Heatley-Wild trade chatter; Coaching search continues with Laviolette sitdown
Posted on June 10th, 2009 – 9:52 AMBy Michael Russo
That Heatley part got your attention, eh? 
First things first, but there’ll be a Game 7 for the right to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup on Friday in Detroit. Great game last night, and what an ending. Detroit’s net is empty for about 1:20, and Detroit wins three draws. Is there anybody in the league who protects the puck better than Pavel Datsyuk, by the way?
Apparently the Wings don’t care that the Wild’s currently conducting a coaching search. Otherwise, they would have gotten it done last night, right?
It appears all but certain that Chuck Fletcher at least wants to interview Wings assistant Paul MacLean, and maybe even Brad McCrimmon, so by the series continuing, it delays the interview(s) to this weekend at the earliest.
Fletcher attended last night’s game and is scheduled back in his St. Paul office today. In fact, he’s been hopping around the last couple days working on the coaching search. Peter Laviolette’s been MIA since originally being quoted in the Strib, so that often means you can bet your last dollar they’ve met within the last couple days.
And that is what I’ve been told by myriad sources. As I’ve written on here in the past, of all the former NHL coaches, Laviolette makes the most sense. Well respected, won a Cup, coaches a very aggressive system in which it’s all about attacking with the puck.
One name I’ve heard in the last couple days is former Bruins coach Mike Sullivan, who’s been given permission by Lightning boss Brian Lawton to seek a head coaching job. Not sure completely if he’s talked to Fletcher, however, although he was on the original Fletcher “list.”
Technically, Sullivan’s still a Lightning assistant. He’s known as a details guy and was loved by John Tortorella when he coached there.
But from everything I hear, this is between Todd Richards, Peter Laviolette and eventually Paul MacLean. I don’t know exactly where Craig MacTavish sits right now.
As for Heatley, there seems to be a perception out there that if the Wild loses Marian Gaborik, it can just go out and acquire $7.5 million players.
It’s a lot more complex than that, especially since it’s unknown where the salary cap will dip to in the next two or three years and because the team spent $6 million a year on Niklas Backstrom. That $4.08 million salary cap hit for Pierre-Marc Bouchard the next four years tightens things up as well.
Yes, the Wild could take Heatley’s $7.5 million cap hit the next five years, but it would affect any flexibility or ability to plug other holes, like center and defenseman though the end of his contract. And remember, Mikko Koivu’s a UFA after two seasons and Brent Burns after three seasons. It’s imperative in today’s day and age to think that far ahead.
With that said, however, I am sure Chuck Fletcher will investigate what Ottawa GM Bryan Murray would want in a package if — and I repeat, if — he moves Heatley, who’s top-three in goals per game the last several years along with Kovalchuk and Ovechkin.
He’s a true superstar, and if you want to make a splash as a first-year GM, well, Heatley would be more like a tidal wave.
And remember, Fletcher and Murray are very close. Fletcher was his assistant GM for seven of Fletcher’s nine years in Florida, and then Murray brought Fletcher to Anaheim after Rick Dudley was hired in Florida. (Incidentally, I hear Dudley will soon be leaving Chicago as assistant GM for another top job in the league).
I’ve talked to a number of people the last day on this Heatley situation, and it’s certainly not guaranteed that Murray’s just going to move Heatley because he is asking off the second team in his career (Atlanta being the first). Plus, Heatley’s got to approve any trade, so it’s not guaranteed he’d come to Minny even if Fletcher worked out a deal.
Also, it’s not guaranteed the Wild has the pieces to get Heatley. Murray would want a ton for Heatley, and lets be honest, the Wild’s not moving Koivu or Burns. So right there, that could take them out of it. Any deal would probably have to include Tyler Cuma and a first, plus a top position player.
Murray has long been interested in Kim Johnsson, but Johnsson’s in the last year of his deal at a $4.85 million cap hit, so that probably won’t work. Neither would goalie Josh Harding anymore either since Murray dealt Antoine Vermette to Columbus for Pascal Leclaire at the trade deadline.
Either way, you can bet Fletcher will make the call and see if he can dive into the trade talks. But again, this would be a complex deal because you have to find the right fits for a trade and then decide if it’s worth potentially creating other holes and/or putting yourself in a position where you can’t fill holes that are already there.
As for Gaborik, I’m told Fletcher and agent Ron Salcer won’t talk again until after a coach is hired. Fletcher feels it important that Gaborik knows who’s coaching the team and what direction they’ll be going in. And regardless, Salcer’s currently vacationing with his family in Israel, so he won’t be back until later next week anyway.
OK, that’s it from here. I’ll be on KFAN from 11-11:30 today.
253 Responses to "Heatley-Wild trade chatter; Coaching search continues with Laviolette sitdown"
Complicated doesn’t begin to describe it. Still, it’s nice to see a GM who has the stones to pull a deal that will have a real impact on the team. Thanks for the update!
Lots of stuff there. Thanks, Russo. While I love the idea of game 7, I too thought that it just delays any Wild news.
I just don’t see Heatley coming to the Wild. I am sure that Fletcher will look into it, but I think that trade would leave the Wild rather thin and with little money to make further additions.
Once again we see how much Smug’s ineptitude has screwed the Wild down the road. With him waiting so long to sign Backs and then signing him for the amount he did, coupled with the 4M+ that we’re overpaying the Figure Skating Midget, we are strapped as far as going after guys like Heatley down the road. Thanks Smug….you and Sid deserve each other!!!
Stoned…. I agree with your comments on the last entry. Even though I would thoroughly enjoy seeing the Cup get presented on Friday after Game 7, if it ends up being PIT I may have to turn away from the tube or head for the John. I just can’t stomach the idea of Matt Cooke being able to hoist the Holy Grail of hockey. Not with him being the piece of trash that he is. Not to mention, can you imagine how out-of-control PM will be if his boy Sid the Kid wins the Cup. I’m sure the barf-o-meter will be off the scale for anyone trying to watch it on TV.
I’m putting my vote, not that it counts for s**t though, in for a 76-78 game regular season sometime in the future so that we can get hockey over with by the end of May at least. My goodness, the Cup won’t be awarded until June 12th!! Sheesh…..
Either way, you can bet Fletcher will make the call and see if he can dive into the trade talks.
But if he spends all his time on the phone, when will he have time to Manage Expectations™? 
outstanding stuff, Russo…thanks!
regardless, Salcer’s currently vacationing with his family in Israel,
wow…all the flights to Kabul and Pyongyang were sold out?
SGS beat me to it.
If a deal for Heatly doesn’t work out will we have to suffer through Excuse Grabbing™?
I know, I know.
But, is there a better target to rip on than Smug?
That $4.08 million salary cap hit for Pierre-Marc Bouchard the next four years tightens things up as well.
seriously, how DR gets beat up for the Johnsson contract - as a UFA, no less -but not nearly as much for the Bouchard contract is beyond me. No possible way to justify paying Butch more than Koivu.
NiNY: You forgot Tehran, Baghdad and Mogadishu in that list. 
Don’t count out MacLean, folks. Of all the candidates he’s definitely the dark horse, but he’s in the mix. After all, that Detroit pedigree counts for something!
IMO: I’ll believe Heatley here when I see it, and not until then. (And no, Bryan Murray cannot throw Filip Kuba in as part of this deal.)
I guess Ronnie Jr. struggled a bit in school this year, eh?
Ron: Well, son, we can take a family vacation this summer, sure.
Ronnie Jr.: Sweet dad! Can we go on an African safari? Or to Australia?
Ron: Easy there, champ….let’s just see how you do on your marks in school this year, and let that determine where we go….
Fletcher feels it important that Gaborik knows who’s coaching the team and what direction they’ll be going in.
This statement shows exactly why I like Chucky already. This guys just has been the complete bizarro-DR. Giving well thought out answers, using phrases like “I will have to respectfully decline to comment on negotiation talks at this time.”, and attempting to understand players instead of telling them how they need to think.
If anyone is going to be able to strike a deal with Gaby to stay in MN, I think it will be Chuck. Now, if that’s a good or a bad thing won’t be know until the end of next season and we get to see Gaby’s performance and health in hindsight, regardless of where he ends up. But for the Gaby enthusiast, you have to like your odds better now, even with being this close to July 1st.
[…] Russo’s Rants – […]
I still think Ottawa will demand a king’s ransom for Heatley
No possible way to justify paying Butch more than Koivu.
I love the FSM and I will defend him on most points, but this is a very true statement.
By the way, I can’t help but feel encouraged by the fact that we may end up with a GM from an organization who has been in the Stanley Cup Finals the last 2 years AND a head coach from another team who has been in the Stanley Cup Finals the last two years.
Gun, I am with you on that. But, I am tempering my expectations quite a bit because I afrarid that none of that will actually translate to W’s.
But, is there a better target to rip on than Smug?
I was thinking we needed to establish a moratorium or at least I was planning to do it for myself but as others have pointed out, with the overpayments to Backs and PMB as well as the missing picks in the coming draft, Smug’s candle burned out long before his impact ever will.
Does anyone remember the Minnesota - Philly trade that was supposed to be Mike Richards for Pierre-Marc Bouchard? Did that really almost happen or was it just an Eklund type rumor?
Gunslinger: Fletch seems at first glance to be the anti-DR, indeed. He handles everything the opposite way that DR did, and that usually means in a more respectful, more direct, more ‘player-friendly’ matter.
He is, indeed, managing expectations …by expanding them.
Gunslinger, I completely agree.
Oh, of course, that was ‘manner’, not ‘matter’…
Hopefully Panthers’ fans in South Florida are reading our Smug comments…and are starting to cringe…
I think there’s bad karma following Heatley around. That just my opinion (which like Geno says doesn’t mean s**t).
