin injury?
If he is asking for 8.5 million a year, that is about 6.5 million too much IMHO.
SRV really isn’t worth more than league minimum. There are tons of guys that can fill his spot. I love his heart and intensity but the guy is too small to be doing what he is doing.
I am looking forward to watching the Wild, but also the competitors, since there teams will generally be better.
This is not a pessimistic rant, just truthful.
Given Wanvig’s really long post, I thought I would post a fairly long post of my own. This is an excerpt from a book:
Solving the following riddle will reveal the awful secret behind the universe, assuming you do not go utterly mad in the attempt. If you already happen to know the awful secret behind the universe, feel free to skip ahead.
Let’s say you have an ax. Just a cheap one, from Home Depot. On one bitter winter day, you use said ax to behead a man. Don’t worry, the man was already dead. Or maybe you should worry, because you’re the one who shot him.
He had been a big, twitchy guy with veiny skin stretched over swollen biceps, a tattoo of a swastika on his tongue. Teeth filed into razor-sharp fangs, you know the type. And you’re chopping off his head because, even with eight bullet holes in him, you’re pretty sure he’s about to spring back to his feet and eat the look of terror right off your face.
On the follow-through of the last swing, though, the handle of the ax snaps in a spray of splinters. You now have a broken ax. So, after a long night of looking for a place to dump the man and his head, you take a trip into town with your ax. You go to the hardware store, explaining away the dark reddish stains on the broken handle as barbecue sauce. You walk out with a brand new handle for your ax.
The repaired ax sits undisturbed in your garage until the next spring when, on one rainy morning, you find in your kitchen a creature that appears to be a foot-long slug with a bulging egg sac on its tail. Its jaws bite one of your forks in half with what seems like very little effort. You grab your trusty ax and chop the thing into several pieces. On the last blow, however, the ax strikes a metal leg of the overturned kitchen table and chips out a notch right in the middle of the blade.
Of course, a chipped head means yet another trip to the hardware store. They sell you a brand new head for your ax. As soon as you get home with your newly-headed ax, though, you meet the reanimated body of the guy you beheaded last year. He’s also got a new head, stitched on with what looks like plastic weed trimmer line, and it’s wearing that unique expression of “you’re the man who killed me last winter” resentment that one so rarely encounters in everyday life.
You brandish your ax. The guy takes a long look at the weapon with his squishy, rotting eyes and in a gargly voice he screams, “That’s the same ax that slayed me!”
Is he right?
Is he right?
I never get these right….
Okay, first off - no, its not the same axe. After the guy died, the handle was changed, then the head was changed, and then you met the guy.
However, since the guy was reincarnated, he’s not dead, and thus has not been slain, therefore, he cannot make a claim that an axe has “slayed him”.
eh?
No..he was killed with 8 bullets. Unless he truly wasn’t dead till the axe hit him. The axe is new and why does a beast of a man care what slayed him.
More over…why did I read and respond to this post.
Cam,
Hossa woudn’t go anywhere besides Wings as he took a huge discount and turned down huge offers from other teams, including us. Huselius probably got a better contract and the promise on playing on the top line, something we can’t promise him + he has a good friend in Modin there. Jokinen won’t come here cause he is under contract. He needs to be traded for and we couldn’t intice them enough.
Rolston got a whif of FA and decided, since this is his last paycheck, he wanted to see what he could get on the market. Demitra….well…he was probably unhappy how he was being used as center, thats our fault.
Gabby was pretty much healthy all season last year so I’m expecting the same this year. He worked hard last summer on improving that and I assume he is working just as hard this summer.
So you think Gaborik, our 40 goal scorer, is worth 2mil? That sentence alone pretty much killed your crediblilty.
