Wednesday’s practice; Wild inquired about Sundin (not coming)
Posted on December 10th, 2008 – 3:45 PMBy Michael Russo
I know, very late blog for a daily…But I didn’t get back to the hotel until 5:30 CT from practice, had some radio to do, had some writing to do for the newspaper I’m 100 percent positive you all get delivered everyday, and now, here I am with a quick update before I can get out into this WARM, BEAUTIFUL, STEAMY ARIZONA EVENING.
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
I should have documented practice with my Blackberry camera again. I know how clear those pictures were for you all, eh? If this gig doesn’t work out, I’ve got a future as professional photographer.
Marian Gaborik practiced for a second day in a row, and so far, so good. He even took a nasty spill today in practice when he flew head-first into the goal. Luckily, unlike the old days, the net came off the moorings. He got up with a big smile, which is a good sign because he survived (and so did his groins!!!).
On Gaborik wanting to play this trip, coach Jacques Lemaire said, “What? He said that to you? That’s good news. I’m happy that he thinks like that, but myself, I don’t know when he’s going to play. The only thing I know he came on the trip, he had one practice yesterday, he had one practice today, I don’t think he’ll play tomorrow. We practice Friday, and I don’t see him play Saturday. And if he doesn’t play Saturday, I don’t see him play Sunday. But it’s good that he thinks he’s going to play. I’m glad that he thinks like this.”
I’d say next week on the homestand is a good bet.
Onward. The last time I was in Phoenix on Nov. 1, I did some checking and found out the Wild didn’t inquire about Mats Sundin. The last couple days, I’ve gotten some emails from a few readers asking why the Wild hasn’t gone after Sundin, especially considering James Sheppard (two goals) and Benoit Pouliot (five goals, none since Nov. 15) are showing continued inconsistency.
So, I guess Phoenix is where I do my Sundin investigations. I did some checking today, and multiple sources confirmed the Wild went after Sundin hard. A source close to Sundin said the Wild made “a very good presentation and argument for team success if he would come.”
But, alas, Sundin’s cut “his Western Conference options” to two teams that have been speaking to him since the summer. Neither is the Wild, which is a shame for the Wild because Sundin’s still a top echelon gamer at age 37 and could have helped catapult the Wild into a truer contender.
But signs are the Wild, which has slipped to seventh in the West and four points behind Vancouver with three games in hand, will keep looking. It’s the big reason Tomas Mojzis and Krys Kolanos aren’t here, and the Wild has a roster with only one extra healthy player now (not including Gaborik).
The Wild is trying to save every ounce of cap space to give it as much flexibility to make an eventual move for a centerman.
The search has been going on for awhile. At last year’s trade deadline, the Wild tried to trade for Olli Jokinen and Sundin, and sign Peter Forsberg. At the Draft, it tried to trade for Jokinen. In free agency, it tried to sign Brendan Morrison. And this is just what I know. I’m sure there’s been more.
So far, Doug Risebrough hasn’t been able to connect.
But it’s a priority, which will be made clear to you in Thursday’s paper when you read Lemaire’s pointed quotes aimed at young Sheppard.
Personally, I think the Wild expected an awful lot out of Sheppard this year. He’s only 20. Yet, Risebrough said before the season the Wild put itself in a position where Sheppard had to break through, and Lemaire said before the season Sheppard needed to be “that Mikko Koivu of two years ago.”
But again, he’s only 20. As I said recently on a radio show, just because Risebrough refused to trade Sheppard for Olli Jokinen doesn’t make him Olli Jokinen yet. Those expectations for this year seemed to be then and definitely are now unrealistic.
Anyway, in other news, Owen Nolan didn’t make the trip. On a regular line today was Colton Gillies.
That’s it for now. On Thursday, I’ll be on with Chad Hartman on KFAN at 2:20 CT and Hockey Night in Canada Radio at 5 p.m. CT. Yes, I am overexposed.
Night everybody in the wintry Twin Cities.
171 Responses to "Wednesday’s practice; Wild inquired about Sundin (not coming)"
or vice versa. Ha.
Laughing at your own jokes, Michael..
Stupid Mountain Time… causing practice to be all “late” and stuff…
What are the odds that Gaby stays with LA and we pick up a few players in trade for the Ducks game?
not exactly on topic, but did anyone else lose VersusHD once the Versus Golf channel split? It is basically the whole reason I signed up for HD cable last week from charter. now it is making me crazy.
Reid, I heard they dropped VersusHD and now only run the golf in HD.
Woh…2 practices in a row for Gaby! It’s a miracle.
Odds…. says:
December 10th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
What are the odds that Gaby stays with LA and we pick up a few players in trade for the Ducks game?
that would be nice. leave Gaborik there for Frolov and some picks.
Golf/Versus HD split into to separate channels on December 8th. They both do HD currently and will be doing a lot more.
I am well aware that they split on the 8th. Unfortunately I now only get the golf channel, and no longer get Versus HD. This is what I pay for HD cable for. so in the first three days of subscribing to the service, I lost one of two channels that I want. Is versus HD that expensive? or is Golf HD loved by that many people in the Minnesota market? or is GOLF HD just wicked cheap and it was a bottom line decision.
keep it going Gabby, keep it going
ZOMG, I just saw snowflakes fall out of the sky! Like, 10 of them, but they were snowflakes!
Mike,
In regards to Sakic…do you think there will be some contracts out there that are going to require players to hire out to get their driveways plowed out? I am SO sad for Sakic.
And has anything been said about Forsberg returning?
And why is Mats waiting?
Michael- 5th line. You crack me up.
MsC- snow? Or did heck freeze over (perhaps coincidental to someone’s return to the squad)? Maybe your pitcher of beverages will stay cold.
Are you sure it wasn’t ice Ms.C? That’s all we got here. The back deck was all icy this morining. It almost looked like snow!
Buddha, you have mail. Let me know if you want to know more. I love to share!
Oh, and Ms.C, what is your favorite Mexican/Tex-Mex in Austin? I came up with Trudy’s which is AWESOME… but I couldn’t really come up with any other options.
