Lemaire with twinkle in eyes; Burns on Yzerman’s radar; Russo on Twitter
Posted on June 25th, 2009 – 10:58 AMBy Michael Russo
Forgot to put this up from the presser:
To View and Be Included in Star Tribune’s Wild/NHL Twitter Page, here is the link
Good morning from Montreal. I will be back later, but this will be an extremely quick blog because I have a prospects media luncheon at noon EDT downstairs.
First of all, I’ve joined this century and Twittered up. You can find me on there by searching Michael Russo or user name Russostrib. The link should be this one here.
I just came back from the Team Canada press conference to introduce one heck of a coaching staff for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Head coach will be Mike Babcock, and his assistants will be Jacques Lemaire, Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff and Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock. Hitch will be the eye in the sky, Lemaire and Ruff on the bench with Babcock, who has long admired Lemaire. More on that in tomorrow’s paper. Lemaire will coach the special teams.
Lemaire and I had a long private chat about the Wild, and you’ll want to read his interesting comments on the new system in tomorrow’s paper. On whether he’ll coach against next season (aka Jersey): “I don’t know. We’ll know in the future — the near future.”
Sounds as if it’s up to Lou Lamoriello.
I talked with Canada Executive Director Steve Yzerman about Brent Burns, who looked like a 2010 shoo-in after Burns dominated the World Championships 13-14 months or so ago. He was named the best defenseman in the tourney. Remember, Burns had a trying season last year with a concussion and playing forward, but Yzerman said he’s very much still in the mix. During a five-hour meeting yesterday, Lemaire gave Burns a full endorsement. The invite list for Canada’s Olympics camp will be out in 10 days or so.
“He’s certainly on our list,” Yzerman said about Burns. ”I know it was a trying year for him. I got the good fortune to watch him at the worlds two years ago and he played very well. He’s definitely a guy that we’re watching. I’ve got to finalize this list and get invites outs in the next 10 days or so and I intend to do that and he’s certainly on that list. He’s a great player, he had a difficult year and I understand that. But it certainly hasn’t hurt him. I don’t think any less of him as a player because of it. I’m hopeful he gets off to a very good start – his size, his speed and his offensive ability, his competitiveness makes him a guy that’s very intriguing for us. It’s just he’s younger, a little less experienced. I was hoping he would have a really great year, but injuries come into it. We’ll deal with that. But I still think very highly of him.”
OK, have to get downstairs. Chatted with Jordan Schroeder and Nick Leddy, and his parents for a while this morning in the lobby. Great kids. Very excited. Leddy, whom the Wild adores, met with them again today.
Laterz.
168 Responses to "Lemaire with twinkle in eyes; Burns on Yzerman’s radar; Russo on Twitter"
Twitter eh? Alright, I’ll cave.
Hello Twitter account.
…and a new favorite has been added to me work IE.
Lets put it all together folks:
Almond, Shep, and our Third (103?) for Kessel. Leaving us a third (#99) from Dallas.
#12 to Islanders for a first (#26) and a second (#31)
Harding and a second (#31) for Oshie and a young prospect
Cuma and a first (#26) to Ottawa for Heatley.
I lost myself with which picks we would have left, but we would pick up Kessel, Heatley, and Oshie. Everyone’s happy, including Ms C because Clutz stays
Gunslinger, the guy that can pull all that off can be my GM any day!
I seriously don’t understand when we went in to “win now” mode.
although people here have been in ‘win now’ mode for the last couple of years, i don’t think a trade for kessel is necessarily a ‘win now’ trade
Russo, I think your “tweets” are too long.
Seems like win now to me.
Giving up so much for a guy that hasn’t been around that long reminds me a lot of the Lindros for Forsberg(plus a kings ransom) trade. Forsberg alone went on to have a better career…
—Russo, I think your “tweets” are too long.—
Cue Pewterschmidt!
I thought they were fine although I can’t be considered an expert in this regard.
140 character limit. I’m not sure if regular texting on the phone counts up characters for you. Might need to install a tweeting app on the phone to make that easier.
I’d offer advice but I only have a POS ghetto phone that doesn’t let me do anything but make calls and text (with varying success).
Damn. I can’t access twitter at work.
Unless I use a proxy site, but that’s just inviting trouble…
Giving up so much
a draft pick and a guy that hasn’t been around that long
POS ghetto phone
same here but i have internet that is on the edge of being useless.
i can get to twitter but the mobile site doesn’t let me search for people. i struggled thru the standard site and it doesn’t fine russostrib.
fail
i’ll try and figure it out later
Ah, look at Russo go. Already got the Twitterberry going. Always a step ahead. Love it.