With Fletcher wanting to make a splash. Does anybody believe that he’ll make any effot to go after Cammalari, Saku, or Kovalchuk? Who’s a better fit? What does everybody think?
Great segment on KFAN by the Don.
I agree that the Sens will ask for the moon for Danny as they should. The ten cent question is will they get it. I find it a bit strange how every other team can demand huge return for their players and the wild never can. The Wild was never offered enough to trade Gaby but would have to over pay to get a player like Heatly.
I think if he wanted we could get both Cammalari and Saku. I don’t know what price Camm will get, but I don’t think we’d offer Saku more than 3-4 mil per season, which would definately allow for them both. But then again, there are many holes to fill with that 12 million we have…
The Wild was never offered enough to trade Gaby but would have to over pay to get a player like Heatly.
Well, trading Gaby on the last year of his contact (while ripe with injuries) is also a little different than Heatly with 4 or 5 years left on contract.
BDS,
Because the Wild has never had a player of significant value available for trade until Marian Gaborik. Which Doug Risebrough butchered like a caveman performing open heart surgery.
No possible way to justify paying Butch more than Koivu
but if Koivu is underpaid, does that mean everyone else should be as well?
i’m not using this to justify FSM salary but I’m not sure using Koivu’s salary as a measuring stick is fair.
hopefully FSM is able to change our opinions of him this upcoming season.
Max value for Gabby would have been before then end of the ‘06 - ‘07 season. In his final contract year, the next high point would have been at this past trade deadline. He hadn’t returned from the surgery yet, so his value would have been low as a rental. At the beginning of this last season, Gabby had had off season surgery and missed most of preseason… and it seemed most every team felt that Gabby wanted that UFA anyway.
Heatley and Gabby situations are apples and oranges.
Who in the heck vacations in Isreal???
Even coming off sugery he would have had trade value on draft day of 2008. Should have been able to land a top prospect and 1st rounder. Instead we will get nothing.
Many people vacation in Israel. How ignorant are we on this site of anything that happens outside hockey. As to previous comments I think we could get Saku and Cammalleri and that would solve some real issues. Wouldn’t make us a Cup contender but would certainly help the offense. Butch needs someone to work with and then I think he can be productive.
i’m not using this to justify FSM salary but I’m not sure using Koivu’s salary as a measuring stick is fair.
Especially since Koivu’s contract is older than Butch’s. If both players were to sign a new contract on the same day, I suspect that Koivu would have been offered a bit more than PMB.
I don’t know, wood, I think we’ve proven to be pretty well informed about some non-hockey things. Booze, electronics, Russo keeps talking about the Panthers and they’re pretty much “outside of hockey.”
Nick in New York, 2009 is the year of the potato at the Minnesota State Fair.
I up with the booze conversations–get lost in the techie ones. Maybe foreign travel is not our strong point.
That would be “I’m up” and yes the Panthers pretty much are outside of hockey.
Many people vacation in Israel. How ignorant are we on this site of anything that happens outside hockey
I don’t know anyone that has vacationed in israel.
G*, So I guess that means no one goes, eh?
Also, what the heck were the Canadiens doing with their head coach pick?
No way, lucky, not in this market especially given no promise that Gabby would actually be effective. He put that question to rest very quickly, but also after the trade deadline.
With cap space an issue going forward, teams weren’t stepping up with high draft picks and top prospects. That is why this past deadline was relatively quiet.
G* a lot of people travel to Israel each year. What with it being the Holy Land and all, groups go there all the time. My Jewish friends and relatives travel to Israel with their families quite often.
Cap space issues are going to affect this market as teams will be worried about the year after this coming year. Interesting to see how that plays out after July 1.
Many people vacation in Israel.
I know one dude that has been there a few times… I think it was for study/school type stuff though.
So I guess that means no one goes, eh?
didn’t say that, did i, eh?
Jake hit the nail on the head I think. Though there’s another nail to be struck what with that Jesus dude being from around there and all… So, I’d guess quite a number of tourists go to Isreal for religious reasons.
But G*, then what was the point of the comment then, eh?
heh. Salcer in Israel. Heh. *holds back*
Forgive me for being late to the party and this may have been said before but what do you guys think of a Backstrom and Johnnson for Heatly deal? We would be unloading over 10 mil in salary and getting 7.5 back. I know this would never happen but fun to think…
I’ve only ever known religious type folks to go to Israel. Not a place I’m willing to chuck any of my limited vacation days, though I’m sure it would be an incredible trip. A vacation sounds really nice. *sigh* At best I’m looking at a few days in Kansas City. Wee.
On the plus side, I learned how to control the spray on my lawn sprinkler today, so I’m feeling very accomplished.
Coach yet?
Oh, and POTD:
Booze, electronics, Russo keeps talking about the Panthers and they’re pretty much “outside of hockey.”
–How ignorant are we on this site of anything that happens outside hockey.—
Speak for yourself.
Nothing like a few months on a kibbutz in Israel to get your head straight.
Jonsey, 3-4 mil for Saku?!? Not after the presidence was set for FSM. Not saying Saku’s not p’bly worth that - but, I doubt we’d be able to sign him, after a lesser player signed for that.
Whether they signed at different times or not, I sure Mikko was going “hey, I like the guy…but wtf?! what am I chopped liver?”
The market is different each year. With the concerns about the cap I think Saku will take whatever the market will bear and that will be unaffected by contracts offered by the team two years ago.
Pull a T’wolves and dump both Backstrom and PMB. Backs is excellent, but at 6M a year, we could get a couple good forwards for that. PMB is worthless.
ms.c - don’t knock the KC trip! Me and the fam are headed there the end of the month for a few Twins games and the KC Zoo (my kid loves elephants!).
Some of the player references in these comments are just getting way too cryptic for me. Who the F is FSM?
Geno says:
June 10th, 2009 at 10:37 am
Once again we see how much Smug’s ineptitude has screwed the Wild down the road. With him waiting so long to sign Backs and then signing him for the amount he did, coupled with the 4M+ that we’re overpaying the Figure Skating Midget,
Referring to PMB…
I know we’re kinda kiddin’ around and I’ve never been, but as a lawyer with a lot of Jewish buddies, I hear that Israel has beautiful sea side vacation spots. All of which are comfortably safe from the usual ltrouble spots. Not to mention, Americans routinely make the trek to the holy sights without problem. Not like the Salcers would be staying at the Gaza Mariott.
Ah, Figure Skating Midget… I didn’t see that one.
I just remembered seeing FSM a couple of days ago and again today, and I couldn’t place it.
Figure Skating Midget is pretty funny though. I think Butch will do fine if he’s paired with a finisher. He may be one dimensional, but I liked his game during most of the second half the year.
“Smug’s candle burned out long before his impact ever will.”
True dat.
Not to be a smart a$$ but who is the finisher going to be? He had mediocre chemistry with everyone on the current roster.
“Who in the heck vacations in Isreal???”
Jews
woodcock - I know, I know, …I’m just saying…I’m not an anti-PMB guy (although I do think the FSM comment is just plain hi-larious), but his agent definately sold a fridge to an eskimo regardless of how tight the market was that year, imho.
If your looking to give out a package look to Atlanta, they know they can’t keep Ilya. After watching the Wild fiasco with Gabby they better take notes and not let him on the ice untill signed or gone. Plus you need a win win for a trade to happen. I can see Atlanta wanting a few players and the Wild getting a top tier player.
I’m not saying his (PMB’s) contract is right but he can be a contributor with the right guy. He was a contributor in 07-08 and had a solid playoff series. And Saku is going to be confronted with the realities of the FA market summer of 09 where a somewhat aging veteran who is a solid #2 center is just not going to draw a big contract.
“I don’t know exactly where Craig MacTavish sits right now.”
The toilet.
I am not too eager for MacT. The others look better to me.
could not agree with you more, Woody, however I would add that I personally would love to see Saku here (aging #2 center or not); he’s underated in my book, as is Mikko, and Clutterbuck.
Burnsie, PMB, SKOOOLA-LA…slightly overated, overated, and waaaaaaaaaaay overated.
Murray!!!!Please take Johnsson and we will throw in 100 gift card to Best Buy and Skoula. Hell will give you Veipoo,gillies,belanger,bouchard also.
Many people vacation in Israel. How ignorant are we on this site of anything that happens outside hockey
I don’t know anyone that has vacationed in israel.
I’ve vacationed there but I was in the service at the time, doing a tour in the Sinai.
Ms. C: Remember, when you’re in Kansas City…
…it’s a dry heat.
I’m sure many people vacation in Israel. But most of them also live there full-time, and know how to shoot a gun (mandatory two-year military hitch). Why Salcer would take his family there, unless it’s a religious tour, is beyond me.
Please, no Kuba in trade takes with Ottawa. Please. No.
Lot’s of history in Israel. It’s a pretty cool place (beautiful beaches),sans the violence.
I don’t know how anyone here can say PMB is overrated… 95% of the folks on here whine and moan about him on a daily basis. Even when he has a good game people are reluctant to give him credit. Personally I love the guy and I think he is fun to watch. Do I think he is worth the price DR paid? Probably not… But I definitely like having him on the team.
And Skoula being “waaaaaaaaay overrated”?? jseski, are you new here??
how can skoula be considered overrated?
he gets bashed on a daily baisis…..often being compaired to a goat…..and I belive one of our regulars has called him the reason the terrorists are trying to kill us…
Only in the last year has he been called a good defensiveman (when he actually became a solid defensiveman)
forgot about Pascal in ottowa…..but then again, who would you rather have in net…..pascal, or harding…..