Comcast has both channels. The sat companies do as well. If you are on a differnt cable system it means that THEY are cheap and/or don’t have enough bandwidth for both.
I heard they dropped VersusHD and now only run the golf in HD.
Heh, I don’t know anything about this and nothing against golf, but if true, I don’t get it. I thought golf was something you watched when you had a hangover. Nice green and peaceful and quiet. You can lay on the sofa, yet you’re still watching sports… Does HD really improve that experience? More than hockey and rodeo and mixed martial arts and bicycle racing?
Better head out to the local hardware store and ask them where the snowblowers are, Ms. C. :gay smiley:
I was worried it was Charter being dumb. I am on Charter, which sadly is better than Mediacom, the nearest competitor. and I didn’t want to pay for the 280+ pack to get Versus HD on either satellite services.
And why is Mats waiting?
My personal thought is that the Players Association wants him to wait the Holiday trade freeze to generate some hype around the timeframe. Because when Mats finally does sign, me thinks a lot of other pieces are going to fall.
But, thats the conspiracy theorist in me 
There’s a bunch of sleet sitting on the deck but the stuff I saw falling was too light and fluttery to be sleet. But I really did only see a few flakes. Maybe you guys would just call it ice, but I’m calling it snow. 
I pinged my local Canadian friend and he said they’re buzzing about it at his office, too. I’m sure he’s mostly just amused by the fervor.
Trudy’s is a great pick. I loved Hula Hut and Chuy’s, too.
This is what I pay for HD cable for
if you don’t have a line of sight issue such as living in the woods or on the north side of an apartment building, i’d very highly suggest Directv over any cable system. You will be very, very happy if you have HD setup.
Hula Hut is the one I couldn’t think of! The Wife likes it, I have not had it… but I hear it’s good.
I like that is it “cold” down here right now, it is prepping us for our trip up north.
G*, is the HD reciever also house a DVR with DirectTV?
*does* the HD reciever also house a DVR
I was just watching hockey in HD on Versus last night and I have Comcast. Effing Comcast… But I didn’t hear anything about dropping HD hockey which would be about the dumbest thing to do.
I’m surprised snow blowers aren’t covered in the gigantic CB Agreement already. What? They couldn’t add a paragraph?
I have Versus HD and Golf HD. I have seen both on my channel list.
Promoted from no line to being on the 5th line in two practices. That’s progress.
Stoned, from the last thread you said (paraphrased) that you wanted players to get every penny they could from the owners.
But, now, with the Cap rules, there is only so much they can get, and if you overpay one player you cannot pay for an entire team. Are you ok with paying Gabby what he wants, if the amount of money is his issue, even if it means you cannot afford Burns, Koivu, or Backstrom when their contracts are due?
The other point is that really as ticket and merchandise buyers the players salaries are being paid for by us. Owners, even Steinbrenner, does not fork up out of his own pocket. It is his huge market that allows him to spend without concern.
So, if you are a ticket buyer and are all right with ticket prices going up maybe 25% every year, then maybe it is ok to pay all the guys whatever they want.
Free preview of a bunch of AHL games online Sunday if anybody’s interested. Of course, the Aeros are off that day, but there are 8 games going, so it’s about half the league playing.
http://www.theahl.com/news/league/index.html?article_id=9154
I don’t fault players for wanting to get as much money as they can get. GMs and owners will decide what they want to do. If they refuse to pay, the player has the opportunity to shop their services when they are UFAs. Just as GMs can trade players for not accepting their deal.
oh its snowing oh my god, maybe gaborik will hurt his groin getting into his car, hehe. me so dumb. watch tv at my house i have all the channels
mmmmm tasty!
I pinged my local Canadian friend
I thought you were married?
Shhh!
Wait a minute. Snow and Ice? In Houston?? Can we see what will blow into town next?? Perhaps a tornado, or earthquake, or volcanic eruption?!?
Ms. C, I wish I had some of what you’re into right now. I could use it. 
I’ll believe Gaby is back when I see him back, for the few games that I will see him back until he gets the official ‘Au Revoir’ from JL after one of the Southern California games this weekend. It’s JMO, folks, but I think Gaby won’t be a member of the Wild for long.
The question is, what will DR be able to GET for the formerly sidelined Slovakian? Hopefully not another ’shredded weiner’ who will sit on the IR forever…
What value does Gillie have in the Wild roster for him or the team
Honey, whatever I’m into is all in my head, I assure you.
Let’s go with volcano since the Aeros play the QC Flames tomorrow night.
Learn from other’s mistakes: http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/35874854.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUBP7hUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiU
I know hundreds of people who own snowblowers. Nothing wrong with Sakic using one, it is not like he is carrying it around on his back. Mostly they are self propelled.
Only when they were a new item on the market did I know someone foolish enought to stick his fingers in.
The result was not pretty.
MKiA: Again you show your ignorance…
For Gillies: he gets ‘broken in’ to the NHL by the best teacher of how to play the game, JL (sorry if some of you think otherwise). He gets a big time paycheck. And, he gets to learn from being around an NHL team every day.
For the Wild: They get to develop another talent for the future, because as you can see with Gaborik, talent alone does not get you where you want to be. The team sees a big-time raw talent that they get to mold into what they want…a power forward for the future.
The Wild are thinking 3-5 years down the road with Gillies, not this season or next. Everyone understands that, except MKiA and his cast of characters.
Ms. C: Hopefully, the QC Flames aren’t as chippy as their big club. No Bertuzzi or anyone like that on their little bretheren…
[…] Russo’s Rants – […]
My neighbors are playing hockey in their small homemade rink.
I haven’t looked at their stats, but they’re not one of the more loaded teams in the league, that’s for sure. It will be a reunion of Kolanos with his old teammates.
But the Flames should be pretty tired, based on the travel schedule someone described to me. They’re having to leave before dawn after playing Milwaukee tonight, fly through Atlanta, eat their pre-game meal in Atlanta, and then maybe or maybe not get a rest before the game when they get into Houston.
Hoping they’ll be flatter than a plate of bad pancakes as a result. Lord knows the Aeros deserve a scheduling advantage for a change.