Heyo! It’s lunch time! What are we thinking? PBJ and Cheetos? Yeah, buddy.
Can I just say… I’m not fond of Deb Placey on NHL Live. I miss LaGreca. 
We ‘hope’ Fletcher does the right things.
Has he done anything wrong yet?
Hired a coach.
Fired an Asst. GM.
Reached out to Gho$t.
Attended meetings.
Is working the phones to add talent to the Wild.
Speaks to Russo…DOH! BIG mistake!!! 
Lucky, some people look at the glass as half full, others, half empty. I look at it as half full and see that we do have some pretty good pieces here. In my opinion, had Gaborik been healthy last year, this would have been a playoff team. So if we can add a scorer to replace Gabby without losing too much, sign a couple of quality free agents, have Burns and Bouchard bounce back, see continued improvement from Koivu, Sheppard, Gillies, Clutterbuck, (all of these things seem reasonable expectations to me) why couldn’t we “win now”?
Dang it Russo, why’d you have to go and do that? Now I can no longer say I have no reason to use twitter.
“a draft pick and a guy that hasn’t been around that long”
Uh huh.
Not like Sheppard was thrown in too early or anything. Doug knew exactly what he was doing. Oh that’s right you stuck up for every move he ever made.
I have to comment on the whole ‘Losing Gaborik for nothing’ thing. Does anyone really believe that these other GM’s were offering to DR anything more than a 2nd line over-priced salary dump player at $5M per year for 3 more years, a 2nd round pick and a minor league ‘prospect’ knowing that Gabby would be UFA at the end of the season, let alone not being able to trade him for the 3/4 of the season because he was hurt? Would you really want that salry dump sitting on your roster for the next few years eating up cap space? When Gabby leaves, you get available cap space and I have no problem with that. The goal is to fill that available space properly. We knew it probably wouldn’t have happened in the old regime, but it might now.
Pooliot - I can’t see not re-qualifying him. At this point he is seriously questionable as to whether he’ll ever amount to anything. He’s pretty much worthless for a trade right? 2-way contract, minimum $$. Give him one last shot under the new GM/Coach/System. If he can’t make any headway, talk to the equipment manager and see if we need some pucks or a skate sharpener and start the trade talks.
What do you think?
Come to the dark side, Goody. We have tweets. 
It’s not so bad. I resisted Facebook and Twitter for the longest time, but it’s been fun.
I’m trying to figure out how Twitter makes money though.
Yeah, I figure Benny gets qualified, Goody. Constantine is staying and they have a great relationship. Maybe this is the year. I doubt it, but if he starts in Houston and has to earn his way up, maybe that will make some things click.
Pouliot - Doh! I don’t know who this Pooliot fellow I was talking about is.
One would think Pouliot would be thinking either “now’s my chance” or “now’s my last chance, this new guy ain’t DR”
Add DR’s handing of a roster spot to Pouliot last summer to the list of mistakes not to make!
Yesterday’s Post of the Day:
Why does Bruce Garrioch hate me? Every day a new Heatley article and every day, “Cal Clutterbuck”… FU Bruce Garrioch.
…. ahh, because Garrioch is a hack???
I’m good with that answer, MuN…
Did LaGreca get canned…or is he just on summer vacation ?
He quit the show because it conflicted with some radio gig.
thank you.
did not know that,
wondered where he was.
Jo-Bo to Vancouver?
edubs
I found this link . You might find it of interest. It’s a little cluttered, but scroll down about 2/3 of the way, and you’ll find it.
AG, if you got that from HockeyBuzz it is probably 90% untrue (e4)
Interesting that Martin Havlat is following Russo…
I stand corrected: Russo is following Havlat.
Thanks Gunslinger
Havlat’s a tweeting maniac.
Brodeur had a rare tweet yesterday (about soccer of all things) and I got all excited like the big goalie nerd that I am. @MB30
El Gato - The point is, Gabby turned down a long term deal at the start of this past season, right at that point he should have been dealt. Plain and simple. I also believe it was DR’s job to know what Marion’s status was before the season started…
You don’t lose a player of Gabby’s caliber for nothing in return. Just like you don’t lose players like Rolston and Dimetra for nothing.
Why wouldn’t you resign Pouliot? He helps the Aeros and he could still become a useful NHL player. His cap hit would be minimal.