I’d take my chances with harding thank you. remember….kimmy’s contract and bela’s contract run out after this season….and that money will be added to Mikko’s bank account. I see a 6-7 year contract for 6 mil to koivu, and a c sewn to his chest….
saku will get 2.5-3 mil, probobly a 2 year…..but I wouldn’t mind a 4 year…live out his nhl days riding on his brother’s bus. Isn’t heatly a wisconsin boy? I know he went to wisconsin for college. Im sure he wouldn’t mind going home (close to it at least) to be a star (unless he has a minnesota complex…..)
ATX: Over the three years of his most recent contract, Skoula is indeed ‘waaaaaaaay over-rated’ due to his lack of defensive focus, and his uncanny ability to have pucks he comes in contact with wind up in his own net.
Yes, it’s JMO, but don’t be hatin’ on jseski for Skoula. Martin did it to himself without any help from any of us fans. Last year was the exception, not the rule, for Skoula. We only wish that Skoula had played like last season in the previous two…
Let’s see: Israel, the center of worship for 3 major religions… Maybe not the same idea of vacation as sitting in a boat holding onto a stick all day or in a tree stand freezin your tail off… To each his own.
The Wild don’t have enough to viably get Heatley, and need more than one player to sustain a cup run. Even with a healthy Gaborik this last year, they wouldn’t have gotten past the Red Wings/Penguins tier. I’d rather see Fletch & Co target perennial cup runs for 2011+ than “go all in” for the inaugural showing of 2009/10…
WRT, I think it is more than a contract that makes a player overrated. To me, an overrated player is a player that everyone thinks is amazing but really he is just average or below average. Being overrated has everything to do with ‘perception’ and nothing to do with his contract compared to his actual play.
Last time I checked Skoula was the resident scapegoat, as argon pointed out.
certainly you do need more than one player to get the cup…..but having one is better than none!
the wild don’t have much…..but the question is what is heatley worth….and when will the next player as good as him come along….I say if he is readily available, and we have the means go after him….
it is easier to get complementary parts than superior parts….if we can get him for butch/shep/and a medium skilled prospect we should jump all over it.
If it would cost us Burns/Harding/Clutterbuck/Butch….we pass…..(anything including koivu/burns/shultz/clutter = instant rejection)
Pfft. Heat? Please. Their high is 77 today. I think it’s 143 here.
who knows what the heatley bidding wars turn out to be….
remember louongo was traded for bertuzzi’s corpse, and a couple prospects and a couple picks…..
you’ll never know what will happen, until it happens
(I think yogi berra may have said that….but who knows!)
but it’s dry heat ms. c!
I dont know that we would be that quick to pass on Burns/Hards/Buttercup/Butch. Hards is better than Backstrom, but he is virtually useless to us now unfortunately, Butch flat out sucks, who knows about Burns after the injury, and will Buttercup have a never ending Sophomore slump? It’s all a gamble so don’t be too quick to pass that up. Koivu/Burns/Shultz/Buttercup didn’t even need to be said, Fletcher would be hunted down if that trade happened.
As one of the long-time leaders of the anti-Skoula ‘movement’, I think I know from whence I speak. Skoula was worth nowhere near what he was paid, except for portions of last season. If he had been just an average defenseman the previous two seasons (’06-07 and ‘07-08) he would be acceptd by most Wild fans. But, he wasn’t, and he isn’t to this day. He single-handedly cost the Wild the NW Division title in ‘06-07, and in ‘07-08 single-handedly nearly wiped out Gaborik’s 5-goal night vs. the NY Rangers. It took a near-insurrection by the fans at the ‘X’ (as witnessed by Russo) to get JL to have Skoula get intimate…with the press box popcorn machine.
(You thought I was going to say something else?)
Skoula sucks. Have a nice life, Martin…away from here, please!
Wild Road Tripper, thank you. Yes, contract & the media give Skoolie-Q far more cred than he deserves. I know he gets bashed on the boards, but theres always someone defending him (no doubt reiterating everything he heard on FSN, wild.com, or strib/ppress articles).
Scapegoat, yes; but he still gets positive press (in addition to a contract that wasn’t deserved & hasn’t in time earned) - and in my book that still = overated.
Other than someone saying he’s a nice guy & fun to hang out with (which I have heard is the case), he’s not a good NHL player imo. (although, he’d waste me if I ever had to play against him…I suck, and I have the fan base to prove it! )
My point on Saku was not that I don’t want him–I do. Just that saying that he won’t sign if he gets an offer lower than Butch’s contract is incorrect. He will have to weigh the market but I think he would be a solid addition and I think since the market will be lower this year he will sign for less than Butch is making. The Skoula debate is old. He was quite solid last year and a real bargain for his contract and even the two years before he was never as bad the bloggers on here made him out to be. As Muir pointed out in SI he was one of the real NHL bargains last year. At the right price he is definitely worth keeping.
jseski, I saw almost all of the Wild games so my opinion is my own not just something that gets echoed on these blogs. The criticism of Skoula has been ridiculous. He is a solid second pairing defensive D.
Woodcock: You and I will just have to agree to disagree on Martin S., as you want to keep him and I want to send in the moving van.
All: Dallas Stars fire Dave Tippett after six seasons, want to replace him with Marc Crawford (ex-Vancouver & LA Kings coach).
I don’t care what’s going on in Kansas City, the weather is bound to be more pleasant than in Houston this time of year.
Also, I hear everything is up to date, so that will be nice.
the shultz/koivu/burns/clutterbuck grouping was our untouchables….I was saying any of the 4 in a trade offer would be rejected…..burns had a very unlucky year, so he is due for some luck……I wouldn’t worry about him too much!
stars fire tippet…..another candidate?
not happening says this uninformed blog troller!
Wooddick -
You are right. Skoula is a solid second pairing defensive D…….in the AHL. Only there will you find hockey players trying to play soccer on ice. Well there and parts of Europe.
If he had been just an average defenseman the previous two seasons (’06-07 and ‘07-08) he would be acceptd by most Wild fans. But, he wasn’t, and he isn’t to this day.
That is the very OPPOSITE of overrated.
I dont know that we would be that quick to pass on Burns/Hards/Buttercup/Butch.
You are insane. That is a ton to give up. One person does not a team make. Heater may be good… but he wouldn’t be able to do it all on his own. You want to get rid of our best passer (PMB), our best checker (Cluts), and our best offensive-ish D-Man (Burns)… that is pure insanity.
On that note… I gotta run.
Ms. C: Be careful in KC. There are neighborhoods you don’t want to wind up in. Like, the entire city. (Just kidding!)
Seriously, KC can get some nasty storms there in the late afternoons (and it can get really humid there…probably make you homesick humid, if you know what I mean).
As long as you’re up that far…why just keep coming up another 350 miles or so to our neck of the woods? Nordy will be out and about in two weeks on the Wild Road Tour, and it will be happy to do ’stick and puck’ with you.
Tar Tar, you watched any hockey this year or just echoing what some say on this blog?
I am wondering if anyone else has encountered this (I have a few times during the hockey season), last night’s hockey game was almost unwatchable for me because the ice looked so “washed out.” I couldn’t see any of the lettering on the ice and the players get lost in the wash out. There were no problems with any of the other channels, it had to do with the broadcast of that game.
I have a newer LCD TV, have direct TV, but do not have HD. I am wondering if it looks washed out because it is being broadcast in HD but I don’t subscribe to the service?
Woodcock -
Every single game…..how about you? Have you seen the look on Skoula’s face after he scores a goal? You have to pay attention it happens once, maybe twice a year. He is as shocked when he scores as he is when he hits someone. It is the blind squirrel theory, he was bound to find a nut eventually. He can’t pass or hit, he is rarely in position. How does this make him a solid D? Just because he uses a long stick to deflect passes does not mean he is solid.
Maybe I’m setting myself up for ridicule here, but I didn’t think Skoula was all that bad this past season. That’s not to say I thought he was particularly good either, but I surely noticed him less and isn’t that a good thing as far as he is concerned?
AutsinTX -
I am not trying to justify that trade by any means, but you can’t automatically say no to a trade just because. Your right that butch is our top passer, but who in the heck is he going to pass to? We have one and a half that can finish, Koivu and Gabby for half the year. At some point we need someone that can finish and I would be willing to give up a spark plug, an assist man who gets bullied every game and isn’t tough, and again Hards is unfortunate, but your right Burns is tough to let go…as long as the new coach doesn’t pull a lemaire and put him at wing.
Puck, I noticed the same thing. CBC’s broadcast was much better than NBC’s.
Wallshot -
Everyone has said that and it is true, he was better this year, but it is all relative. He was better than terrible which puts him at what now? Below average? Way too much $$ for someone below average.
Glad to see that I am not the only one. Like I said, it was almost unwatchable. I don’t get it
Puck -
It is because you’re watching HD in SD. I watched half the game in the living room in HD and half in the garage in SD and it was night and day. Almost unwatchable after HD, but great game so had to gut it out.
Tippett out in Dallas
Francois Allaire follows Burkie to TO…no soup for Giggy.
What will Giggy do now? Will he be traded to TO? And what do the Leafs have to give in return?
You almost want the SCF to end so that the trading can begin…it can begin 48 hours after the Cup is awarded…
Woody, I will admit that even I started to rethink my “skoulasucks” mentality; but then I realized it was primarily based on him not sucking his usual suckiness & being adequate at best. and then I thought of all the other second-pairing Dman from around the league I’d rather have…& the list was staggering.
enough, about skoula - I respect the opinions of those that like him, I’m ok to let Lemaire take him with him wherever he ends up.