Missy says:
December 10th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Mike,
In regards to Sakic…do you think there will be some contracts out there that are going to require players to hire out to get their driveways plowed out? I am SO sad for Sakic.
And has anything been said about Forsberg returning?
And why is Mats waiting?
Mats meets with the Rags on Saturday.
Russo radio on tonight?
I forgot, AHL teams still fly commercial, don’t they? That means they are flying…AirTran??
Hate to be on THAT flight…
is the HD reciever also house a DVR with DirectTV?
they do. they are more expensive but there are deals out there. you need one to do on demand which i also think you need it networked to the internets as well. i don’t do on demand that much so i don’t know.
directv used to license the tivo system on it’s dvr’s but developed their own that were notoriously horrid. The bugs have been worked out and now are just as good if not better than the the old tivo receivers. the biggest gripe is the lack of dual buffers.
Missy:
Koivu’s Hockey Unplugged in January, he said that the team bans the players from shoveling snow. So, I don’t know if using a snowblower/thrower would be included in the ban.
Hate to be on THAT flight…
Um. Yeah. That would be awful to be surrounded by a bunch of beefy athletes (and their teammate Kris Chucko).
And speaking of flights, here’s a great story that I can’t believe hasn’t come out anywhere.
That would be awful to be surrounded by a bunch of beefy athletes (and their teammate Kris Chucko).
+1 for Ms. C for the ‘beefy athletes’ and +1 for the Kris Chucko shot!
“Ding!”
Nice story Ms. C, I especially like this comment under the story:
“Yes, but did their wives underline the fv*k scenes for them?”
Ahhh Slap Shot… classic.
Okay guys, I drove to the rink tonight in a freaking blizzard. Those 10 snowflakes earlier brought big fluffy friends. I was nearly in tears it was so pretty. And it’s not that cold so it’s just melting when it hits. Perfect way to do snow.
Damn, this is one long-a$$ practice.
I love the whole “accidents happen” mentality about the Sakic incident:
“It’s a freak accident. It can happen to anyone,” Avalanche defenseman Adam Foote said.
Yeah, anyone stupid enough to stick their hand in a snowblower that is.
“It’s easy to say in hindsight,” Foote said. “But you could easily be walking your dog and another dog attacks your leg and you blow out your tendon in your foot. You say, ‘Why? Why?’
Er. . .okay. . .
Must be the longest practice on record Russo for us not to have any sort of update.
I’m thinkin there’s lots more to do in Glendale than to sit in front of a laptop and chat with us lifeless people…(insert gay smiley here)
Dan says:
December 10th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Must be the longest practice on record Russo for us not to have any sort of update
———————–
My guess is that his beloved Blackberry ain’t working so good.
very interesting dinner from Russo above.
Well I guess you can’t say DR isn’t trying.
I read recently that there’s an older unsigned center out there and just waiting for a call. Can’t remember his name off the top of my head - notable though.
Nice to know that DR is aware of the center issue now though….
1.5 years later.
[…] Russo’s Rants – […]
Wow, JL really did go off about Shep (Pio). He’s not happy with anybody, it seems.
*kneeling*
Please Lord, don’t send Pouliot to Houston. Thank you, baby Jesus.
*standing up*
Ok, fun stuff here, really. Sorry to see you guys getting screwed out of HD, but in light of that I want to share my story.
I had Dish’s Gold package, with the Platinum HD, and the HD plus stuff where you get the extra 10 HD channels beyond what you’d normally get. Yeah, it was expensive. About $100/month, with no extra movie channels or garbage.
Had Center Ice, too. Last year, even though every center ice channel had an HD equivalent, the only HD games were from Detroit, or once in a blue moon from somewhere else. Also, the SD games were really fuzzy. More so than a normal SD channel. The CBC games were unwatchable. So I canceled Center Ice, wrote to the league - who proudly wrote back a form letter written by the marketing dept, and completely blew off my complaints. Didn’t even address one of them. They suggested I get HD service. Retards.
(Russo, there IS a pretty good story in that - email me for some details!)
So I canceled, but it appeared on my bill anyway. I called and canceled again. Still, I got the channels. And yes, it did appear on my bill a 3rd time. So I called again, used words reserved for other blogs, and finally got the service removed. Sort of.
You see, I still get Center Ice, yet it’s been credited to my account. Ok, that’s cool, I can get my money’s worth from last year, by watching some of the HD games this year. Then I was watching a few games on 45, and had that issue with Dish Network “downsampling” the feed. I guess that means they take the high quality digital broadcast from 45, and change it so it’s medium or low quality, so it saves on bandwidth, and that’s what we get. So I complained to Dish, and they spewed some bs to me about getting an upgrade - so I cut off the person on the phone and canceled my local channels, and canceled my extra HD service.
Well, as of today, I still get Versus HD, I still get Center Ice, and I bought a $30 HD antennae which works GREAT for games on 45. And I still get locals through Dish. Try it, but don’t blame me if you do end up losing you channels.
JimLove…u thinking of Yanic Perreault from coyotes and blackhawks? He is a little old but almost guaranteed to do a better job then shep
Now, about Sundin. I would be surprised if there was one GM in the league that didn’t at least contact his agent and inquire. I’m also sure aside from the many deals The Don has informed us of, there’s countless more that get tossed about daily.
And Shep. Poor Shep. He really just hasn’t taken that next step. He looks no different from a year ago, and maybe he wouldn’t have gotten anything better out of being with the Aero’s (other than some oogling), but he needs to be pushed now, and that’s exactly what his coach is doing.
Either he responds, or he’ll be “available”.
The unsigned center is Perreault. I’d at least inquire about him, but I don’t think he’s what we need. A slow guy who doesn’t have the quickness or speed to be effective defensively. He can win draws, and that’s about it.
Right now just sit back and wait a few days. Holiday trade deadline is coming up, and if Shep doesn’t pick it up soon, he might find himself on a 1-way to another town before then. Hmm.. Shep and Gaborik for Spezza and…. nevermind lol!
Backs32: Yanic Perrault was one of the best face-off percentage winners in the NHL last season, IIRC. He might not be a bad pickup, especially if he can get with two wingers who are a heckuva lot faster to go with him.