“But he isn’t living up to his hype, trash him.”
Why? He can still help the club.
“I want 50 goals or nothing from Pouliot.”
Ah, I see, spoken like a true “we need more MN born players” type Wild fan.
Eklund makes me want to stab something… preferably him.
Almond, Shep, and our Third (103?) for Kessel. Leaving us a third (#99) from Dallas.
#12 to Islanders for a first (#26) and a second (#31)
Harding and a second (#31) for Oshie and a young prospect
Cuma and a first (#26) to Ottawa for Heatley.
No clue who that Almond guy is, but I like the sensibleness (is that a word?) of those first two trades. One little nitpick is that the Islanders are in a similar boat to you guys in that they shouldn’t really be giving up draft picks. They need even more help than Minnesota, and that’s even with the No. 1 pick. But otherwise, those first two trades look good.
The next two though I don’t think are reasonable. Harding and a second for Oshie alone might not be enough, let alone for someone else in addition to Oshie, and Cuma and No. 26 isn’t close to being enough for Heatley.
holy crap…..kessel is 21 years old….how is that a “win now” trade….that is a “win now/and win” later trade….
if we can trade a 3rd line center and a 1st round pick for a guy guaranteed to be here for 4 years at least and score 35+ a season, you have to do it…..
kessel is a beast, and certainly better than anything else we can get…(aside from heatley)…..obviously we wont get a guy like iginla, crosby, or ovechkin…..
it doesn’t hurt that much to trade draft picks for young talented players who will be certanties on your team for 6 years or more….
it hurts when you trade lots of picks for average veterns who will be gone after 1 year or 2……
also……it isn’t like this team is in horrible condition….I’m tired of bringing up this dead horse…..we don’t need a full scale rebuild….we have some rocks on this team…
Koivu
Burns
Shultz
Backstrom
Clutterbuck
Fritzzy (alright..he isn’t a rock…but I like the guy, and he is cheap!
Butch (rock/can be traded for a rock)
do we need more young talent in the ahl….obviously…..one way to help would be to scour the free agent/overseas market for hidden players who could be good ahl players….
don’t trade cody almond……if we get rid of cuma and a first round pick….almond becomes all we have….
KiPA:
Thats ok, I worked out the cap and it wouldnt work anyway. I think we would have like 300k to work with after for like 5 holes to fill.
I think the Islanders have 2 firsts, 3 seconds, and 2 3rds.
Its all just for fun though. None of its going to happen.
Look at Russo go. 10 tweets in 5 hours
I like your thinking though, Gun. Little greedy on Oshie and Heatley, but you weren’t trying to trade Pouliot for Iginla, so that’s good. 
Kessel did have a good year last year and it looks like he has the talent to continue having success in the future. The question, however, is how much do the Wild give up for a guy like that? I’m no master CBA/number crunching guy, but it looks like he wants near 5 mill and that is going to cost some picks. I prefer to sign Heatley and not give up picks because I know Heatley will be good, he’s proven. The most you can do for Kessel is hope he continues to be good and improve. He’s not worth what we’d have to give up.
I was going to send PMB away. Maybe we can throw him in the Heatley trade 
Then we have a bit more cap to work with.
I prefer to sign Heatley and not give up picks
That’s not going to happen. Unless you are giving them 2 or 3 players from Huston/MN.
I dunno that Almond is all that. Good AHLer is all I’m expecting. Maybe bubble guy for NHL?
I was going to send PMB away.
You jackass.
Anything interesting in those tweets? I’m starving here…
Nevermind, I just saw the link Russo added. Sorry. :-\
How about instead of the 1st round pick Boston can have Pouliot. There’s Sheppard and Pouliot (two top ten picks) for Kessel. I wouldn’t die if we did that.
I wouldn’t die either, but I might faint. In elation.
Not like Sheppard was thrown in too early or anything.
not sure what this has to do with anything. your stmt was kessel is a guy that hasn’t been around long, no? could the same be said for sheppard?
Oh that’s right you stuck up for every move he ever made
actually this is wrong. I just didn’t berate him for tying his right shoe before his left in stead of left before right. i’m glad he is gone. i thought he took the team as far as it could go and a change was needed to push thru that wall.
just because my level of hatred doesn’t match yours doesn’t mean i loved the guy.
totally agree we are in win now mode only a few players away from a contender. Kessel is a core player and would be great for this team. It is wishful thinking to believe a 12th and James Sheppard are more talented than this kid. Smug traded his picks for nothing. This pick would get us a superstar in return. This is the best possible deal we could hope for. Anybody who doesn’t want this just doesn’t know how good this kid really is. Even Russo wants Kessel.