As for PMB - I do really like the guy, I just think we’re paying him too much.
As for the race for the coaches whistle - from what I’ve seen in the past, I like Laviolette. But, I’d be perfectly fine with most of the candidates mentioned.
HD Hockey + Fat Tire = Heaven
Every single game…..how about you
I have watched Wild hockey since I was 3 years old.
Funny fact of the day - When Martin Skoula was still a prospect of the Colorado Avalanche their fans compared his game to Nik Lidstrom and even called him the next Lidstrom.
Guess prospects don’t always turn out the way you expect but on the flip side some turn out better then you could ever dream
It really hurt to do this but after Tar Tar’s assesment of Skuba I actually feel compelled to defend the gentle Czech.
I know WRT always will be his biggest critic and to him it doesn’t matter if Martin turns in to the next comming of Russo’s BFF he will never change his opinion.
Tar Tar - What game have you been watching? Skoula was one of the best players for his salary on the Wild last year. What do you expect to pay for a 2nd or 3rd line D these days and please give me the name of some players in the same price range that are better?
Secondly - Hards better then Backs? Whatever you are somking please bring some over.
jseski — I think that’s the thing about PMB. I don’t think he’s overrated, as very few people (outside me and Mr. ATX) rate him very highly. I would tend to agree that he is overpaid (which is in my mind completely distinct from overrated).
harding is flashier than backstrom, makes more spectacular saves, but backstroms positioning is phenomenal, and he is a rock back there…..hey may be worth a touch less then his contract, but not much.
Harding needs to become a no. 1 goalie now…..and grow into it. If we hadn’t found backstrom, he would be playing this year, and probobly last year too.
the question is, which team wants a good goalie….backstrom would get more in a trade, but has a no trade clause.
so harding will be traded….I wish him luck, hopefully we can get a good young player for him.
BDS–On the money. He is not an offensive D but he blocked shots, got the puck away from guys in the corner and generally played solidly. He is not Lidstrom nor is he an all-star D but he was a good 2d pairing D and a bargain at his price. And, no he doesn’t make thundering hits but then many effective D don’t either and some make them to their team’s detriment ala Hill or the Pens D who gave up a 2 on 1 to make a hit in the corner last night. And yes Tar Tar, I can’t imagine what games you were watching last year.
A moratorium on Smug bashing is hard to do because of the lasting effect of what he did as GM. However, a moratorium on Skoula bashing should go into effect on July 1 when he is no longer on the team. Some of the consternation here about a large, non-physical d-man that does not score and is a pending free agent is scary.
Heatley? So funny once I read on TSN Monday that he wanted out of Ottowa I texted a buddy and said “Bouchard & Sheppard to Ott. for Heater”
6GS: I’ll stop bashing Skoula when Martin stops getting paid by the Minnesota Wild. Not one day prior. I don’t hate him as a person, just as an over-rated hockey player. Skoula is not a ‘top 4′ defenseman, and should have never been counted on to be that. He can’t pull it off. His game is just not suited for that of a top four defenseman.
BDS: If Skoula becomes Russo’s BFF, I’ll feel sorry for poor Michael…
NiNY: help plz. POTD?
Heatley is Canadien. He’s not from Wisconsin. I think he only played his freshman year at Wisco. Minnesota would not be like coming ‘home’ to Dany. Let’s simplify this folks; The Wild are more than one star player away from contending for a title, especially if we give up Mikko, Burns and/or first round picks. As a responsible GM you go after big name players when they cost you nothing but salary, when they are FA’s. You ONLY trade for a Heatley when you have expendable young talent to trade and you are close to cup contention. We are neither of these. So unless Murray starts consulting with Garth Snow….or Smug, or Sid, the Wild have a slim to none chance of acquiring Dany. And Slim was just seen leaving town in the back of Lemaires rented UHaul.
WRT: it could be a Shakespeare bff, a comedy or a bloody mess.
Every single game…..how about you
Gunslinger:I have watched Wild hockey since I was 3 years old.
I took you for much older than that, Slinger! Good luck next year in the Seventh grade. It’s really not that much harder than the sixth.
Green* = en fuego
Thanks for the ‘washed out’ info. I was wondering if it was the 70’s catching up with me.
6GS: I’ll stop bashing Skoula when Martin stops getting paid by the Minnesota Wild.
Deal and I am not saying you are wrong about Skoula, I am just worried about your well being
You’ll know it when you hear it right her, 6GS…
kj: The 70’s were very, very good…to you.
RET: Play on words on Sheppards quote.
Thought everyone would get that.
So I feel compelled to defend Backs and his contract to those speaking about how much less we could have signed him for.
Backs - $6M
Kipper - $5.83M
Nabakov - $5.375M
Ward - $2.67M - 2yrs from RFA and will command much more
Lundqvist - $6.75M
Tim Thomas - $5M
MAF - $5M
Ryan Miller - $6.25M
‘Bulin Wall - $6.75M
Huet - $5.625M
Luongo - $6.75M
Brodeur - $5M
Giggy - $6M
*Note - those with cheaper contracts are expiring soon, with the exception of Tim Thomas.
Using the above #s, how can one make the argument we overpaid ‘Backs? He’s easily one of the top 5 goalies in the league and was paid as such.
What were those of you saying we “overpaid” him thinking his salary should be? $5.5M? $5.75M? $4M? Get over it. It was a good and fair contract for both sides. Done deal.
—Martin did it to himself without any help from any of us fans. Last year was the exception, not the rule, for Skoula.—
You Skoula haters have a bad case of cranio-recto inversion. The guy has played more games since he came into the league than any other d-man. Their is not one, repeat not one d-man in the league who doesn’t commit a comedy reel gaffe periodically. Heck, I saw Lidstrom cough it up badly twice in a recent SC finals game. And Ericsson’s failed pinch last night cost the Wings the game.
Bashing guys around in front of the net is not the way the regular season game is now played. He has a talent and technique for going into the corners and boxing out the checking forward that a lot of you high buck STH’s just don’t seem to get.
The guy logged a couple thousand minutes this past season and had how many penalties? 5 minors! And that’s not because he isn’t mixing it up. He has notched as many as 10 goals and 30+ points in a season earlier in his career and was a solid contributor on a SC winner. With the Wild, he did exactly what JL asked of him as consistently as anyone else on the team.
You folks are relying on your imagination for facts.
If anyone wants to understand why Salcer is in Israel, goog his dad, William Salcer.
Best to all.
It’s been reported on ESPN and FSN that Dallas has fired Dave Tippett today. I say the Wild should go after him.
He’s a great coach, but faced a tough season this year. The Stars were plagued by so many injuries this year, which is the main reason they struggled this year. I think he’d make a great fit with the Wild
In my Happy Place..Scoring Line 1..Gabby, Heater, and Franchise.
I second the HD HOCKEY AND FAT TIRE!!!
The Wild should go after Tippett. He is a class act, knows the Western Conference and got dumped for no reason, or because the new GM just wanted to make a change. He is underrated and would be far better for our situation than a brand new coach, and is just as good, if not better than, Laviolette. We need a solid, knowledgeable coach who stresses defense but also wants to put the puck in the net and he is one.
The Twins just drafted two MN players in the draft. Why can’t the Wild do that?
I just can’t believe I have to raise my children in a world where the local professional hockey team doesn’t have any MN players. The hundreds of thousands of casual fans won’t be attending games this year because of it, that’s for sure.
causalobserver, aka mr. satire, signing out.
SoTB, Thanks for the rationality. It is much appreciated–and sometimes in short supply.
Wrd Mtn., Thanks that was a heckuva story.
on the heatley thing….I also agree that giving up koivu/burns or any of those two for him would be way too much…..not going to happen…..
meerly stating that if the price is two of the following: Shepard/Butch/Harding, then I like that trade…..all 3, they had better throw in either a solid third line winger, or a couple good prospects for houston.
on the twins….they have like 50 rounds to work with, you can make a minnesota pick in there…..Not as many in hockey, and most of the good MN players are gone before we draft.
didn’t know heatley was canadian…..just knew he was at wisconsin. That is why I said I wasn’t sure….because I wasn’t
casualobserver is completley insane….
If you aren’t watching the team because there isn’t anyone from the home town, you are watching for the wrong reasons.
Get off your high horse CO….no one cares about where they come from except you and MKiA…..and please don’t be such a drama queen….I’m sure your children won’t mind the lack of a Minnesota players…..where you come from doesn’t matter…..only what you do when your there.
Thoughs of the day…
As Russo pointed out, this is the second team that Heatley has quit on. Not the sort of player you want to invest a lot in acquiring.
Bouchard and Backsrom are appropriately paid. They were pending UFAs and they were paid right in the ball park of what a Vezina finalist and 50-60 pt UFA are paid now a days.
Skoula’s cap number of 1.8M was a little high for him given that he ended up a 4-5 defenseman. But not by that much.
The current NHL doesn’t allow defencemen to spend their free time trying to pulverize the lower spine of anyone parked just outside their goalie’s crease. The era of the ‘physical’ defenseman (e.g. big, slow, and carries a heavy stick) has passed for now.
ha……reacted too soon!
sarcasim is a hard thing to pull out of written text……
Sometimes, you just don’t know. The Salcer file is very interesting, to say the least. Why is this guy a player agent? He could be doing so much more.
Thanks for pointing it out, Ward Mtn.
SotB: Skoula will be gone in 3 weeks; then I’ll be happy about Skoula’s career.
But we will miss him WRT. But if I were Skoula no way I would sign here. Not with this fan base.
wood: Thanks.
“The era of the ‘physical’ defenseman (e.g. big, slow, and carries a heavy stick) has passed for now.”