Sundin? If he wants to go to Vancouver, good luck to him, ‘cuz that alone will cause the ‘Nucks to lose both of the Sedins this summer in free agency, if not sooner, for salary cap reasons, especially if the cap number goes down as a result of the declining North American economy.
That Mikko Koivu of two years ago will happen in three years, when Shep is 23, like Koivu was.
I hope it is sooner, but, he’s got to start showing up on the scoreboard. Funny thing about JL & DR thinking it was going to happen this year.
Funny thing about JL & DR thinking it was going to happen this year.
Gregor, they didn’t. These aren’t novices who misjudge players that badly. He’s being pushed.
It’s DR just trying to sell us something again. We know better.
So what have I missed?….. Gaby lives, we need a center, and Sakic got his hand stuck in a snow blower…. so I haven’t missed much. Is it wrong I laughed when the Mr told me about Sakic? Maybe it’s just the 13 hr day making me laugh. But something about that just seems funny. I’m going to bed before I fall over. Glad your getting “snow” MsC, makes it feel more Christmas-y.
Sunshine, I don’t think Doug is trying to “sell” anything. I think they’re pushing the kid a bit faster than they’d want to, but they’re expecting more results, too.
I pay about 70 a month for the HD plus DVR package from DTV. CI is 4 payments of like 30 bucks for me.
I get every HD channel they offer except for 4 or 5 that don’t have SD equivelent. I get locals in hd but for 17, 22, 41 and 45. CI now shows home and away feeds for nearly all game and HD if the feed is available to them. i could have watched boston vs wash on either feed in HD. Canadian feed are not in HD because DTV doesn’t get the feed.
DTV has the most sports in HD.
I spent the better part of the month of october last year on the phone with DTV because they were blacking out the HD feeds from FSN. It got to where they were calling me to see if things were working. they also gave me about 100 dollars in credits spread out over 6 months for my trouble. Not everyone has this experience but DTV has been great to deal with.
not all dish companies are the same.
DR is selling us that we could do without getting a veteran center and just stick with Shep and Pouliot.
So what is next? Is Colton Gillies supposed to be Owen Nolan next year? This is ridiculous.
Shep is doing pretty damn good as a 20 year old. You don’t pull these kids up and then throw them under the bus…
If you are going to be this critical this early in their development maybe let them develope elsewhere. Like Mikko. Or like Benoit. No perfect science.
But it is BS trying to get Mikko’s game out of Shep when Shep is only 20. For the record, I’ve liked Sheps game over the past 2 years.
Now I’m starting to get pissed at the org. Thanks Don. Don’t lay it at the feet of the building blocks. Makes no sense. Hopefully it is a motivation thing but I feel more it is ego and misdirection of blame. BS.
Hope I got the spirit of the thing.
And Comcast has hockey in HD on Versus.
MuN, please go back to the dossier and bring up my Mikko vs. Shep argument. STAT!
This report is really pissing me off. I won’t buy into it because it is reporting and based on opinions that are based on opinions, but I am getting a little upset and feel the the local reportage is completely effed up dud to the whole Gaborik thing. None of this is rational tonight.
Thank God I just went ahead and watched Dirty Sexy Money.
I read the pio article and I wouldn’t get too worked up about it. JL was reacting to Shep and Benny using defense as an excuse for not scoring goals. What do you expect him to do when the ‘kids’ start complaining like that?
I agree that expecting Mikko of two years ago was a bit much though and the team’s failure to add a decent center to help with the depth there is not Shep’s fault.
DD: What? Huh?
Why is it okay for Shep and Pouliot to say that they focus too much on defense and forget offense and if Gaborik says it, people are up in arms?
I will continue along the lines that suggests the Wild might try for Modano if the Stars are not a contender for the playoffs come trading deadline. DR no doubt has a thing about bringing a former North Star player back here.
A good good question for Russo to ask DR is whether or not he would ever bring a former North Star player to play for the Wild under any circumstances.
Sundin would be great, but it sounds like the Wild is out of the running. Its pretty obvious that JL is the reason these guys dont sign here. I like JL myself, and I think all of the fans like him here. I do think Modano would play for JL
Road tripper…way to go look up some stats…haha jk…i knew that already…t obviously he is a little old but he does claim that he is in shape, skating, and looking for work
MuN…actually yanic is quite fast and could be effective both offensively and defensively…initially chicago picked him up for the power play then turned him into a defensive minded player like walz but it just did not work out…i think he could be a good pick up even though it sounds like im contradicting myself…either he could do better than shep and teach him as well
Sunshine, this is the knock on JL. Too much defensive responsibility. I know for a fact that players that are centers have a problem playing in a JL system. Its well known and talked about among draft picks who hope to play for one team over another.
I think in Pouliot and Sheppards case its young players making excuses instead of taking responsibility to do what the coach asks
Unlike you Sunshine, I scrutinize first when it comes to reporting. I’d be happy to go back through our previous argument where you seemed to have the angle on the Gabby situation based on ONE article which you seemed to believe to be absolute truth because… well, it was reported…
Oh, and I was half reading and watching TV. Carol Darling is really hot in HD 1080i.
But what I got to focus on was really piss poor IMO. The Shep comments comparing him to Mikko were BS as I’ve been saying all along. The way it’s presented is that the FO wants to blame the players. One of which is 20.
But I may have overreacted due to my show. Lucy Liu is HOT too!
Bar is closed.
I missed the part where Shep and Pouliot said anything about focusing on D being a problem vs. anything Gabby ever said. Did I misrepresent myself in a previous statement Sunshine or are you just going over arguments in your mind? Please let me know.
OK, I’m reading back. Where did Shep or Benoit say anything like that…???
I would just like to go back to the Shep vs. Koivu and not throwing your 20 year old prospects who you choose to keep on an NHL level when you don’t have to under the bus. It’s BS. And it’s the least of the issues facing the team.
Now I feel like Sheps lawyer… or mom.
DD: Yes, please do.