SRV is worth more than the league min. He is worth 1mil or less. But over that, I would have to think very hard. He’s a 3rd liner and nowadays, with rising caps, no good 3rd liner is paid league minimum unless they are rookies and usually, you can’t have teams with 3 rookies anchoring the 3rd line, too unreliable.
ugh.. I don’t like talk of severing heads or the thought of blood.
jimlove says:
>>>Then you do understand that a sellout means that demand is higher than supply, right?<<<
Well, duh. The point being suggested by another poster was that Wild tix are not overpriced because tix in other locales (Bosox) are so much higher. That comparison is not relevant. After 2 seasons of not very entertaining hockey, I ditched my 4 club seats to some poor unsuspecting sap and bought a big screen for way less than the cost of one season ticket. I don’t pay $12 bucks for parking or get stuck in 30 minute traffic jams anymore. No obligation to go to the game because you’ve got $350 invested even if its Columbus or Toronto. No effort needed to find somebody else to use the tix if I can’t go. Better beer and food for much less money. My couch is more comfortable and I don’t have sit and look at the butt crack of some over-served mooyuck who scored tix on Craig’s list for his once a year game.
All I’m saying is that if I am losing interest, the rest of the lemmings may not be far behind. Please review your Econ 101 notes for the ramifications of that.
Speaking of tools from Home Depot, did you read about those three young men in Cassville, Wisconsin who became infatuated over the obituary picture of a cute 20 year old gal who was recently killed in a motorcycle accident. They were caught with their picks and shovels in the cemetery attempting to exhume said pixie before they could achieve their intended purpose. Packer fans no doubt struggling through a dull offseason. Too bad Favre didn’t pipe up earlier. He might have saved those dudes some jail time.
All I’m saying is that if I am losing interest, the rest of the lemmings may not be far behind.
Stoned, I’m curious when you first purchased Season tix?
My thinking is that most of the people that are getting fed up with the WIld are those that have been following since the beginning, and have thus endured the most.
Many Wild fans are newer to the game (after the surprise conference finals run), and will continue to be drawn in, as the opportunity to go to the games comes alone. My mother for example, does not like watching hockey on TV, but will go to any game in person she can get her hands on.
I would also argue that tickets are not actually over-priced as long as people continue to pay the higher prices. You price what the market will bear, and anything higher than that would be over-priced.
STH folks were saying that the renewal rate for this year was 95%, which is on par with last year, I think.
We will see what happens at next year’s renewal time.
the interesting thing will be the Warming House numbers. If those stay at or near 7,000, the Wild are doing okay for the moment.
Ugh. Too many words. Headache.
Wildfor#9 says:
>>>Stoned, I’m curious when you first purchased Season tix?<<>>I would also argue that tickets are not actually over-priced as long as people continue to pay the higher prices. You price what the market will bear, and anything higher than that would be over-priced.<<<
Ahhh. The greater fool theory. The NASDAQ was at 5000 in ‘00 and over 8 years later closed today at 2284. It wasn’t overpriced at 5000? Just because there are still people willing to pay the going rate for Wild tix, doesn’t make them a good deal to me. Maybe to the Wild they are, but we would likely get better performance out of the Wild if they had to compete for your ticket dollars instead of everybody just rolling over and giving up your hard earned cash. Make them earn it.
ms. conduct:
Roman Voloshenko played for the Aeros, right? And since he is still under contract with the Wild for another season, Lynn was asked by the Pio how the new NHL-KHL agreement affects Voloshenko’s contract. Lynn said that the Russian league would have to honor the Wild’s contract and RV would have to return to the Wild.
He left on bad terms so I don’t know if we really want him back but it might be interesting to see what happens.
Wild if they had to compete for your ticket dollars
I agree with you on this, but just for the sake of argument for fun, since it is midnight in MN (only 11 up here in Canada)
aren’t the wild in competition, direct competition, with 3 other companies? The T-wolves and the Vikings? Sure, the Vikes only last half the season, but even the Twins go into Sept, and pick up again in March. I would say that based on ticket sales, the Wild are offering the superior product - people are choosing to go to these games over the wolves (who obvio offer an inferior product) and Vikes (although the vikes should be good this year).
It could be argued that there’s more to the product than just what is on the ice - its the experience that the company creates for the fans at the game. Hell. I’d rather be in the X than the Dome anyday, and that alone would send me over, if both teams were equal competitively.
Just a fun argument for arguments sake.
Dump the Dumpper.
nice of you to show up finally mike.