This pick would get us a superstar in return.
That’s a bit of a stretch. He is good. But he is definitely no superstar.
Boston can have Pouliot
like it
Give them back Kalus before you give Pouliot.
Austin nobody is doubting he has superstar potential, its not that big of a stretch. He is only 21 and getting a better everyday, the sky is the limit for this kid.
Hm, heavy rumor of Minnesota and Pittsburgh talking trade. One that I don’t think leaves either fan base happy if I’m hearing right.
“Just like you don’t lose players like Rolston and Dimetra for nothing.”
We really had no choice on either. We were fighting for a division title, what would it have said to the guys on the team and the fans if we would have moved them? I can find fault with DR for trading draft picks to move up a couple of spots in the draft, but can’t fault him at all for hanging onto these guys when they were trying to win a division and make a playoff run.
CiCA, fair point. But to call him a superstar at this point is just accurate. He has loads of potential for sure though.
Hm, heavy rumor of Minnesota and Pittsburgh talking trade. One that I don’t think leaves either fan base happy if I’m hearing right.
Must be Clutterbuck for Malkin then….
moment of silence for the passing of Farrah Fawcett.
Thank you
Must be Clutterbuck for Malkin then….
Hehe. Ms. C might be OK with that. She said the Pens grew on her during the Final.
Yes I am a bit ahead of myself but the potential is there and i believe he will get there soon. I haven’t heard that rumor, what is the speculation on this? Bag of pucks for Billy Guerin?
I’d be happy with Malkin regardless of who we gave up. My guess would be Koivu or Burns for Staal…
passing of Farrah Fawcett
Wow, she was only 62.
Where’d you get the rumor from Ek? That guy is a piece of work. What is his accuracy rate… a mere 2.1 percent
Koivu or Burns for Staal…
Koivu, no effin way…. Burns, I could see it… I don’t like it… but I could see it.
My guess would be Koivu or Burns for Staal
No, might be involving both teams’ first-round draft picks and the rights to some players, and possibly Dupuis.
Not to deride Koivu, but doesn’t make much sense to do Staal for Koivu, and we’ve got Gonchar, Letang and Goligoski, so Burns isn’t too likely either.
Not Eklund. Contrary to a lot of people, I don’t read his site.
We’re not giving up Burns or Koivu unless Malkin is coming back. That would be the end of the Fletch era, he would be mobbed.
As long as Cooke isn’t part of the deal. I would be super pissed if we got him somehow. I hate that little bastard.
Dupuis would be fine as long as you get Weller or something like that
from Russo’s Twitter (in case some people are not checking it): Well-place Source: Bryan Murray’s down to seven teams, including Wild, in Dany Heatley trade talks and refuses to “just give him away.”
Probably right about it not being Koivu…I was just trying to think of who our fanbase would be mad about losing and those two were the first that came to mind. I’m thinkingPittsburgh would probably be elated to get Koivu for Staal, so that wouldn’t make sense.
Of course it could be something smaller scale like Clutterbuck for Scuderi or Talbot. Again…just throwing names out…it’s fun to speculate !
Thanks, Austin, I’m not checking Russo’s Twitter (I REFUSE to do that. It took a long time before I surrendered to Facebook, and even then I barely do anything with that.)
And no, Cooke wouldn’t be part of any deal. The teams might end up swapping first-round picks though.
Pittsburgh would probably be elated to get Koivu for Staal, so that wouldn’t make sense.
Elated? Ehh…I wouldn’t be. It’d be an upgrade if just from a faceoff perspective, but that’s not a trade I’d be pushing for from our end.
They better not swap unless its for a second and can still trade that pitt first and Shep for Kessel
If the Wild swapped first rounders with Pitt, they better be getting a second rounder too.
“not sure what this has to do with anything. your stmt was kessel is a guy that hasn’t been around long, no? could the same be said for sheppard?”
No, that’s not what I said. It doesn’t make sense to think they are both on the same level just because they are the same age. Some prospects take longer seasoning before they are ready for the NHL. Remember Kessel was once considered a sure thing to go first overall, is it really that surprising that he’s adjusted to the NHL while Sheppard is still finding his game? It’s crazy to suggest that this will be the best James Sheppard ever gets.