Wild Road Tripper- His development could have waited a year. What you fail to realize is unless the Wild are really lucky they will have too big of a roster soon. I am sure Gillies is a prospect and will be a good player. You make him Burns roommate before training camp. He knew he had a position from day 1. Now that move does not sound wise to me for developing a players character. The Wild did better with Bouchard
DD: Let’s take a step back. I said “What? Huh?” because you made no sense as to which article you were talking about. I had assumed you were talking about Russo’s blog post but it didn’t quite make sense.
I was responding to the Shipley article and blog post that DP posted. MKIA responded to my post.
So, since you didn’t read Shipley’s article, we can rule out that you and I were not talking about the same thing.
My dog just saw snow for the first time. First of all, it’s VERY slippery on the deck so he had to learn not to run. Second, apparently the best thing about snow is that it’s EDIBLE! So he spent 15 minutes outside just eating the snow on the deck. Weirdo.
Why dont you use spell check Mkia. Cant you afford microsoft word 97 you ding-bat ?
Your theory with Modano. The Wild might be a little discomforting to him being that he is a captain on his present team you numb skull ! I would imagine that played into Sundins decision as well. He was a captain with Toronto
Why dont you and the Wild Road Tripper get a room and you both can talk about me until the sunrises Good Old Wally
I do not think DR tried to sell me anything Sunshine. Probably when he could not sign or trade for the “C” he wanted, he and us are realistic enough to understand that Shep needs to grow up faster.
It does not seem like conspiracy to me.
Then DR and fans shouldn’t be disappointed much if he was giving the fans a realistic picture. People and DR are expecting Shep to play as if he has had years of experience — Koivu played one year in the AHL and one year in NHL — that was the Koivu of 2 years ago who had the 2nd highest point spread from the season before.
Doug hasn’t tried hard at all. He and Russo can say what they want, but nobody in their right mind keeps Sheppard over getting a proven vet like Jokinen. Also, in what world is getting Brenden Morrison trying? He’s absolutely terrible, and he’s always been rather mediocre. This team has a whole roster of Brenden Morrison’s.
Idealy, I want to see 2 different trades. I want Gaborik packaged with Sheppard to get a top end player, and I want Zidlicky and Bouchard packaged to get an elite player like Spezza.
Wild need goals and bad and a big roster shakeup is the way to get that done.
oh, by the way, if Jacques wants more production out of Pouliot, quit putting him on a line with an offensive black hole like Boogaard, and the always entertaining, but non offensive Clutterbuck.
Or better yet, if Gaborik is up to playing, put Gillies, Pouliot, and Gaborik together. Sheppard can hang out with Boogaard and Veilleux.
Its about time JL ripped into that pansy Shep, should have dealt him when he had hype for a good center!
Also how can they honestly rip into Benny when he gets no ice time and on the 4th line.
Let Benny play 20 minutes, i bet he would do a lot more damage than Shep. They should switch lines.
Weller isnt going to score, scratch him and get kolanos up, he can score.
something that is really bothering me is how they bring Burnzie up to forward when hes not comfortable. The guy fans on every one timer he gets, some with wide open nets. Oh Burnzie, you are lost out there. Get him back on D to make up for the minus a million MAB
lol oh come on now. Jeeez, Chris.. Between you and Dan, I dunno. he’s 20 with a whole one season in the AHL and NHL combined. He was in Juniors prior to that. We aren’t expecting Crosby-like performance from him in his 1st year or two. Even Koivu didn’t start coming around really until his 3rd year, and he was playing in Finnish pro leagues before that. Shep’s been rushed to the big leagues, and everyone seems to think this kid should be sent off cause he can’t do the job in his second year. Well, in reality, this is his 1st year - as last year he got ice time only because of Koivu’s injury.
If JL needs to push the kid a bit harder, fine. If Shep needs to learn not to make excuses, and find a reason to justify his slow start, then he needs to grow up a bit quicker mentally too. This is the NHL, and you’re mostly responsible for your play, as long as you have the ice time.
This team does indeed need to trade for a center. The best targets would probably be guys like Jeff Carter, Marleau, or Spezza. The available pieces we have could be guys like Johnsson, Pouliot(would hate to lose him), Bouchard, and draft picks obviously. I would think that one of those guys could maybe be had for Johnsson and Pouls, with perhaps a swapping of draft picks as well. Carter would be ideal, But Spezza would be a great pick up as well.
About Shep- they say that he should have been able to have a comparable year to Koivu’s second year…are they forgetting that the lockout allowed Koivu to have an entire season in the AHL? I would still say that Shep is at the same level or beyond where Mikko was at 20. He should not be traded and should keep on playing every game…if he has to be moved down to thrid/fourth line, so be it, but he has to keep playing.
[…] Apparently the Wild were interested in Sundin. I guess Sundin, who’s ruled out Minnesota as possible NHL destination, was scared off when […]
This does not make much sense to me, JL wants more scoring out of Benny so he sends him out with Boogaard?
Im sure ill be lectured again now about how valuable boogie is.
People. The wild’s only purpose on this Earth is to win a stanley cup as soon as possible. This means we don’t have time to develop young talent. You either produce or you are shipped. No effing excuses.
We need playoff proven talent like OJ on our squad. instead we have an underperforming 2nd year player like shepard.
if the wild weren’t so dang cheap we’d have hossa too.
The honeymoon is definately over for Sheppard. He’s got an NHL body, and I’ll even say he’s got NHL skill (not because he’s shown much yet, but he hasn’t completely embarrased himself), but he’s got a ‘B’ bantam brain and ‘C’ peewee drive/enthusiasm. He hasn’t shown he’s capable of taking the bull by the horns and taking his game to the next level. And it’s obvious he’s not meeting the Wild org. development expectations.
When Marianne Tendernut’s finally gets dealt I won’t be at all surprised to see Sheppard part of the deal. Good kid, but I don’t see the fire in his belly yet.
Thank God there’s a game tonight. The conch needs a break…
Shep is quoted in the Don’s article:
But I’m not afraid of somebody taking my job.