The Wild have been riding a wave since they started, but it seems to me that this offseason has been poor from a public relations standpoint and it stands to get much worse depending on things like Gabby, PMB and SRV. Local media is getting more critical. Time will tell, but its a heckuva lot more difficult and expensive to regenerate that momentum once you lose it. I am off to bed.
Weird Sunshine. Obviously nobody wins in this deal if he doesn’t want to be here. I can’t imagine the team would hold him to it vs. just letting the contract run out. Or are they saying, if he wants to play at all, he has to play for the Wild? If so, that’s terrible. They need to just resolve that somehow.
Ta-ta Stephane. I haven’t been this upset since we let go of Aaron Gavey.
jmlove:
The Wild compete against the Wolves, Vikes and Twins as well as Gopher hockey, basketball and football. The Vikes, Wolves, and Gopher football and basketball have all struggled over the past few years which has been beneficial for the Wild. However, all are making concerted efforts to get their ships righted and if they are successful, the season ticket money pie stands to get cut into far more pieces. Season ticket sales are the Wild ace in the hole which allows them to maintain their hallowed consecutive games streak. The next couple of seasons would not be a good time for the Wild to get soft unless they just recognize from a business standpoint that it is impossible to duplicate their success of the past several years.
Well, his Russian team can buy out his contract. I don’t think the Wild would want him back because he could be just locker room cancer. I would like for him to play in the NHL — he might be good. He tore it up in the 05-06 season but just was horrible the year afterwards. I just checked his numbers for this past year in 18 games 1-1-2. That’s awful.
Maybe his contract ended this past season because he played two years for Houston and most entry level contracts are only 3 years. However, http://www.hockeybuzz.com/cap-central/team.php?team=MIN, has him listed for this year at $700K if he played in the NHL.
Hopefully they’ll just buy him out. That’s ridiculous. Is this the $200k deal that I’ve heard about?
Was that just only for Radulov or is that written in the contract?
I meant to say NHL-KHL agreement instead of just saying contract.
I tell ya, I’m in the details of just about every hockey thing I can get my hands on but this whole Russia/NHL situation… I just don’t have the patience for it. This is one thing I’m happy to just let the GMs and leagues figure out.
It is really great. It is so preitty.
________________________
David
Addiction Recovery Minnesota
WRT, Addressing opening day breakfast and coffee:
True, not many people work in downtown St. Paul on Saturday mornings. However, a heck of a lot of people don’t work anywhere else on Saturdays. So, maybe they’re planning something bigger?
Well, duh. The point being suggested by another poster was that Wild tix are not overpriced because tix in other locales (Bosox) are so much higher. That comparison is not relevant.
When this idea that wild tickets was overpriced was brought up a week ago, I posted the upper level side ticket prices for the other teams in the division and the wild had the cheapest prices. So maybe comparing to broker prices for bosox games isn’t relevant, I think comparing to your division is.
After 2 seasons of not very entertaining hockey, I ditched my 4 club seats to some poor unsuspecting sap and bought a big screen for way less than the cost of one season ticket.
good for you. You made what everyone else makes in a rational, free market economy and that is a choice in how to use scarce resources. I’m not sure why this is a big deal.
I don’t pay $12 bucks for parking
i’ve never paid $12 for parking and last year didn’t pay a dime.
or get stuck in 30 minute traffic jams anymore.
I live in north minneapolis and I am usually home right when dark star is starting his show. I have never been in a 30 minutes traffic jam in the what 8 years now i’ve been going to games.
No obligation to go to the game because you’ve got $350 invested even if its Columbus or Toronto.
I’ve never felt obligated to go, as a season ticket holder. I go because even if it is columbus, live hockey is still the best thing in town.
No effort needed to find somebody else to use the tix if I can’t go.
I’ve sold a few tickets because of conflicts but never had a problem with that.
Better beer and food for much less money.
does anyone ever expect stadium food to be cheap and tasty? Seriously. One way to solve this problem is to eat at home or other establishment before the game and don’t drink during. It ain’t that hard.
All I’m saying is that if I am losing interest, the rest of the lemmings may not be far behind.
It would appear to me that your expectations are far too great for your comfort. most of your bitching, to me, seems to come from a lack of effort by yourself.
