Button interested in returning to Minnesota; Burns has shoulder surgery; Bergeron to have back surgery; Another big Aeros win; Elite League represented in final draft rankings
Posted on April 23rd, 2009 – 2:03 PMBy Michael Russo
You’re not going to believe this. That “B’ joke I made yesterday? Not funny now.
Marc-Andre Bergeron is scheduled to have back surgery next week to address a disc issue that had been bothering him off and on for some time. His rehab time is expected to be six to eight weeks.
So, Eric Belanger now really shouldn’t leave the house. I’m just saying. Bad couple weeks for Backstrom, Burns, Bergeron, Boogaard, Brunette and Bouchard. Just dawned on me. Goalie Barry Brust has a broken foot in the minors. That’s why Anton Khudobin’s playing.
Burns had right shoulder surgery this morning. He’ll stay in the hospital overnight for precautionary reasons (anesthesia and concussion can’t be a good mix), but he is doing well, the team says. Shoulder will be immobilized for a month. It’ll take four months to heal, but he’s expected back before training camp. Acting GM Tom Lynn said Burns’ concussion symptoms have improved greatly.
By the way, I talked to former North Stars Director of Scouting Craig Button today, and he is very interested in the Wild’s GM job. Button, 46, is well-respected in the game and currently does analysis for NHL Network and writes for NHL.com.
He moved with the North Stars to Dallas, and worked there until 2000. He won a Cup with them in 1999. He then succeeded Al Coates as Calgary’s GM, and he worked there from 2000-03. Button is known to be an incredibly organized manager, one who delegates and works marvelously with not just hockey ops, but business ops. His strengths are in player development and personnel.
Although, when Button discovers what happens to all people with a last name starting with ‘B,’ on the Wild, he’ll probably change his mind and steer clear.
In other news, the Aeros had another win win last night, beating Peoria on Maxim Noreau’s OT winner to take a 3-2 first-round series lead. Here’s the link to Andrew Ferraro’s story in the Houston Chronicle. Game 6 is Saturday in Peoria.
NHL playoffs continue to be awesome, although it’s a shame the Rangers won yesterday in spite of Sean Avery’s idiocy. It would have been fun to see John Tortorella finally scratch this guy from the lineup. He’s just a circus act. Thank goodness for the Rangers that they have such an exceptional penalty kill — the best in the NHL this past regular season.
Lastly, …
NHL SCOUTING LIST INCLUDES 25 ELITE LEAGUE ALUMNI
New Hope, Minn. – The National Hockey League has released its final rankings of players eligible for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, and the Upper Midwest High School Elite Hockey League is heavily represented.
The NHL’s Central Scouting Service has ranked what it considers the top 210 skaters and top 30 goalies from North America who are available for the draft, which will be held June 26-27 in Montreal. More than 10 percent of the players ranked, including 11 of the top 82, have played in the Elite League over the past three seasons.
At #5 on the list is the University of Minnesota’s Jordan Schroeder, who played in the Elite League in 2006. He is followed by Edina’s Zach Budish (#22), Eden Prairie’s Nick Leddy (#24) and Little Falls’ Ben Hanowski (#35), all of whom played in the Elite League the past two years. The list – available online at www.nhl.com – includes 24 Elite League alumni among the 210 North American skaters, plus goaltender Mike Lee of Roseau, who is #4 on the North American goalie list.
“We’re very excited to see so many Elite League players recognized by Central Scouting,” said John Russo, Commissioner of the Elite League. “One of the league’s missions is to provide players with exposure to scouts and college coaches, giving them the opportunity to further their hockey careers, and having so many of our players in the rankings tell us that we are accomplishing that goal.”
At the 2008 NHL Draft, 10 former Elite League players were chosen, including Jake Gardiner (Minnetonka-Anaheim Ducks, 17th overall), Aaron Ness (Roseau-NY Islanders, #40), Derek Stepan (Shattuck-NY Rangers, #51), David Toews (Shattuck-NY Islanders, #66), Cory Fienhage (Eastview-Buffalo Sabres #81), Justin Jokinen (Cloquet-Buffalo Sabres, #101), Drew Olson (Brainerd-Columbus Blue Jackets, #118), Joe Gleason (Edina-Chicago Blackhawks, #192), Nathan Condon (Wausau West-Colorado Avalanche, #200) and David Carle (Shattuck-Tampa Bay Lightning, #203).