Maybe he should be worried…
Last thread there was talk about Gaborik in LA having problems with crappy ice. I’ve asked before and I don’t think there was much response…
Why do the NHL clubs put up with crappy ice? I don’t get it. Say you’ve got a player you’re paying $7M and thinking about paying $9M per year if he agrees. And he injures his groin due to crappy ice in your arena. He then misses half of the season, his trade value is in the toilet… Wouldn’t you consider spending a few million to ‘fix’ the ice?
BTW, I know crappy ice wasn’t the cause in Gaborik’s situation, but I’d think that ALL NHL clubs would think about this.
Above on the Shep thing, I meant maybe he should be worried not because his job is in jeopardy, but maybe a little bit of worry about it would motivate him to step up his game a bit. Figure out how to be offensive while being defensively responsible…
Goody: I think protecting your player interests is off-set by the revenue your building generates from all the other uses - which, in addition to local climate, is a good part of why the ice can stink.
OMFG.
Sheppard is a 2nd year, 20 year old player.
Granted, his progression has not met the Wild’s expectations. However, by not addressing the glaring need for a veteran centerman, DR has magnified Sheppard’s progression.
They NEED him to perform in a way that he is probably not ready for at this stage of his career.
He shows flashes of what he will be able to do on a regular basis - when he matures a bit more.
You cannot give up on a 2nd year player with his upside. You can trade him, but I believe that trade (re:O’Sullivan) will be regretted down the road.
Blame JL all you want for B-B-B-Benny’s lack of production, but (IMHO) he is the one that should be getting called out. Maybe the Wild are ragging on Sheppard because they know Poutine isn’t strong enough mentally to take the criticism. Sheppard is the surrogate.
Poutine needs to step it up just as much as Sheppard does. His expectations should be even greater than Sheppard’s - he’s been a pro much longer.
Realistically, a veteran C should be behind Koivu. Belanger 3rd and Poutine/Sheppard 4th. Hell, I’d rather put Poutine on the wing. He’d surely generate more offence there.
But, hey, what do I know…I use gay smileys.
Nick, I understand that, but with the money involved (in player’s salaries) it seems to me that fixing the ice would be pretty cheap insurance against injury.
Goody - I think ice “crappiness” is in the eye of the beholder. To a team who has expert “iceologists” (I would like to trademark this word now ), like the Wild, all the southern teams’ ice seems like mush.
A player learns to use his home ice. Skating on very cold, very hard ice, needs different mechanics and techniques than skating on, say, Tampa Bay’s ice. However, to a Bolts player, the ice is normal to him - he is used to it and knows how he needs to skate on it to avoid injuries.
If I am Gaby, or any player who has a history of groin problems, I spend my offseason skating on Southern ice, so I understand how I need to change my technique to NOT hurt myself.
the fowl don’t seem to have a problem with the ice in the honda center.
G*: well, to be fair, can we really call what Brad May does “skating”??
Star Center’s second year numbers:
Joe Sakic 80GMS 39G 63A 102PTS
Olli Jokinen (Go with his second full season) 82GMS 11G 10A 21 PTS
Federov 80GMS 32G 54A 86PTS
Getzlaf 82GMS 25G 33A 58PTS
Mikko 82GMS 20G 34A 54PTS
So… is Shep Sakic, is he Jokinen, Federov, Koivu… or is he Shep and maybe he develops into a different player than they hoped? Seems like they are putting an awful lot of blame on the kid, and not on their ability to scout draft picks and develop them. No?
(I left out Malkin and Crosby, because well… they are just freaks in the statistical field.)
G* exactly my point!
I don’t have time to look up player injury history, but I bet there are similar amounts of groin injuries over the last 5 years on the Wild as there are on the Ducks, or Panthers, regardless of what ice they are playing on.
yeah, I am just worried the team will do just well enough to not get anything with its top draft pick. and as its proven time and time again, no name free agents want to come here and play for the JL regime. So drafts or trades are our only hope. and in order to have anything of value to trade, you have to do an awesome job of drafting. I feel this hasn’t happened. Yes the team needs a center, but don’t expect that to work miracles, as the center isn’t allowed below the top of the circles. say what you want, but i am just being honest.
Gun-
If you are Gaby, you spend your offseason in the F1 simulator, and possibly putting your skates on once or twice… in Slovakia.
Gun-
If you are Gaby, you spend your offseason in the F1 simulator, and possibly putting your skates on once or twice… in Slovakia.
+1
“But, hey, what do I know…I use gay smileys.”
Way to own it man. Let your freak flag fly.
the wild needs spicier cheez whiz for the nachos…or more goals whichever.
There’s a Backstrom article on nhl.com right now…
On the Backstrom article:
Harding is such a class act!
“As a backup goalie it is really an honor for me to see a guy who works hard to improve his game. I know that he is a competitive goalie and a mature guy. It is definitely going to help my career by playing with a goalie of that pedigree…”
yeah, I’m not going to put on my cynical hat and just trust that Hards was being honest in those quotes. And Sanford too, frankly. Very endearing on both counts.
You really can’t argue with Nik’s results, anyway.
thanks for the heads up on the article, max
sacitch’s 2nd season was 89-90. his numbers reflect the era he started in. oh and he was a -40, not that +/- means anything.
plus his rookie campaign was 23-39-62, -36.
year 2 was a 65% increase in production.
sheppard would need to reach 32 points to equal a 65% increase. he has 6 now
Nice article on Backstrom. An amazing 69.68% of current voters say he’s the best non-injured goalie right now. Blows the other 3 away with their measly 10% or so each.
I’m a little disappointed though that they left out his fabulous improvement in the shootout. That tidbit could have easily been inserted to prove Harding’s statement “…he also works hard on his game…”
Anybody know how Backstrom is doing in the all star voting? Or does no one take that seriously anymore since all 6 habs are probably still leading the votes.
Actually Richard, last I heard, Sid and Geno took over the #1 and 2 spot, and now the Penguins fans are trying to start a “vote for Ovechkin” campain to make sure the Habs dont get any starters.
and now the Penguins fans are trying to start a “vote for Ovechkin” campain to make sure the Habs dont get any starters.
KiPA the subversive…
How about the D though? Hopefully Penguins fans don’t vote in Gonchar for a starting role.