In that case, that piece of Edina trash will have to stay in the AHL getting messed up by real tough guys. Sounds good to me.
Skoula seems like Teflon — insults seem to bounce off him.
$1.8 million for a 17 to 18 minute cruncher and who played as a Top 4 — just paid about right unless you are saying that Zids and MAB were one of the Top 4 defensemen on this team.
My bad casual observer….I guess I need to get off of my high horse now!
heatly was on a horrible atlanta team with no talent, management didn’t care (still doesn’t), and the fans were blaming the death of his friend on him….(it was an accident….no blame to be passed)
I can’t blame him for that one.
Ottawa is a prenial underacheiving team….even when he wasn’t there..with pascal laclaire as a goaltender of the future….It’s not like their future is very bright either (spezza or no spezza)
easy to question his commitment, but also easy to see him as a guy who really wants to win, and sees an organization who doesn’t seem to care that much…..
at least CL/Fletch appear to want to win, so I’m sure he wouldn’t be that disapointed with minny…..
plus, this team isn’t that bad in the current incarnation…..sure it has some holes, but we are in a solid position with our role players. Some of you talk about this team like they have less talent then the islanders.
koivu/burns/shultz/backstrom is a solid core
Butch/Clutterbuck/Brunette/Nolan/Kimmy (contract aside)/Fritzy (if resigned) is a good group of complementary players…..
we almost made the playoffs without the no. 1 forward (injury) /the no. 1 d-man (injury/stupid position experiment) most of the season. (the coach helped with that obviously)
aside from gabby…..the the free agents that are leaving are anything but irreplaceable (beyonce’s type of guys apparently….jay Z, your on notice!). There is a lot of cap space to play with on this team right now, and a good chunk more off next year, so I am not concerned at all about resigning koivu…….or the cap situation…..it’s not like this team isn’t making a profit…..so we (unlike half of the league) can spend (and will according to CL) to the max.
I forgot what point I was trying to make with this post……..um………go wild?!?!?!?
argon–uh perhaps the alcoholic haze settling in? Actually a solid post though.
Saku will be running to the wild now that Molson has cut out free beer to retirees. Who wants to play in an arena thats named after a company that pulls those typs of shananigans
argon — um…. heatley added but you didn’t subtract players or picks.
With that scenario, we are probably worse off than Atlanta or Ottawa.
sober…….but dehydrated….going for some water…..just a thought……anyone else really glad we never got hossa? I mean he has been invisible this playoff series…..non exsistant…..
I forgot how good the simpsons used to be…..watching the fourth season on dvd…..so many moments I forgot…..I almost wet myself I was laughing so hard…..
“eye lash implants”
“I thought those were illeagal!”
“not in paraguay”
if heatley would cost any one of the main core I say no……this is what I have said all along…..I never said throw the kitchen sink at them…..all I am saying is if the price is right go for it, and if the price is wrong…pass.
If heatley gets traded for .30 cents on the dollar, and we never asked about him, I would be upset…..If we trade for heatley and give up any of the main core…..I would be upset…..
I think I speak for all of russoville on that one.
Let’s be honest — Heatley probably sees that he has 5 more years with Ottawa, a team on the downside, and wants out.
According to the TSN article, Heatley told the GM and coach in his at the end of the year interview that he is upset that the Clouson reduced his ice time and put him on the second PP unit. Clouson only coached 34 games with a record of 19-11-4 = 42 points. That’s more than what Hartsburg did in 48 games (17-24-8) = 41 points.
Sure, we can ask but who Ottawa wants, we can’t give up.
The thing with Backstrom is not that he is overpaid, but instead that the 6 million that we signed him for could be going to 2 solid forwards that the Wild desperately need. Harding has been our future for far too long and should have gotten his opportunity;now we are shopping him without knowing how well Backs will be able to play under the new system. Backs could net one or two solid players or prospects, which would really help the Wild. He would have to waive his no trade clause which is not likely, but who knows if he is going to like the new system, coach, especially if Bob Mason is not retained even though it is likely that he will be. The thing I dont get about the Backstrom contract is that Leipold obviously signed off on it even though he knew that Risebrough was gonzo after the season. Why not wait to hire the new GM and let him decide whether or not its the best decision to resign him or let him go?
Butch is a solid offensive player when he has someone to play with that can put the puck in the net. Look at what he did when he had Rolston on his line. He was also close to being our best player two years ago in the playoffs. He might be slightly overpaid, but he doesn’t deserve the critisism that he has been taking this year.I believe that if he is not traded, which isn’t likely, he will have a solid year in an offensive system as long as CF can bring someone in for Butch to give the puck to.
Skoula has had more than his fair share of bad moments that made all Wild fans want to throw a brick through the T.V, but for what he was making last year in the last year of his deal he was absolutely solid compared to his first two years of the deal. If he can be retained at the right price I think it would be a good signing for the wild. Wild fans need to get over his past misfortunes and realize that he has become a solid second pairing D man at a relatively cheap price.
Assorted thoughts:
- Heatley = stud scorer. How sweet would the deal have to be to get Ottawa to take PMB as part of the return? PMB’s remaining years are about the same as Heatley’s, aren’t they?
- I’d be on the Skoula bandwagon if I hadn’t watched him play so much better pretty much all of last season. He’s worth trying to re-sign. MAB wasn’t nearly a defensively generous as Zidlicky, and many teams (like us last summer) could easily overlook Z’s D on an expiring contract because he adds plenty of offense.
- Belanger was better last year than the year before, but quite interchangeable. Trade him for a 3rd rounder and sign Saku for his spot.
- Nolan and Bruno are distinct keepers. Solid production, solid veterans, very justifiable price.
- Looking at the D overall, if they could trade Johnsson & Z, plus could re-sign MAB & Skoula & maybe Fozzie, they’d still have…
Burns
Schultz
MAB
Skoula
Foster
Big John Scott
… They’d still need a #5-6 guy, and 2 if they let Fozzie go. But that’s still not a bad collection of D-men. OR…Trade Z, keep KJ for now, see if his O improves under a different system, and possibly wait for the right deal around the deadline?
- Cammy as a FA sounds quite appealing. Ditto Koivu The Older. If Heatley doesn’t come back in a deal, there are other difference maker types who could be available if the Heatley thing doesn’t happen. Just a matter of who it’d be and what his current team would want in return.
- Great SC Finals — heck great bunch of playoff games and series! But let’s finally get Player Movement Season underway quickly!
I don’t like Johnsson’s contract but he was the one that held the defense up this year. Yeah, he had a bad stretch in December but other than those 2-3 weeks, he was fantastic. Yeah, he’s also not physical but he makes sweet defensive plays and smooth takeaway. However, with a more open style and a coach who didn’t give any defensemen but Burns the green light to be aggressively offensive, Johnsson’s offensive numbers might actually go up.
Good points, sunshine. The issue really is what would be of greater long-term worth: Johnsson playing D in red & green next year, or the assets &/or cap savings we’d net in return?
If Johnsson’s worth keeping, get all you can for Z then try to re-sign Skoula & MAB (or trade for their equivalents) before July 1.
Re: my 11:45 above, I did NOT mean to suggest John Scott an ideal or even preferable #6 D-man. He’s a #7 in all likelihood.
Ward Mtn., Thanks for the tip off on Salcer’s father. Interesting stuff. I didn’t know there was a Slovak connection there.
Players I’d not be too upset to see traded. Note that isn’t necessarily saying I hope they’re traded.
PMB - though I think he’ll rebound this season especially given a finisher to play with
Mittens - Impressed with his performance this past year (career year), but by no means is he untouchable.
Belanger - Maybe he can follow the guy he replaced to ATL in exchange for Kovalchuck? Obviously more would need to go ATL’s way too.
Pool Boy - Yeah right, and monkeys might fly outta my butt! RFA BTW? Could he go unsigned and go away?
Weller - I had hoped he add a physical presence with regular minutes. Maybe so under a less defensive coach, but after the Souray incident…
Fritsche - I think he’s worth hanging on to. He’s not top line, but he’s young and cheap, but if someone asks and is giving in return… RFA too BTW.
Kolanos - No particular attachment to him, also RFA.
Lastly, Shep. - I think he will improve under a different system, but still won’t be an all star.
Sometimes posters seem to absolutely despise all but 3 or 4 players on this team. If that is the case, why are they a ‘fan’ of this team? Why not find a team where you like the majority of the players? I don’t get it.
I didn’t list D in my previous post. I thought I’d break it up a little. Also, I want to go the opposite direction with D and list the one’s I’d keep.
Burns - I hope post concussion and forward experiment he can return to his previous form.
Schultz - Not flashy, nor ‘pointy’, but he gets the job done in the D zone for a reasonable $.
Scott - He’s cheap, serviceable and physically intimidating due to his size. While he seems to not enjoy fighting, he endeared himself to me in that last game against Nashville after Tootoo questionably flattened Fritsche. He let Tootoo know that was unacceptable on many following occasions/whistles. Something the Wild has lacked over the years is a player that will ’stand up’ for the others yet still play regular minutes.
All the other D IMO are expendable. Truth be told, Scott too, but I’d not go shopping him, just if someone asks.
Skoula as “the Gentle Czech”. I like it better than Frankenskoula. Gentle Czech = Gentle Check.
the overriding caveat regarding past performance of our players, though, is that we don’t know how they’ll react and whether or not they’ll thrive under a new coach/system.
Take Butch. I have been exceedingly critical of him in the past, but I feel like I would be an idiot not to want to see what he does in a potentially more liberating system.
Pouliot’s another one like that, but with him I sort of feel like the abused spouse - why do I keep going back to him?