The Upper Midwest High School Elite Hockey League is a non-profit hockey league designed to provide high-level competition supplementing the regular high school hockey season. Players are selected to play on one of the league’s seven teams, including five teams from Minnesota, a combined Minnesota/North Dakota team and a Wisconsin team. In addition to competing against each other, the teams play games against other top programs such as Shattuck Academy teams and select teams from other countries. For more information visit www.hselitehockey.com
A complete list of Elite League players on the Central Scouting Service rankings is on the next page.
CSS Rank Skater Name Hometown 2008-09 Team Elite League Year
5 Schroeder, Jordan * Lakeville, MN University of Minnesota 2006
22 Budish, Zach * Edina, MN Edina HS 2007-2008
24 Leddy, Nick * Eden Prairie, MN Eden Prairie HS 2007-2008
35 Hanowski, Ben * Little Falls, MN Little Falls HS 2007-2008
41 Helgeson, Seth * Faribault, MN Sioux City USHL 2006-2007
43 Birkholz, Josh * Maple Grove, MN Fargo USHL 2007
53 Mattson, Danny * Minneapolis, MN Holy Angels HS 2007-2008
57 Haula, Erik * Finland Shattuck St. Mary’s 2008
69 Fallstrom, Alexander * Sweden Shattuck St. Mary’s 2008
76 Thompson, Blake Eden Prairie, MN Sioux Falls USHL 2007
82 Oliver, Nick Roseau, MN Roseau HS 2007
109 Flaherty, Keegan Duluth, MN Fargo USHL 2007
112 Festler, Jared Little Falls, MN St. Cloud State 2007
114 Lapic, Tyler New Prague, MN New Prague HS 2007
118 Lee, Anders Edina, MN Edina HS 2007
120 Jensen, Nick Rogers, MN Green Bay USHL 2007
125 Scott, Berkley Anoka, MN Anoka HS 2008
138 DeLisle, Dan Arden Hills, MN Totino Grace HS 2007
144 Tardy, Max Duluth, MN Duluth East HS 2007
160 Taft, Charlie Edina, MN Edina HS 2008
163 Schmidt, Nate St. Cloud, MN St. Cloud Cathedral HS 2007- 2008
175 Murray, Jordy Faribault, MN University of Wisconsin 2006-2007
179 Gotovets, Krill Ukraine Shattuck St. Mary’s 2008
181 Everson, Marshall Edina, MN Edina HS 2007-2008
CSS Rank Goalie Name Hometown 2008-09 Team Elite League Year
4 Lee, Mike * Roseau, MN Fargo USHL 2007
*Indicates player was invited to NHL Combine, May 25-30 in Toronto
85 Responses to "Button interested in returning to Minnesota; Burns has shoulder surgery; Bergeron to have back surgery; Another big Aeros win; Elite League represented in final draft rankings"
Glad to see my former hometown of New Hope, Minn get a dateline. Don’t have a clue why that is, but good to see, nonetheless.
This helps explain why New Hope gets the dateline. And to think, I drove the Zamboni a few times at NH Arena while home from school on a J-Term in 1992 (or was it 1993?).
THIS helps explain:
Michael - darn the tongue in cheek joke. Belan & Brust probably changed their names to something without the letter B, just for the short term. So when are you going to elude us for some well-deserved vacation time? Is John Russo any relation to you? An alias?
Hey M 03. Thanks. Leaving for vacation May 16. Sticking around for the GM hiring, and hopefully the coaching hiring.
John Russo is definitely not related to me.
From last thread:
NiNY, Your comments are usually quite good but I am mystified about the desire to hear the “plan”. Doesn’t every team have roughly the same plan–be a perennial playoff team and contend for the Cup? There are certainly times when you see your team aging or running into cap problems where maybe you grab a guy or two at the trade deadline because your time is running out before you have to re-load. But, what magic plan will a new GM have? We will try to stink for a couple of years so we can duplicate the Pens or Hawks and get a couple of top picks? The new mgmt may play a slightly different style and may evaluate our current group of players differently or have some FA’s they are more partial to than JL or DR would have been, but I presume their plan will be to make the playoffs next year and build a cup contender. Would you want them to announce anything less?
Another B injury! Didn’t Budish have season ending knee surgery this year?
Russo -
You are assuming that CL has a GM hired by the 16th? Anything “hot” right now on that front?