Just started reading the NHL.com article, but i love this quote from Hards:
“He comes to work every day.”
Nice. I can see him saying it the way it was intended, but how much fun is it to think it could also be used as a dig on someone else…
So if Burns makes the all star squad, will he be playing D or Wing?
WOW! Skouba listed as a bargain on Puck Daddy today…
So is Mikko - but we all knew that already.
Need to get whatever fixed his shootout and send it to Brusty. He’s only stopped 2 of 12 attempts in 3 shootouts. I’m not even mad about it… I just wanna cry.
Len Barrie on Melrose: “I knew we were in trouble when we went to Prague … and Barry wanted to play the left wing lock.”
Yeah… becuase the offense only plan is working SO much better right?
From the cap baragin article… could you imagine having Zetterberg for 2.6 per?
Damn…
What are we thinking he gets next year? 8 million per?
yeah Buddha the Wings are rife with sweet deals. It’s simply amazing that they get top talent to play IN DETROIT for so little money, comparatively. The power of winning, eh?
Maybe Detroit get the Championship discount for 6 per.
So if I understand correctly, montreal is the best chance with the gaby trade? If thats true who do they trade? I can see saku coming but is that with this or will we just get him july 1st?
I would stock the team with Zetterbergs for 6 million per.
Figure the cap is 52 next year, so you could have 7 Zetterbergs, sign Backs at 6 per, puts you at 48… leaving four mil for a checking line.
Yes… I only want 10 guys (7 of them Zetterberg) and Backs.
I was reading a SI story (via Puck Daddy) on the 14 worst sports seasons in history, and came across this little gem:
The ‘62 Mets also featured catcher Harry Chiti, who was acquired for a player to be named later. After Chiti posted a .195 average in 15 games, the Mets sent him back to the Indians, making him the first player traded for himself.
That is FANTASTIC! Sucks to be that guy!
Michael- are the guys heckling SRV from the team’s last visit to Phoenix? Is Shep sitting on the other end of the bench? Hopefully a decent game tonight.
i don’t see saku coming here.
western teams have some serious disadvantages compared to eastern teams mainly in the travel schedule. eastern teams rarely leave there time zone where a team in the west is hardly in their time zone.
take the rangers division. it’s like they are in st paul and the other teams are in minneapolis, bloomington, st cloud and madison.
I think as players get older, travel becomes an issue and is something they place more importance on when a FA
Detroit makes sweet deals because they locked players in when they were on the cusp — all about timing. Something that DR needs to learn. He could have locked Koivu and Burns in for a much longer contract. You take that risk but the rewards are great. When DR was doing 1-3 year deals, Holland was doing 4-6 year deals for some of his most promising players.
Saku not coming here during the season. Maybe in FA. It is a DR move - seasoned veteran player who can provide leadership and mentorship– it might be one of his better moves.
and i just read the shipley article and i don’t see JL throwing shep under the bus. i think shep was mentioned because the press brought him up cause of the slump he is in.
what i took was JL was saying this “i have to play defense” excuse is BS. and thinking that way is probably why you are in the slump to begin with.
sunshine: wow. You’re saying the DR doesn’t know about signing players before they reach their peak but you’re using Mikko and Burns as examples?
Tough customer.
When DR was doing 1-3 year deals, Holland was doing 4-6 year deals for some of his most promising players.
technically true. zetterberg signed 3 year initial contract then a 4 year deal.
i think this becomes harder to do because players can become UFA much sooner
and zetterberg was day to day with groin on 10/24/2002
Its a little of a catch-22. They don’t play well in the d-zone, their minutes are cut back. Then they focus most of their attention on their d-zone play and become more hesitant in the offense zone.
They need someone like Koivu, who is a center and grew up in the system, to sit them down and break it down for them. Peer-to-peer talk on how to balance their defensive responsibilities with their offensive ones. Sometimes Lemaire and the coaches’ (teachers) explanations become a little hard to comprehend and you need someone else to translate it and make it understandable so they can apply it in a game.
koivu is listed as signing multi year deal than 1 year restricted FA deal than multi year deal.
burns is listed as signed by wild in 03, resigned 2 year restricted deal in 06. resigned to 4 year deal in 07
datsuck resigned one year deal with option for 04-05 in 03
re-signed restricted in sep-05 2 year deal
resigned 7 year deal in apr 07.
zetterberg and datsuck don’t appear to be cheap because they were signed long term early, before they were proven.
and now the Penguins fans are trying to start a “vote for Ovechkin” campain to make sure the Habs dont get any starters.
KiPA the subversive…
How about the D though? Hopefully Penguins fans don’t vote in Gonchar for a starting role.
First time I’ve heard about this campaign, but I’m on record as saying both the All-Star game is stupid as hell and Ovechkin’s the best player in the league.
I hope the Penguins fans that are voting are just doing that text service where it automatically votes for every player on a particular team. Whitney, barring a setback, should be back for the ASG but neither he nor Gonchar should’ve been anywhere near the ballot.
The only way Saku would be here is if the Habs want to dispose of him. Then, if little brother is really happy here maybe that would be a positive factor in our favor.
But, why would the Canadians be willing to let Saku go?
It is nice to think about, but like G* says, it would be an uphill battle to get him here.
As far as the travel for old guys, Owen Nolan and Burnett seem to adapt. So, maybe it would not be so difficult but it definitely is a factor.
Personally, I think Mikko and Brent got the right length contracts. In a couple years, they will need to be paid at a higher level and the Wild will need to be able to step up and give it to them.
I do not think it is fair to compare Shep to Koivu. Koivu is an unusually strong player. Shep may or may not have that much upside.
Players get in ruts like Shep is in now. That does not mean he will stay there. He needs to figure it out himself.
Meanwhile, all JL is saying is “don’t make excuses”. If a player finds excuses to hide behind, he will never work himself out of the funk.
NiNY:
Yep.
Hey KiPA - Here you go! Rock the vote man!
G*, I do not understand the “effect” of what you said in your 12:23 post concerning Koivu and Burns’ deals?
Come one, Green*, you know that the first multi-year deal was the entry level contract as required by the CBA.