That can’t be fair to him, but that’s where my mind is, nonetheless.
I don’t care if he’s traded but I have a sneaking suspicion he’ll end up fulfilling at least some of his potential somewhere down the line.
I think trades will occur once the Wild have a coach. And the Finals are over.
Skoula ‘08-09 = bargain.
Skoula ‘07-08 = ok with many bonehead plays
Skoula pre ‘07-08 = popcorn
WRT…I know how your loathe every move he makes, every breath he takes…but:
If he can be signed for the same or less dough and be the player he was this year, I would re-sign him.
Give me Heatly without losing a ‘core’ Wild player and I would do that too. To me, core is Burns, Koivu and Backstrom.
I think Fletcher will try to ‘move’ players for draft picks - this year’s draft. Then he will have a bit more flexibility to sign UFAs.
the thing with Dr. Marty/Mr. Skoula is that JL was his #1 fan.
A) was that confidence “helping” him play as “well” as he did?
B) and, without it, will his play suffer?
C) or, has he retained enough enlightenment from JL (and would the retention of a Rammer, for example, help “remind” him of that mindset) that he can just continue at his level of play from last season?
who was it that was acting as the Russoville sportsbook and odds on where Gaby went?
We need a board with our current roster showing odds of whether or not they’ll be back with the team after Fletch’s first pass through the market this summer.
Kolanos is a UFA. He’s a goner.
WRT…I know how your loathe every move he (Skoula) makes, every breath he takes…but:
One of my favorite moments from this season was when Skoula scored against the Isles and WRT looked up at me, clutching his chest - his heart having given way from the stress of the surprise of such an additive contribution from his favorite player…
BTW: Tippett may be a great guy and model citizen, but that Stars team was no more exciting to watch than our Wild team was this year.
I’m down with the “new regime/new direction” mantra at this point.
If you’re going to bring in Tippett why not just bring up Constantine and really give Pouliot an ulcer?
Tippett’s record with the Stars:
02-03 111 pts, 1st in Pacific, lost in WCSF
03-04 97 pts, 2nd in Pac, lost in WCQF
05-06 112 pts, 1st in Pac, lost in WCQF
06-07 107 pts, 3rd in Pac, lost in WCQF
07-08 97 pts, 3rd in Pac, lost in WCF
08-09 83 pts, 3rd in Pac, DNQ
Anything gambling related = Green*
Just sayin.
Pouly LOVES KC, Nick. No kidding.
I like Tip though. I’d be okay with him in MN, but my overriding thought is “Marc Crawford? Really?”
I get wanting to bring in your own guy, but THAT guy? I just don’t see it.
oh, okay, fair enough, Ms.C (KC and Benny)…
“In that case, that piece of Edina trash will have to stay in the AHL getting messed up by real tough guys. Sounds good to me.”
Jay f’ing Ferguson, who the f are you referring to?
It’s Lemaire that he couldn’t stand. Though somehow I think KC would be a lot less patient with him at the NHL level, too.
I would like to see KC stay in Houston.
So, the coaching short list looks like:
Todd Richards
Peter Laviolette
Paul MacLean
Maybe Brad McCrimmon.
I don’t have a problem with any of them.
Not that my old option means squat.
option = opinion
It’s hard to type with these old fingers.
NiNY - thanks for Tippett’s record with the Stars. Very interesting to see how tough it is to get far in the SC play-off race. Really when you look at it Tippett had only on bad season since 02 and he gets the boot. I do agree he coaches a style very close to the JL’s and probably would not work well with Fletch’s committment to change.
That should be “one” bad season, sorry!
BDS: I would agree he only had one “bad” season, if you’re judging by regular season success. If you’re judging by playoff success (when, granted, very few teams have success each year) then no so much.
True, but playoff success is so hard to quantify and you really need to see what team beat you and how far they continued before you deem it unsuccessful. Yes, you can simply look at the record and since they didn’t win the cup it was not a successful but that is so simple and IMO not really fair.
Tippett isn’t a bad coach. He’s just not the right type of coach to follow JL in a retooled and refocused system.
True, but playoff success is so hard to quantify and you really need to see what team beat you and how far they continued before you deem it unsuccessful. Yes, you can simply look at the record and since they didn’t win the cup it was not a successful but that is so simple and IMO not really fair.
True.
On the other hand, 60% one-and-dones, and only one trip to the conference finals (with no trips to the big dance) is much more similar to what we’ve had the preceding 8 years than not.
If the idea is that “what used to be good enough is not anymore” (paraphrasing CL from the Fletch presser) then I think it’s much easier to quantify playoff success in this case.
“Jay f’ing Ferguson, who the f are you referring to?”
Joe Finley.
Murray Heatley played at the Civic Center, so Dany Heatley can play at the X. Make sure he’s not driving when he hits town, however.
Dallas fire coch and are heading a new direction. Time to bring Modano back to Minnesota where he was drafted
The time could very well be the right time to do this. I doubt a trade could be worked out because of his salary, but if Dallas is making changes he might be released to free up cap room. Modano is in the last year of his contract and has stated he will go year to year after the end of his contract
single-handedly cost the Wild the NW Division title in ‘06-07
how so?
Crawford to Dallas.
Good luck with that, Dallas. Bleh.
Gotta say, the Wild are winning the off-season thus far IMO.
Gotta say, the Wild are winning the off-season thus far IMO.
+1
Regarding the Heatley discussion….
Did anyone catch or pay attention to what RET had to say on that subject, because he was right on in his assessment. You simply don’t TRADE for a player like that unless you are stocked to the gills with young, and more importantly….expendable, talent. The Wild are NOT in that category. If we had the opportunity to obtain someone like Heatley thru FA and we could afford it under the cap, then do it. But that’s the only way.
On more thing on Heatley…. Was listening to NHL XM on the way in to work yesterday afternoon and the guys were talking about the Heatley situation. It sounds as though the organization in OTT, the media, and even the fans have all but washed their hands of the guy and are more-than-willing to send him on his way if they can get equal value in-return. The radio guys said that there must be more to the situation than is being said publicly…i.e., the guy might be some kind of a “problem child”, or something of that nature. More than just having a problem with the new coach, that is. Take that FWIW.
Had to work the other night and missed game 6 of the SCF. I mistakenly thought I could see some highlights on Sportscenter on ESPN at 2300 or midnight. Boy, was I wrong. ESPN is now officially nothing more than an extention of the NBA network!! Sheesh!! How in the h*ll can you blab for almost an hour, breaking down every stupid dribble of the ball in a game? That’s what they were doing about that NBA game 3. It was mind-numbing. I didn’t even know the score of the hockey game was until I read it in the paper Weds morning!!! ESPN is almost as useless as Sid….
Pick up Tippett!
never cared for crawford much. coaching in vancouver didn’t help but not only reason.
i remember back in 03 before game 6 vs the nux i had parked at lawson and was heading over to someplace on w 7th. i was cutting thru rice park and thru the X to get there. the bus was outside the hotel to shuttle the player the block it is to the arena. just as i was coming up to the corner there, crawford went to get on the bus. took one step on and then got off and crossed the street into rice park. i followed since i was going that way. he proceeded to take about 10 minutes to cross the park looking up to the heaven’s as if he were pleading with the almighty to let his team win that nights game. he had a look on his face that told me he had no clue how they would stop the wild. at that point I was pretty sure the wild would win the next two, which they did.
Geno - A lot of people say he is a bit of a problem child since this is the 2nd team he has asked to be traded from. The first team was Atlanta. It would be great to add someone like Heatley through free agency, but how often does someone like that even make it to July 1…and how much would you have to pay to sign him? It will be interesting to see how much Kovalchuk signs for next year in free agency. I would bet Heatley will be a bargain at a $7.5M cap hit versus the monster contract he will sign. Trading for Heatley, you would (probably) get similar production for several million dollars in cap space saved.
that’s a great story, Green*. I had always thought the Nucks were luck to have strung that series to 7 games. I thought the Wild was really the better team in the series, sometimes even in the games it lost. Maybe Crow knew that.
what to do about gabby??
I would say he is gone. He will get several offers on July 1, and will probably take one of them. How many times has a player gone to Free Agency and signed back with their original team?
I am waay late to the party today, but I have to comment on this: Fritsche - I think he’s worth hanging on to. He’s not top line, but he’s young and cheap, but if someone asks and is giving in return… RFA too BTW.
I don’t think anyone is going to give up much for Fritzy so I say keep him for sure. He showed flashes of being a really skilled player, and he has some effin wheels to boot. He consistently impressed me with his speed. I think he has some good potential. I say keep him around if you can and see what develops. But as you eluded to, if he works into some sort of package deal where we can get Kolvy… pull the trigger.
Austin - I would rather pull the trigger on Heatley over Kolvy. At least Heatley is signed. There is no guarantee we could get Kolvy under contract after next year.
Chris, that is a very fair point. Although as someone else mentioned, Heater seems like he isn’t happy wherever he is (requested to be traded twice…) so there is no guarantee that he won’t try and bail on the Wild too.
There is no guarantee we could get Kolvy under contract after next year.
could be true.
if the cap does go down the next few years, will those coming up on FA be able to get the big time monster contract?
Austin - Fair enough. better make sure we get ATL’s 1st rounder if we couldn’t sign Kovalchuk…only way the deal makes sense. Not sure what Heatley’s problem is, I would hop if we did get him he wouldn’t do the same thing to us.
Who knows what the situation is in Ottawa they have been talking about breaking that team up for as long as I can remeber. One week it is Speeza one day it is Alfreddson. Heatly has 50 goal a year potential. I say get that deal done. I also would like to see them go after Cammy. If you can add Cammy and Heatly that is instantly 80-100 goals. I know it would take a lot to get that done.