True, Lucky. GaBBBBBy too.
No, Gabby is Gone. Just praying.
wood: I think this is a little different. We were given the “give me 5 years until we’ll be a perennial legit playoff team” from the start. That was reasonable. Didn’t happen.
So I need to hear something like “we might be a couple years away from being a true contender, but in the meantime here’s the coach, here’s how he’s going to have them play, we might need a couple more guys…”
no, nothing earth shattering, but more acknowledging of what’s transpired up to this point and re-establishing that line of communication to us.
That’s all. I think if whomever the new guy is gives us that, that will buy him some time (a couple seasons).
I’m not looking for some new theory on being a GM in the NHL.
Russo…you think a decision will be made by then? The playoffs will still be going on.
You have something you cannot print??? 
Plan = “managing expectations”, right?
Me and Sean Avery fell down laughing in the wet grass.
CL is going to promote gabby’s brother Branislav from eastern european scout to GM in a move to keep gabby happy and get the money + terms he seeks.
We were given the “give me 5 years until we’ll be a perennial legit playoff team” from the start. That was reasonable. Didn’t happen.
which is why a GM shouldn’t say, give me 5 years…because things can happen such as the the entire economic system of the NHL being changed, that can force you to toss your plan out the window.
Michael - GaBBBBBy too funny. Good to know you are getting away from us, in a good way. I am looking forward to your end of the regular season wrap up and your comments & scorecard on the team. Man, what if the Wild coach selection was announced as soon as you settle into the Ireland state of vacation, just to give JS the edge? Just posing the question…
Mr. Russo
Any chance of the Wild getting Bob Gainey to come back to MN?
I don’t think it would be a good idea for CL to hire a GM that moved the North Stars to Dallas. That would worry me!
kj - hope the band opener is great.
—which is why a GM shouldn’t say, give me 5 years—
I would encourage any GM candidates interviewing with CL to refrain from “Well Craig, I’m pretty sure I can have a playoff team for you in 5 years.” If you are really interested in the job that is.
–that can force you to toss your plan out the window–
If your plan changes, you need to communicate that with legitimate reasons for the change. Smug’s big flaw was his “Trust me. I am smarter than you.”
Otoh, laying out the plan too well tips your hand to potential trade partners.
I heard one of the announcers note “Now that the trapping style of hockey is almost extinct in the NHL…..”
I too, am of no relation to Michael.
If New GM can retain Gaby, the expectation not to be managed is NW division title. As Russo I think noted recently, some luck is need for a SCP run so based on recent years in this division, the goal if not rebuilding should be to win it and see how the matchups fall from there.
If New GM cannot keep Gaby which we all expected to happen for DR, I guess all options are on the table. Based on DR’s history and Where Players Want to Play™ promises, I did expect him to bid on the top guys available. The new guy I guess gets to plan. Russo mentioned I believe a GM candidate that would likely bring in Bob Hartley as coach. If that would mean the Wild has a shot to get Kovalchuk then I am all for this sort of plan
Why would any team that Avery has been on want him back, and why would any team that he has not been on ever want him?
That’s all I got to say about that.
ha, okay, so maybe New Guy shouldn’t put a time frame on it, that’s fair.
But I want to see and hear somewehere between just the boilerplate platitudes of “This is a great hockey market and we’re going to try to build a winner” and “Here’s my 15-step plan….item 1…”
Keep in mind, I’m talking about marketing, basically. And within the aegis of a press conference where New Guy is introduced.
SotB’s point: If your plan changes, you need to communicate that with legitimate reasons for the change. Smug’s big flaw was his “Trust me. I am smarter than you.” is what I’m trying to say. Just re-establish the line of communication to the fans to start to get us back to a place where we trust what the GM is saying. That’s all.
[…] Britney Spears Blackout placed an observative post today on Button interested in returning to Minnesota; Burns has shoulder…Here’s a quick excerptIt would have been fun to see John Tortorella finally scratch this guy from the lineup. He’s just a circus act. […]
ms.c: Just saw on the Wild’s site that Madsen is leaving for the Worlds, too? How is that going to affect the playoff picture?
GaBBBBy…
One “B” for every groin he’s pulled.
I think that a new GM and coach will be given a couple of years no matter what. Of course that GM-coach team will look at players differently and will also have a number of FA decisions to make but I don’t think there is much magic to a plan. You may want different parts but that will all be implemented quickly and then the goals are the same no matter where you are. Now when the Wild was a new franchise it was fair to say we are starting from ground zero with everyone’s rejects and no farm system so give us 5 or so years to develop.