What a surprise that Sundin doesn’t want to come here. He is just another in a long list of players that we supposedly “went after” but who the hell can blame Sundin, Morrison, Forsberg, etc. for not coming here? They want to SCORE once in awhile. This boring dull 1-2 goals a game keeps most of those offensive players from even considering taking an offer here. God Risedork is an idiot. Does he really not see the writing on the wall? The players do. The fans do.. But not Risedork. Moron.
Come one, Green*, you know that the first multi-year deal was the entry level contract as required by the CBA.
i was just listing off what tsn has for deals signed and when.
and, holland didn’t sign datsuck to a 7 year deal until A, he had to and B, he had proven himself. otherwise it was the entry deal and then 2 year restricted deals.
zetterberg got a 4 year deal but at about the same point in career that koivu got his 3 year deal and burns got his 4.
so i am not sure i’m sold on this detroit has good cheap player because holland rolls the dice with longer contracts earlier, which i read was the assertation.
As far as the travel for old guys, Owen Nolan and Burnett seem to adapt. So, maybe it would not be so difficult but it definitely is a factor.
wouldn’t be difficult but all things being equal, I’d take the rags travel over ours.
oh and to add on the travel scheds.
detroit has complained for a long time that they should be in the east main reason is travel. we complain the wild has to go west meaning late local starts.
I think to make things more equal, instead of divisions and conferences going west to east, how about north to south? one plus is there would be an all canada division. and there would be teams from all time zones in a divison. it isn’t necessarily ideal but it would eliminate one point of b!tching
And introduce a whole other point of b!tching. I’d do that for a year and then come back to the current system so people appreciate it.
Meanwhile, I really do hate when the team is out west. Lunch comes too late.
Whoa I’m late to the game today, got a lot going on this am. Anyway, I had to stick my nose in about a few things I read above:
From G*: The wild’s only purpose on this Earth is to win a stanley cup as soon as possible.
I gotta disagree on that, from the MSE’s position, and since they own the team, they chart it’s goals and direction. Sure, a cup would be great - extra attention, increased revenue, feather in the cap, etc… But their primary purpose is to be as profitable as possible, and to do that you have to balance a lot of things. It’s a good thing their business plan includes trying to put a decent product on the ice. Granted, they’re not the Illich’s, where they don’t care one way or another, and don’t have too because of the fan base. But so far, it has been a decent product. It’s just that a lot of people want more. They got a division title last year, but we’ve forgotten about that. Now they want round 2 of the playoffs. Or they’re demanding a cup. I want a cup too. So does the team, the players, and MSE. But they aren’t going to mortgage their long term profitability in order to do it.
Still, I’d like to see more myself, but it’s not about the money in a cap world. It’s about what you get for the money you do spend. The Wild have some young players with huge potential - Pouliot, Sheppard, Gillies, and Cuma are the next ones behind Koivu, Burns, and Gaborik. How many teams have that kind of talent being developed? Not many. We’ve got 10 years worth of star players being developed here, and 3 (soon to be 2) guys who are on the cusp of being top 5 in the league for their positions.
As for the center position, yes we need a true #2 center. I’m pleased Belanger has stepped up so far, I was wondering where this was last year from him. But we need a #2 guy. Ask yourself this - if it was your team, would you be willing to either overpay for one (Mittens), or go after someone that might end up costing you more in the long run (Parrish)? The Wild has made those mistakes in the past. DR is no Holland, Burke, Lamarillo, or Fletcher. But he’s not inept either. He’s learning from some mistakes he made, as does every GM at some point.
So… What to do about the need for a Center? Sure, trade for one is the only option right now. Yeah, some are available, some aren’t.
Marleau - nope. You’d have to grossly overpay for him right now. Signed at an inflated price for his production through end of next season. Sharks doing well, they won’t want to change that.
Spezza - Maybe. But Ottawa needs a D-man first, and they want J-Bo more than they want Johnsson. If they lose out on J-Bo this week, we might get this.
Morrison - Sure. He’s currently stinking it up in Anaheim right now. 7 pts in 23 games, at 2.75M? Wanna overpay for him? Can probably get him then.
Peca - Available. 6 pts in 22 games, currently under suspension… again. The price is right though.
Modano - Someone mentioned this yesterday. Not available. He’s still the defacto leader in Dallas, and he’ll finish his career there.
Higgins - Remember this idea? He can play C, and well, but he’s getting 16 minutes in Montreal, but really underperforming. He got off to a slow start with a groin injury (!!!!!) at the beginning of the season. If they don’t get J-Bo, might get him.
Gomez / Drury - I’m sure the Rangers would dump one of them in a heartbeat. But is either worth their salary? See my note above on grossly overpaying.
Antropov - Supposedly available, but he seems to play well when he wants to. Haven’t we heard that sort of thing before?
Nylander - Oh yeah, Washington is openly shopping him and his nearly 5m cap hit. The guy is good though, even at 35 yrs old. Great production for 14 mins a game. Problem is, we have nothing they want.
So, do you overpay, or take a risk and waste a young prospect (Shep, Gillies, PMB) on a player that might not pan out? Or sit and do nothing until something better comes along?
TSN reporting that Luongo has had setbacks and will likely be out longer. He refused to talk to reporters after leaving the ice after 20 minutes.
I get the travel complaint for West teams, but I think this is a case of life just not being fair sometimes. I don’t think that North to South idea would eliminate the complaint, but rather it would result in everyone complaining instead of just West teams.
As for Saku, he’s said he would consider playing in MN, as it might be nice to end his career playing with his brother, but I can’t think of a scenario where he’s getting traded in a Gaborik deal.
sunshine: so we don’t want to either maintain some flexibility cap-wise or incent these guys to EARN their big third contract?
Seriously.
This isn’t a video game.
Spezza is enormously talented but there are a lot of knocks on him disappearing when he feels like it including at crunch time.
When Koivu is considered your top scoring forward your team is in trouble.
Risebrough needs to find some scoring help for this team and Lemaire needs to quit expecting the kids to carry the load.
Food
Trade for Spezza!!