Also on Buch, I know alot of people have been down on the guy (myself included) but in an offenseive system I kind of wonder how he would do. The guy is a play mmaker if you add a Heatly or Cammy I don’t think it is out of question for him to have somewhere around 50 assists. Imagine these 3 lines
Heatly Koivu Bruno
Buch Cammy Nolan
Clutter Shep Miett
GreenStar - They will get the money from somewhere. There will always be some crazy GM who will give out big fat contracts even with a declining cap (assuming they have the budget). Think about it this way. Assuming that LA doesn’t sign Gabby or trade for Heatley or LeCavlier, what’s to stop them from inking Kovalchuk to a $9-$10M a year deal? They barely hit the cap floor last year. There are a few teams that barely have cap dollars committed who could stil swing for the fences.
The top guys will still get paid, the people in the middle and the bottom will get squeezed.
Heatley wanted out of Atlanta for a change of scenery after the fatal car accident. I don’t think you can hold that against a young kid.
The move to Ottawa was good for a time, but with the season of turmoil they had, who knows what the atmosphere is.
Maybe he just doesn’t feel he can flourish under the new coaches system. Where have we heard that?
Back to Skoula. Nick, I think you forgot a possibility.
Nick in New York says:
June 11th, 2009 at 8:29 am
the thing with Dr. Marty/Mr. Skoula is that JL was his #1 fan.
4)Since JL was firmly entrenched in Skoula’s corner, Skoula didn’t feel like he needed to work on improving his game.
Remember he did make the popcorn for one game and came back a changed man. Perhaps the hint that he was losing JL’s support led him to work harder or something???
—The top guys will still get paid, the people in the middle and the bottom will get squeezed.—
There won’t be as many “top guys” and top dollar will have to drop.
I don’t think this is like the last 20 years where the economy just snaps back after a little recession. The NHL is going to feel it.
Maybe it just took FrankenSkoula time to figure out how to play in JL’s system. Some guys never get it.
Agreed, there won’t be as many people considered “top”, but guys like Kovalchuk would still be considered premier. He might not get Ovechkin/Crosby/Malkin money, but he will definitely be in the same neighborhood. I would still bet he gets a higher average contract than a guy like Heatley.
SotB - I think owners will be a bit more hesitat to throw out the high $ longterm deal that have become almost common place up to this point.
I like to differ with you on the length it will take the economy to “snap back” however I agree the NHL will feel it for a year or two.
Let’s all hope the economy snaps back quickly! However, even if it does the cap will still probably go down unless revenues greatly increase. I think owners & GMs will definitely curtail $ amounts and length of contracts.
mrs c,
You said you think Kolanos will be gone? Would you like to see him back? I for one think he would do well in Fletch’s new “style”. He could probably be brought back for a reasonable cap amount.
It’s going to take the right situation for Kolanos to succeed in the NHL. He’s not a guy who’s going to go in on the third or fourth lines and work his way up because he’s just not a checker.
I do believe he tried his best to be versatile like that, but he’s just not. He’s a goal scorer and a cowboy at that. If he can get on one of the top two lines somewhere and get paired with guys who can make space for him and think defensively, he’ll get some goals.
He’ll need to be on a team that plays end to end. He works best in breakaway or 1-on-1 situations where he can beat the D. If he can get a shot off, he’s got a good chance of scoring. And he’ll try to shoot from just about any angle.
I’d love to have him back in Houston and I guess it’s going to depend on the coach selected as to whether the big club will be a good fit for him. I’m sure he’s wanting a 1 way deal, but I think he’s going to get a 2 way and have to earn a spot after being unimpressive in Minnesota. But I think JL’s system is about as bad as it gets for a guy like that.
I’m gonna predict he ends up in Hershey and spends some time playing for the Caps. That’s a system I could see him in.
Thanks! That was a great analytical breakdown. I kind of like his “cowboy” mentality. I’d like to see him get another shot with the Wild. I think he has a lot of heart & intensity. Especially, as you stated, “If he can get on one of the top two lines somewhere and get paired with guys who can make space for him and think defensively, he’ll get some goals.” I appreciate you insightful take on him.
Ok - back in for a quick couple comments:
1) this thread has proved one of my points of Skoula being overated (someone thought that was obsurd), but the fact is there is a debate (albeit, a weak one) here ever since I brought it up (which, I’m now somewhat sorry for). A player you “hardly noticed” (aka was standing out for horrific mistakes night after night) or “got better than he was” is not the type of description you want for a 2nd line D-man, the league is chuck full of better D men.
So that has nothing to do with his salary - but he’s still overated, as in someone still thinks he’s better than what else is available. I personally disagree.
2) the economy’s hit on the NHL
I think it’s pathetic & embarassing (I’ve got hockey-haters I work with & defend our beloved game, but) looking at all the empty seats during so many of these playoff games! You can give the Joe a break I s’pose with the current state of Detroit catastrophic situation, but still…move some people down for the second period to at least make the tv coverage look packed. (not to mention reward some lucky paying fans)
the league is chuck full of better D men.
This is very true. Skooba was a ton better this season than he ever was in the past, but there are plenty of guys out there that more skilled and more consistient.
FrankenSkoula will be a top four D-man logging 20+ min per game somewhere in the NHL for the foreseeable future. As long as his body holds up and he wants to play, he is an asset regardless of what some here believe. And given his style of play and size, he may last a very long time.
5 flippin’ minor penalties in the whole season. There is a nuance to his style that Skoula haters completely don’t get. Fortunately, there are enough coaches and GM’s that do and they will keep him on the ice and well paid.
A friend in Detroit was telling me how the outdoor Jumbotrons at the Joe and Mellon were discontinued this year so fans couldn’t come down and watch the game outside the arena. Used to be a great event.
First reports were it was NBC’s call. Then it came out that by discontinuing it, those fans would have to stay home and turn on their TV’s raising the viewer ratings. That in turn led to another $600K in tv revenue for the NHL.
G Bettman rides again.
but he’s still overrated, as in someone still thinks he’s better than what else is available. I personally disagree.
Someone? So it only takes one person to think a guy is good for him to be overrated?
IMO to be overrated is to have a fanbase (or even the media) praise a guy for mediocre play. Skooba has been the brunt of every joke in Russoville… even the entire X got on his back in the 07/08 season. Remember when the X cheered quite loudly when it was announced that Skoobs was a scratch for a game??…. Skoula is quite the opposite of overrated. He was projected to be a top D man, and he ended up being quite awful for a long time and the Media/Fans let him know it. Now, he did improve greatly this year, but I seriously doubt that you would find many Wild fans that would take Skooby over a myriad of other D men.
A friend in Detroit was telling me how the outdoor Jumbotrons at the Joe and Mellon were discontinued this year so fans couldn’t come down and watch the game outside the arena.
They showed folks outside of Mellon during game 6… Quite a large group too.
they will keep him on the ice and well paid
indeed but not jeff finger well paid.
Jumbotrons at the Joe and Mellon were discontinued this year
i swear vs was cutting to the outside of mellon. maybe that was the conference final.
anyway, i suppose bettman will ban it from all bars next. tool
Sorry, jseski but I didn’t know watching sports was a popularity contest. Oh, that game looks really sold out on TV, I think I have to watch, please give me a break.
Secondly, I once again feel the need to defend our Gentle Czech. “Chuck full of better D men”, I’ve yet to see any names, salary and minutes played of any of these so called superior players on this blog. Just give me some legit alternatives to Martin and I will not bring his name up again.
Any word on the rehab of Andrew, Mikko, Nik? It has been about two months from the end of the MN season and Friday will be SCF game seven.
Kudos to Russoville for keeping things going and providing hockey related diversions. I was darn surprised my fondness for “This is Spinal Tap” did not banish me to a corner.
ATX, the fact that Wild fans prejudiced against Skoula think there are better 2d pairing D men out there proves nothing to me as many here simply pile hyperbolic invective after hyperbolic invective on him. SotB has him pegged correctly. And, no he won’t get Jeff Finger money but then neither should Jeff Finger.
G* - thank you for bringing up Finger. I totally forgot how he fleeced the Leafs last year. Talk about overpaid, but he knows how to give a monster check.
“And given his style of play and size, he may last a very long time.”
“There is a nuance to his style that Skoula haters completely don’t get.”
If by these statements you mean he’s inclined to not put a body on someone then I would totally agree.
Don’t get too excited. I’m usually full of sh!t. I could just as easily see him being an AHL ringer (or going to Europe) for the rest of his career.
The cowboy thing isn’t a good thing IMO. I mean, it works in the AHL because defensemen and goalies are the slowest to develop, so these guys who have wheels and a shot can dominate down here. But once they get the good first or second pairing NHL D on a guy, the cowboy thing doesn’t work very well.
That’s why guys like Dats who can protect the puck to a ridiculous degree, but are also willing to use that in order to set up their teammates, are such studs.
Kolanos is rather one-dimensional, frankly. Which is why it will take such a particular situation for him to succeed. I’m not entirely sure the situation exists in reality. But he’ll be an interesting guy to watch. He’s certainly got no lack of fire in the belly.
woodcock, there are a ton of d-guys out there that i would NOT want over skoula, but there are also a ton that I would take over him. I thought he had a good year this year, and if he could continue to play that way consistently I would be all for having him around. The problem is, he has never proven that he can be consistent. Regardless, I was just trying to make the argument that Skoula is most definitely not an “overrated” player. I think most fans of the Wild actually underrate the guy.
Bisker, he does put a body on guys in the corner and removes the puck from them. He does not body slam guys in front of the net and take penalties. That is the nuance.