NiNY, what exactly would you expect a new GM-coach team to say?
Interesting that of all the NHL scouts regularly seen during Elite League action, the Wild is not usually among them. In a related note, check out the most recent of Let’s Play Hockey for a listing of NHL players in 2008-09 that came from the college ranks. The Minnesota Wild, located in the State of Hockey with 5 Division 1 teams, ranks LAST in the league with 3 players who played college hockey. Of the 16 teams who DID MAKE THE PLAYOFFS this year, there are a total of 146 college players or an average of just over 9 per team. Time to get a breath of fresh air in the Wild front office.
Not at all Sunshine. He’s been a healthy scratch lately.
[…] Russo’s Rants – […]
Russo has a CB article up and notes that CL probably has not done an interview yet - http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/43587412.html?page=1&c=y
Hey russo! you should write a column on what the players are doing for the off season.
—The Minnesota Wild, located in the State of Hockey with 5 Division 1 teams, ranks LAST in the league with 3 players who played college hockey.—
And Fritsche just came on board. This statement is too extreme for it to be coincidental. It represents a clear bias against the college ranks and is indicative of a flaw in the Wild scouting system. There is no credible argument for ignoring that much of the development system.
As far as “the plan”, it is about maintaining fan interest which is based on hope for success. If you are not succeeding, you need to be able to explain to the fans why and how you plan to become successful. Fans want to believe and will trust team management given half a reason to do so.
His plan to build around a young core with strength up the middle is legit. But there were so many ways he failed to execute on that plan without communicating why that he was doomed. You can get away without accounting for your decisions when you are successful, but when things head south, you better be front and center presenting your case or its vaya con dios.
Hopefully the next guy will either be a better communicator or a horse’s tush who is god awful successful.
I think most of them are doing rehab.
Hey, maybe they’ll have lots of time to bond while working with the trainer all summer. Lots of team chemistry blooming, no doubt.
–Hey russo! you should write a column on what the players are doing for the off season.–
Like rehabbing. Other than Gaby who will likely be moving. Man, I could see CL hitting the afterburners and going all out to get him back in the fold.
Why would Dudley want to leave Chicago? They’ve got so much young talent that still has several years to go before FA that they can afford to keep them, fill in with key FA’s and make a few legit runs at the SC.
Phew. For a minute there I thought they were talking about Dick Button, the figure skater. He’d be a presence in the locker room.
So sad for CBJs….already down 3-1 before the end of the first period.
Terrible goal by your Calder Cup finalist there on the third goal.
Cal wouldn’t have let that in. 
Here’s something fun to read:
http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/9486540/Teams-not-done-with-personnel-changes
Especiall this part:
Minnesota: Owner Craig Leipold may as well give the GM and coaching jobs to Marian Gaborik. It was at Gaborik’s insistence that he got rid of Doug Risebrough and if Lemaire hadn’t quit, Leipold would have gassed him as well. Now, it looks as if Gaborik will stay, but how much authority will the new coach and GM have if they don’t cater to his whims?
wood: like I’ve been saying, I don’t have a script. I just want to see and hear something genuine. I don’t want more, for lack of a better word, smugness.
Like it or not, I think a big part of how smoothly the next phase of the franchise goes down our throats will be the approach to communication that new management takes.
Obviously Ws cures a lot of angst. But it’s a long time between now and the team’s next chance for a W.
THis is a huge summer for this team. All I’m saying is I want to think that the guy in charge is worth getting behind.
How he does that I don’t care. But I think he needs to do it.
On Craig Button: I think of him like I think of Pierre McGuire — that is, the guy can talk a great game on TV(Button on, “NHL: On The Fly Final”) but give him real problems and real players on a real blood-and-sweat-and-cheese with that whine team, and I’m not sold as to how good he would be.
I on’t think we have to worry about Bergeron — that is, unless he hurts himself cleaning out his car, after all those packing peanuts have finally been extricated.
I am starting to think that the Wild not making the playoffs was a blessing to some of the guys on the team. They were really banged up.
I think you’re right ATX.
It was Belanger with the Mercedes full of packing peanuts. Not that it really matters.
SotB: You are correct, I did mean to say Belanger…how in the world did I get Bergeron out of it?