You certainly are doing the right thing by ditching the tickets but I don’t suspect that many have the same non-hockey (traffic, food…) expectations as you do so therefore will not following your lead. You expected for your $85 a seat to get free gourmet food, free parking, no traffic when you want to leave and either no one sitting in front of you or someone that sits the whole game. Hard to accomplish when you pack 18k in the same location arriving and departing at roughly the same time. wise choice on the TV.
I have to laugh at people who complain about beer prices at games. As if beer is a requirement. It’s not cricket for Pete’s sake!
oh and maybe WRT and talk more boadly on beer prices at other venues but the two i went to in canada a couple years ago, beer was $10 at one and $9 for 12 ounces at the other.
where would we be without beer at sporting events though?
Greenstar: If folks want to bitch about something, just let them bitch. Doesn’t have to be all rosey around here all the time. If someone is fed up with what he/she is seeing from the organization, let them vent. Do you think anyone here cares that you didn’t pay a dime for parking last year. Get over yourself. If someone wants to vent, let them vent.
Get over yourself
sorry, i forgot to get my posts approved by deepbreath before sending. dammit. won’t let that happen again.
venting is fine but if you are going to vent about things that with about 10% effort by the person venting, could be resolved, I think it is fair to point that out.
if you want to bitch about having to pay $12 to park when there is a ramp 2 blocks away that is $7, I think valet for $10 at pazzaluna and free street parking 2 more blocks away…yup just let the cat vent.
and since i suspect you didn’t read the whole thing. I said it was a good move on the cat’s part dumping the tickets and buying a TV. It made good sense but doesn’t mean that A. what he says is a blanket truth and B. that tickets are overpriced and finally C. that us lemmings will be following his lead soon.
which was my point. if you don’t like how i made it fine but get over yourself and let me counterpoint the way i want to counterpoint.
G*: But you’re arguing about how someone else FEELS. If you want to argue facts about someone’s posts, say they don’t like Gabby because they say he doesn’t pass, even though he had 42 goals and 41 assists, that’s a good argument to have. But to argue about a person’s feelings on he/she is pissed because they are fed up with the Wild, or they’ve had enough of the bad traffic after games or whatever, just seems silly. Why argue how another poster feels. Argue facts but don’t insinuate that becuase someone is fed up with how things are going with their experience with going to games, the team or whatever, that that makes them wrong somply because you haven’t been stuck in traffic or feel obligated to go to games because of the monetary committment. Get over yourself.
I get a chuckle out of the idea that someone can post someting criticizing the team, calls (or at least implies) that anyone who agrees with or isn’t upset with the team is an idiot for doing so and continuing to support said team (”lemmings”), and then not expect any response from such lemmings because they’re just “venting.” Folks here have every right to vent, criticize the team, and criticize those who remain supporters of the team, etc. But then it’s apparently wrong to do what Green* did and explain why one disagrees with the points raised by such venting?
ok, i take back everything i said about obligation because that is how a person feels.
will that satisfy the blog police, your honor?
So, help me out on this one:
If I’m in Alice’s restaurant, having a $10 beer, reading about SRV and COMC, and I wanted to b!t(h about G* b!t(hing about DB b!t(hing about G* b!t(hing about something, does anyone hear? lol.
And, to whom would I submit that post for approval? j/k
A little levity there, folks.
G*: Doesn’t make somebody wrong if they are pissed about something just because you are not. That’s all I wrote. You or anyone else wants to land on someone like a Sumo wrestler because they post Dougie Ballgame is a lousy GM and is pulling the same sh!t here that got him booted from CowTown, or because the Wild put SRV on wiavers and didn’t give in to his $1 million per year for 3 years demand, makes a lot more sense than arguing with someone because they are tired of paying 12 bucks for parking.