ATX, I would say he was consistent last season. But again a consistently solid 2d pairing D. And as someone, maybe SotB pointed out, all D will make egregious looking errors. Just see the $7.5M man Campbell in the playoffs.
I dunno wood…. I though Skooba was pretty consistently awful last year. And so did 99% of everyone in Russoville. Not saying it’s right… I’m just saying. And really all my pambling is just to illustrate that he is not what i would call an overrated player.
wow… spell check ftw.
thought… rambling…. those are tough ones.
Off topic….
I dunno how many of you out there appreciate digital art (or just art in general), but I recently discovered this great homebrewed app for the Nintendo DS called Colors! (its also a iPhone app). But I just cant help but be amazed with some of the art people can make with this thing. Check out one of my favorites here”. You can even watch playbacks of how the painting was done. It really is quite awesome.
Sorry to interrupt the hockey talk, and sorry for the triple post… I just thought there might be a few people out there that appreciate this stuff.
AustinTX - you & I are in the same camp, send Skooba-dooba packin. My opinion that he’s overated was to intended to be exagerated by the fact that any single person who thought he should still be sportin’ a Wild jersey would = him being overated. (point obviously missed, however it did manage to get a few folks’ undies in a bunch on here who took obvious offense to such comment.) But, to define my definition of overated, no it isn’t just one or a handful of fans - but when media types & a head coach keep givin’ a guy a hall pass for mistakes and praising mediocrity…yes, I think he’s overated.
They like him, great…I don’t. End of the day it doesn’t matter, we don’t ultimately decide his fate anyway, which just get to vent our opinions like they matter.
btw, skoula lovers, you do realize a few of the non-Minnesota sports writers actually used a phrase “oh, he pulled a Skoula!” when a player screwed up (passed to the other team, fell down with no one around them, one of which was when Phanuef fell flipping around to skate backwards when he tried to drop the gloves) - as a subtle inside joke replacing the old “Munson” similar joke from the movie Kingpin
jseski, I feel that. I am all for sending Skoobs packing but only if we can get something half decent in return. I definitely wouldn’t unload him for the proverbial bag’o'pucks. He is better than that… well, at least he was this season.
Oh and having Dumb and Dumber say good things about Skoula doesn’t give him credibility.
bds - you just seem ticked I don’t like skoulza, and are arguing to argue.
Or you just missed my point; while I defend our beloved sport as being > their favorite(basketball, football, whatever) - some of the crap I get back is…”jeez, they’re in the final series of their championship and they can’t even find enough fans to fill the seats…& it’s not like its one or two seats, there are 40+ prime seats completely empty, every game!”
…frankly, I have no comeback…
I could care less whether they end up watching hockey or not, it’s really meaningless banter just like our love/hate skoula talk.
But, it is pretty pathetic when you think about it.
Why not reward some season ticket holders by upgrading them for the last two periods or something. Cost to management, nothing less than they were getting before. Gain = more team love & loyalty.
Tru-dat, Tex! But, I don’t know…is it really big bag-o-pucks???
I would disagree ATX — I think most posters last season felt that Skoula was consistently good. People were choking when they had to say that.
sunshine.. by “last season” I mean 2007/2008.. you know.. the one where he tripped and fell and gave the puck to a ranger for a goal.
sunshine, I’d concede to say consistently adequate.
Not good, (don’t remember any outstanding defensive plays, let alone several throughout the season to quantify as actually good) just burned minutes and didn’t make gaffes. Adequate.
Ok, changed my mind - keep the bag-o-pucks other team’s GMs cause Skoula’s our boy!
ok, gotcha.
jseski - I’m not ticket at all. I just found the open seat comment sort strange as a gage of a sports popularity thats all.
Wings were calling STH’s and asking them to buy extra tix. A buddy up there bought 8 for Game 7 at $300 a pop and then when he went on the Wings ticket exchange to try and sell them, the Wings booted him off. He was working ebay for $1200 each, but don’t know if there was much success. Supposedly this is the first Game 7 in any of the major sports in Detroit in 45+ years. The town is pumped. Lord knows they need something good to happen.
Anyone can make a case for FrankenSkoula being inadequate. But then I can make a case for the sun rising in the west. It just takes a bottle of tequila and sleeping with my head in the wrong direction.
Skoula’s game is putting a widebody between the forward and the puck in the corner. If you watch him closely, he is very effective.
I stand corrected on Jumbotrons at Mellon. Must have just been the Joe.
Nick in New York says:
June 11th, 2009 at 8:34 am
WRT…I know how your loathe every move he (Skoula) makes, every breath he takes…but:
One of my favorite moments from this season was when Skoula scored against the Isles and WRT looked up at me, clutching his chest - his heart having given way from the stress of the surprise of such an additive contribution from his favorite player…
Well, what else do you do when Martin starts becoming a scoring machine? For three years you wait and wait (and wait some more) for that tiny tad bit of offense that Skoula provided in his ‘contract drive’…
Yes, Skoula did get better as the season dragged on. Yes, he actually did score more goals than Boogaard. But he was also responsible for more goals against than virtually any other player on the roster, regardless of position, other than goalie.
And, before the rest of you Skoula-defenders start in, that was no mistake that Skoula was sent packing to the press box popcorn machine after the fans near-rebellion (recorded by Russo) against his boneheaded play. Yes, last year was his best year. But why can’t Wild fans expect that EVERY year if he is such a great defensive stalwart?
Because, simply put, he’s not. Skoula is not a top 4 NHL defenseman (except maybe in Phoenix, if they can sign him cheap.) He at best is a No. 5/6 defenseman, even with his 6′5″ frame (which he doesn’t use to his advantage well.)
kj; You would actually sign Skoula again? I sure as heck wouldn’t, at any price. There are better defensemen out there which the Wild can get at a better price, who will give more effort, and will be better stewards of the blue line than Martin Skoula.
Sorry, Skoula lovers. No hater-ade, just a realization that the Wild can do better than Marty S., even with managed expectations(TM).
After watching the management change in Colorado and Dallas, how good does it feel to be a Wild fan?
I would imagine we find out who the coach is some time early next week.
I’m glad people are being positive when analyzing Skouba’s play,because I like positivity but one above average (and, really, we’re analyzing him on a Skouba scale so it’s inherently skewed) does not make a good defenseman. For those of us that play D and are nerds enough to watch positioning, the guy doesn’t get it most of the time. Get rid of him, or be prepared to be on here saying “why did I want Skouba back?”
Lucky: About the Colorado and Dallas changes…
Colorado didn’t go outside their organization, a Stan Kroneke (owner) trademark. When they didn’t get Patrick Roy to give it all up in Quebec City and come back to the Front Range, they looked within. Granato was a goner, and he knew it.
Dallas was so screwed up to start with, what with their two-headed monster-turned-GM situation. The Sean Avery follies was definitely their last straw. Jim Lites (team president) had to do something to get Brett Hull out of there, before he destroyed the franchise beyond salvation.
IMO, the Stars are a team in decline (even with Modano staying around another season) and I don’t think even Crow will help them (except to get that much chippier) without a large infusion of younger talent (again, Modano coming back for ‘09-10 won’t exactly help that, either).
The Wild need, IMO, to announce their head coach by Father’s Day (June 21), in order to get input for the June 26-27 draft. But you are correct in saying it feels better to be a Wild fan than, say, a Stars or Avs follower right now.
WRT,
I’m betting we hear something mid next week. Then Fletcher and the new coach have a week and a half until the draft and another couple days after that hit free agency (expecting a Eric Belanger / Sean Hill type Summer).
it feels great to be a wild fan right now……I’m sure after the draft/fa there will be a small group crying out for these clowns to be fired!
skoula is better than adequate, but I wouldn’t slot him in the good category either….
You can’t call a guy overrated if he is hated as much as skoula is…..he is the J.D. Drew of hockey.
I would only keep skoula around as a 6th d-man my self, but I like loaded d-groups (why I want bow on this team so much….)
there were several moments late in the year last year where I saw skoula make some terrific plays….all of them were of the “stick in the right place”, and the “what an effort” type….a couple of those “effort plays” were his own doing, but not many…..
certainly he was better than zids, and bergeron (heck john scott was miles ahead of them defensivly).
That being said, if skoula goes, let’s just say I won’t shed a tear.
Oh and chuck….if you are reading this….fire dumb and dumber! Please!
something for him to do after free agency slows down!
I for one, wouldn’t mind modano for a decent price….only if dallas releases him (extremely doubtful)
he could be a solid no. 2 winger/center….
put him on the wing with mikko and bruno…..that sounds pretty good actually….
an hour late to the party, Crawford is the guy in Dallas.
I bet you on June 26th a group of people come over to the blog and b!tch that we just blew the draft. No matter who we pick I promise you that we’ll get a group of people that are pissed, happens every year.
—But he was also responsible for more goals against than virtually any other player on the roster, regardless of position, other than goalie.—
Show me that statistic. Burns screws up, he must be hurt. Schultz gets caught standing around, bad break. Koivu dogs it on the back check, he must be overworked.
I can’t say that I expect Fletcher to sign Marty to an upgraded contract or even that he should given Wild circumstances. But he deservedly will receive a nice package and be a top 4 D man somewhere in the NHL this coming year.
that 5 minors all year long is an amazing stat….escpecially considering he logged a lot of minutes…..
that also probobly mean he didn’t have to make any bail out penaltys either….as opposed to zids bail out penaltys….
lucky…..people that complain about the draft….it’s like death and taxes….it is a certain.
See Russo’s latest update “Lemaire takes job; Minnesotans to come into Thompson’s home, and Thompson into Minnesotans home; Coaching search progress”