Bergeron is, of course, the Wild’s answer to ‘Dark Helmet’ from the Mel Brooks’ spoof ‘Spaceballs’…
I was hanging out in my dorm room with this girl to work on a class project. We talked as we worked, started 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, 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.
–Belanger…how in the world did I get Bergeron out of it?–
Francophonics?
—Then she grabbed her stuff and started running.—
This absolutely does not surprise me in the least.
avery - does he have kids? just curious.
None that he claims.
Was there an earthquake in the Ducks/Sharks game?
time for the sharks to rebuild
benitovo….women will never understand the attachment with guys, and their video games…..
you need to find a gamer girl…..they will cry with you about their fond game playing memories…..unfortunately they are hard to find….as evidenced by my streak of bad luck/no luck.
p.s. make sure you hold a proper mourning service for your team….or these crying spells will continue…..
better late then never I say…..
childhood memories come in bizzare places and styles….
life goes on…..but memories last forever….
(image of bruno scoring OT goal against Colorado….)
Reason 1,468 why the NHL is better than the NBA. A #8 seed actually has a legitimate chance at winning a playoff series in the NHL. When the Fowl dispatch of the Minnows in the first round, it will be the 8th time a #8 has bounced a #1. It’s happened just once in a 7-game series in the NBA and only 3 times ever.
Also, has anybody seen Joe Thorton? I’ve been looking for him for the past few games but I can’t seem to locate him. The boxscore from last night reads that somebody by the name of J. Thorton played, but that person finished a -3 with no points. Thru 4 games he’s got 2 assists, 11 shots, is a minus 4 and no penalty minutes. What a playoff turd.
Just to clarify, when the Fowl win the first round, it will be the 8th time…in the past 15 years….that a #8 has kicked a #1 to the curb. Sorry. My Amp has not kicked in yet.
time for the sharks to rebuild
If they want to show a few players the way to MN, I think everyone here would be OK with that.
It’s simply amazing that yet another Sharks’ team, loaded with talent and coming off a great regular season, is about to voted off the playoff island. I’d have to do some diligent research, but it seems over the past 5-7 years, the Guppies have a good to great regular season and then get rolled when it counts. Team lost 5 games at home in regulation all season and when the Fowl beat them again tomorrow night, that will be 3 straight home losses to close their playoff run. Nice.
But, I agree with kj. If the Sharks’ Brass is fed up, I would be happy to take players like Thornton, Seteguchi, Clowe, etc, off their hands and send them some of our “assets”.
They can keep thornton….seteguchi on the other hand…..wouldn’t mind having him on our squad….hooray for snipers!
I won’t call the Sharks dead in the water yet…. But they have to be the biggest playoff chokers in the history of the NHL.
Man, if the Sharks and the Hawks lose there is no one to root for in the West anymore. I will be hoping the East wins the Cup. Go Bruins!… or Caps, or Pens (just to spite Hossa).
You know what the Titanic and the Sharks in the playoffs have in common?
They both look great until they hit the ice.
*snort*
ATX: I am hoping the Dead Wings win the Cup to show what can happen when you build a tradition of winning; when you don’t manage expectations; when you have an organization where top players, I mean top-top players, will take less money to sign with your team in order for a shot at the Cup. Not just Hossa, but remember the Wings took care of Zetterberg by talking to him more than a year before he was a UFA. Depsite the economy, I am a firm believer that he left money on the table in free agency to stay in Detroit. That, to me, is a model organization. Getting players to want to play for your team and to take less money to do so, not some silly trumped up consecutive sold out streak. Here’s hoping CL’s new administration can get us on that path.
Voted off the playoff island perhaps, but they are always welcome on Thunder Island.
AustinTXwildfan says:
April 24th, 2009 at 8:51 am
I won’t call the Sharks dead in the water yet…. But they have to be the biggest playoff chokers in the history of the NHL.
Perhaps they should re-think playing in in an arena which is nicknamed the Shark Tank.
Will Sharks GM Doug Wilson be making his way to St. Paul next week if the Ducks win the series?
This is what makes the run for the Stanley Cup the greatest sporting event in the World. We regularly see 8th seeds and 7th seeds beating 1st and 2nd seeds!
It is all about current form and chemistry on the team that will determine how far you will go in the end. You really need a team built to make the play offs but then excell once you get there.