Bfw: Trust me when I type that I am all for bitching and Dougie Ballgame is at the top of the list, along with Chris Berman doing any more big events for ESPN. What I don’t get is when someone is called out because they are tired of the parking fees when they attend a game, and others posts of that ilk.
they are tired of the parking fees when they attend a game
which I did say with a small amount of effort, the onerous parking fees could be relieved.
what i don’t get is when someone bitches about something they could easily correct but choose to bitch instead.
for example, since parking fees is the topic du jour…
last season i got tired of paying $6 a game in lawson so I decided not to prepay and figured i would park a little further away on the street or go to alary’s and ride the shuttle. Instead of bitching how the team is in the tank and selling my tickets and buying a tv and suspecting all you lemming will be following suit, I put in the slightest of efforts and removed the $6 fee from my game night costs and removed a source of frustration.
Guess I just don’t see how Green*’s response was any different than Stoned’s original post. One was bitching (with, I might add, a healthy dose of “I’m smarter than the rest of you becuase I sold my tix”), and another was bitching back. All bitches welcome.
Anyway, last comment on that….
i’m done too. my point was made.
the blog cop can have the last word
btw, I pay $3.50 for parking at the ramp on Exchange a half-block down from St. Joe’s. Still an easy walk. There, now that secret’s out.
All bitches welcome.
AllrIGHTYthen!! Now we’re talkin.’
see…I just read it that G* was feeling as though the posts he responded to were arguable.
Whose feelings relativism trumps whose?
to restate a wise man, “where would we be without beer at sporting events though?”
My feelings trump all, Nick. Duh.
And now that bitches are welcome, I’m feeling very welcome.
Zigtron, to answer the wise man’s question… “Apparently, richer.”
And now that bitches are welcome, I’m feeling very welcome.
Nice!
There’s more to like about ya’ Ms.C everyday.
—
Now, what # do ya suppose SRV gets from the Wild Boys if he isn’t claimed?
Anyone? Anyone? …Buehller?
*Bueller…
750 wouldn’t make me COMC.
I’d give ‘em $650K, 2 or 3 yrs?
(That’s less than a 10% raise.)
I’d give him $750k for 2 years or $900k for longer (3-4 years). That way he chooses between a shorter horizon to UFA or more money for longer.
“Sometimes I try to do things and it just doesn’t work out the way I wanted to.
I get real frustrated and I try hard to do it and I take my time and it doesn’t work out the way I wanted to.
It’s like I concentrate real hard and it doesn’t work out
Everything I do and everything I try never turns out
It’s like I need time to figure these things out
But there’s always someone there going
Hey Tom:
You know we’ve been noticing you’ve been having a lot of problems lately.
You know, maybe you should get away and maybe you should talk about it, maybe you’ll feel a lot better
And I go:
No it’s okay, you know I’ll figure it out, just leave me alone I’ll figure it out. You know I’ll just work by myself.
And they go:
Well you know if you want to talk about it I’ll be here you know and you’ll probably feel a lot better if you talk about it.
And I go:
No I don’t want to I’m okay, I’ll figure it out myself and they just keep bugging me and they just keep bugging me and it builds up inside and it builds up inside.
So you’re gonna be institutionalized
You’ll come out brainwashed with bloodshot eyes
You won’t have any say
They’ll brainwash you until you see their way.
I’m not crazy - in an institution
You’re the one who’s crazy - in an institution
You’re driving me crazy - in an institution
They stuck me in an institution
Said it was the only solution
To give me the needed professional help
To protect me from the enemy, myself
I was in my room and I was just like staring at the wall thinking about everything
But then again I was thinking about nothing
And then my mom came in and I didn’t even know she was there she called my name
And I didn’t even hear it, and then she started screaming: TOM! TOM!
And I go:
What, what’s the matter
And she goes:
What’s the matter with you?
I go:
There’s nothing-wrong mom.
And she goes:
Don’t tell me that, you’re on drugs!
And I go:
No mom I’m not on drugs I’m okay, I was just thinking you know, why don’t you get me a Pepsi.
And she goes:
NO you’re on drugs!
I go:
Mom I’m okay, I’m just thinking.
She goes:
No you’re not thinking, you’re on drugs! Normal people don’t act that way!
I go:
Mom just give me a Pepsi please
All I want is a Pepsi, and she wouldn’t give it to me
All I wanted was a Pepsi, just one Pepsi, and she wouldn’t give it to me.
Just a Pepsi.
They give you a white shirt with long sleeves
Tied around you’re back, you’re treated like thieves
Drug you up because they’re lazy
It’s too much work to help a crazy
They stuck me in an institution
Said it was the only solution
To give me the needed professional help
To protect me from the enemy, myself
I was sitting in my room and my mom and my dad came in and they pulled up a chair and they sat down, they go:
Tom, we need to talk to you
And I go:
Okay what’s the matter
They go:
Me and your mom have been noticing lately that you’ve been having a lot of problems,
You’ve been going off for no reason and we’re afraid you’re gonna hurt somebody,
We’re afraid you’re gonna hurt yourself.
So we decided that it would be in your interest if we put you somewhere
Where you could get the help that you need.
And I go:
Wait, what do you mean, what are you talking about, we decided!?
My best interest?! How can you know what’s my best interest is?
How can you say what my best interest is? What are you trying to say, I’m crazy?
When I went to your schools, I went to your churches,
I went to your institutional learning facilities?! So how can you say I’m crazy.
They say they’re gonna fix my brain
Alleviate my suffering and my pain
But by the time they fix my head
Mentally I’ll be dead
They stuck me in an institution
Said it was the only solution
To give me the needed professional help
To protect me from the enemy, myself
It doesn’t matter I’ll probably get hit by a car anyway.”
what is going on here, already?
wtf?
wouldn’t that be less money for more years? not sure how they’d view that.
Suicidal Tendencies = bad punk flashback.
Oh yeah, I wasn’t thinking for how long. 9 feels like a lot for him, but then 850 feels okay, so we’re really picking nits at that point. He should get the extra 50 just for wanting to play here. Er. I mean, there.
I am late to the party it appears…
Jimlove, that was just an opening to a book called “John Dies at the End”. Here is another good quote for your entertainment:
““Dave? This is John. Your pimp says bring the crack shipment tonight, or he’ll be forced to stick you. Meet him where we buried the Korean whore. The one without the goatee.”
That was code. It meant “Come to my place as soon as you can, it’s important.” Code, you know, in case the phone was bugged.”
Oh, and Hockeydad… +1 on your 8:03 post. Agreed.
Someone pointed out earlier that his numbers are flat year over year, and DR is on record as saying he “pays for performance.”
Based on that, I can’t imagine they’d give him a 50% raise (~$900K/yr).
Just sayin’…
750 wouldn’t make me COMC.
Wait. What’s COMC again? Come on my Cheerios????
WALL!!! This is a family blog.
Choke on my Cheerios.
Oops!!
There goes the PG-13 rating down the $h!tter.
Wait. What’s COMC again? ….
Wall,
Tasteless.
Inappropriate.
Uncalled for.
…And damn funny!!
Food
sleep
called “John Dies at the End”.
Maude: The story is ludicrous. You can imagine where it goes from here.
Dude: He fixes the cable?
Wow. It was hostile here this morning. Good thing someone decided to get inappropriate!
The amount of lamenting that goes on here is simply amazing to me. Every single decision DR or the team makes is micro-managed to death by posters but without any inside knowledge of the factors involved.
There is almost no subject that will not cause someone to “cancel” their tickets and to want the rest of the fans to cancel their Wild tickets too.
It makes no sense to me.
I have said it before but it seems like some fans are not hockey fans at all, they are only fans of winning.
None of this can be easy at all. The Red Wings are on top now but they spent plenty of years being bottom feeders too when things were not going right.
Trying to build an organization from scratch is like building a chain. Every link needs to be strong or the chain breaks. But, it is lots more difficult than building a chain because there are so many intangibles and you are competing against all these other chains.
Probably DR did not believe Rolston would walk. So, maybe he did not have contingincy plans in place either so he did not go into the FA signing period from a position of strength. But, that is purely my speculation.
Hindsight is great position to view events from. But, given the Cap constraints and perhaps thinking the team was going farther than it did maybe a GM is a little reluctant to tinker too much with a good thing when it all seems to be coming together. So, maybe his is between the rock and the hard place with Rolston when he could have done something about his contract.
The worst that could happen now is for our beloved Wild to have a down year. But, so what … they are still entertainment.