That said, I would trade almost any Wild asset for Thornton with the exception of Franchise, Backs, Burnzie.
SGS - You might be on to something there…
Sharks need to figure out how to get Thornton’s line off the ice against Getzlaff’s.
I watched Thornton through 1 1/2 periods last night. He constantly got knocked off the puck. He disappears in the playoffs. Why? Who knows.
If the Bs doom is spreading to the AHL, it’s likely any B associated with the organization is at risk. Even if I were Brad Bombadir, I wouldn’t go within a mile of the X.
Thornton was lazy on at least two backchecks that directly lead to goals. I understand how great players are defensively targeted, especially in the playoffs, but Joe’s supposed to be one of those guys is rises above the special attention. Iginla is one of the best examples of a targeted guy who rises above. Joe, though, is a bit of a mystery.
If I’m a Sharks STH, I don’t think I’d even bother sending in the $$$ for my playoff tix. Why would you? President’s Trophy, five regulation losses at home during the season, and then out in the 1st round AGAIN. Well, most-likely out in the 1st round that is. And to the freakin’ Quackers no less. UGH…..
The CHG-CGY series is the one that really has me pumped. There’s some serious old-time playoff hockey goin’ on in that series. Lots of hard hitting, fast skating, and a pretty fair amount of the “see ya next game”-type of stuff goin’ on too, especially during the latter stages of the 3rds. I just hope the NHL doesn’t “clamp down” on it like the TV analysts said they might. Of course, I *think* it might have been PM who said that, so a lot can be explained there. He seems to favor, at least from his many banterments with Milbury, a real “pu**ified” style of play in the NHL. Another good reason not to get him in here with the Wild. Yikes!! We’d have a whole team of PMB’s figure-skating spin-o-ramas at the faceoff dots all season.
“Minnesota: Owner Craig Leipold may as well give the GM and coaching jobs to Marian Gaborik. It was at Gaborik’s insistence that he got rid of Doug Risebrough and if Lemaire hadn’t quit, Leipold would have gassed him as well. Now, it looks as if Gaborik will stay, but how much authority will the new coach and GM have if they don’t cater to his whims?”
Wow…that’s quite a revelation (if it is true). I have kind of wondered this in the back of my mind…thinking maybe Leipold went to Gaborik and said what is it going to take to keep you here and that getting rid of DR and JL might have been his answer. I would love to know if he heard this from inside sources or if it is just speculation. Makes me a little nervous if it is true…
Russo, what are your thoughts on this…
Just remember PMB had 2 goals and 2 assists in his last playoff series in 6 games and 18 shots. He was +1 and had a game-winning goal. If Thornton had done that Sharks would be better off. For that matter if our other forwards had just equalled PMB we would have been in the second series.
I don’t think it takes Russo to determine that statement is crap.
Gaborik doesn’t care who the GM is here, other than if it were Smug, there would be ZERO chance for him to re-sign. Now there is just a slightly better chance.
Food!
Hockeydad, El Gato hails originally from Crystal, next- door neighbor to New Hope. Too funny to see this story eminate from New Hope.
Will Sharks GM Doug Wilson be making his way to St. Paul
Wilson does a worse job at managing expectations than the old administration here. not sure he is what we want.
a real “pu**ified” style of play in the NHL
i guess it is all what you like. do you want a league full of teams that resemble the flyers of the 70’s or of the habs of that decade?
FOOD
I loved reading about CL “catering to the whims” of Gabby on the Fox website. Who is Al Strachan? The Fox website claims he is a ‘noted’ hockey expert. I would sooner get all my hockey related info straight from Hockey Guru Dan than read that ‘noted’ hockey expert. You don’t have to be Michael Russo to figure out that an owner isn’t going to fire his front office for the sole purpose of increasing his chances of signing Gabby from 0% to what, maybe 6%? It’s absurd. It’s a different story if the owner is cleaning house anyway, and he contacts his star player after the firings(because that star player has showm interest he might stick around under different circumstances). But to suggest that Gabby is the reason for Craigs decision just shows that this Strachan guy has no clue. It’s lazy journalism. It’s coming up with an idea in your head and printing it without asking around, checking the facts, etc…etc. All he had to do was make a few calls to people in the know and he would have realised how absurd his idea was. Or maybe sit down for a few minutes and think it through. See if it’s logical. Or you could just throw it out there and show everyone you have no clue what you’re talking about.