Also I lost faith in Risebrough when he sold us a 5 year plan and failed. After 8 seasons we have huge holes in our roster, we’re losing our star player for nothing in return and we are almost dead last in upcoming prospects. Being completely honest I was neutral on Risebrough until I watched Rolston and Demitra walk for nothing. I knew then things were about to get worse before they got better…
Dupuis…really…it would upset Pittsburgh fans to lose him? And why would Pittsburgh fans be upset switching draft picks when our is higher…even if they have to throw in a 2nd or 3rd to do so?
Supposedly because we’d be giving up the rights to some other players I want us to re-sign.
Lucky the point is, Shep will never be anywhere near as good as Kessel. God wouldn’t even bet against that. Talk about miracles.
“Being completely honest I was neutral on Risebrough until I watched Rolston and Demitra walk for nothing. I knew then things were about to get worse before they got better…”
So please, tell me what you would have done with them? Traded them while were fighting for the division title or signed them to overpriced contracts after the season?
I also hear there’s a final five in the Heatley sweepstakes and Minnesota’s one of them.
Supposedly because we’d be giving up the rights to some other players I want us to re-sign.
So it has to be one (or two) of these:
Craig Adams, Fedotenko, Ruslan Fedotenko, Bill Guerin, Satan, Sykora, Zigomanis, Boucher, Gill, Scuderi.
MPS,
Did you see how Anaheim traded players they knew they weren’t going to sign? They were able to tweak their roster and still make the playoffs. Also made it past the first round. Buffalo did the same thing in the Summer of ‘07 that we did in Summer of ‘08, let big players walk to free agency. Same results - no playoffs the following season.
So the Kings appear to be offering Frolov the 5th pick and another player fro Heatley. That is from Russo’s Twitter.
With that on the table we can move on as Wild fans. No way the Wild top that.
Back to resigning Gaborik. I say match whatever the best offer is he gets and then see what happens.
AiH…re: Gho$t…
The Wild cannot match location.
No, they cannot, but then you’ll know he didn’t want to play here and it’s best he moves on.
Right now we don’t know. A lot of mixed signals from Salcer saying the new GM and coach changes things.
I knew there was going to be no way to get Heatley, too many teams involved. Kessel might be the same story but we’ll have to wait and see. I wouldn’t mind healed Gabby on this team.
anahiem still has the neidermeyer’s, beauchamin, todd marchant as UFA, so they haven’t moved or signed them all.
they did move pahlsson, kunitz, travis moen, kent huskins. none of which seem to me to be as valuable to their team as rolston or #10.
the painful part with rolston was the indication that he could have been extended for a reasonable price either before the season or early in the season.
Lucky - Anaheim traded Pahlsson, Moen, & Huskins. Are you seriously thinking that losing those three would have had the same impact on Anaheim as trading Rolston & Demitra would have had on the Wild? Or for that matter, that we could have replaced Rolston & Demitra just as easily as Anaheim replaced three role players. Not the same thing.
A lot of mixed signals from Salcer saying the new GM and coach changes things
For sure - assuming Gaby’s appreciation for Wild fans was legit, I wonder if he has been waiting to bolt from DR and TooL for so long it is hard to change his focus even though CF and TR seem like a good match for #10. If LA is going to get Heatley, that takes then out of the Gaby market which could help change his mindset if that was one of the places he liked.
I wouldn’t mind healed Gabby on this team.
Who would mind that? If he is truely “healed” then you would be foolish to not want him on the team.
MPS15 says:
June 25th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
So please, tell me what you would have done with them? Traded them while were fighting for the division title or signed them to overpriced contracts after the season?
1) Talk to Rolston earlier in the season - like Christmas. No sense in not even talking until after the season.
2) Demitra - trade. Not like he was exactly lighting the lamp or happy playing that last half of the season.
Maybe they wouldn’t have won the division, but chances are they still would have made the playoffs. Who knows, maybe Demitra’s replacement would’ve turned out spectacularly.
I was pretty much neutral on DR until last off season when he pretty much stated Gaborik would be signed or gone prior to the 1st game of the season. He didn’t follow through and look where we are now. While Gaborik for a 1st round pick would’ve looked horrible then, how would it be looking now? I’m guessing he could’ve gotten a little more than a 1st anyway.
Forgot Kunitz…still doesn’t change the fact that they were all role players.
Supposedly because we’d be giving up the rights to some other players I want us to re-sign.
As in who? We want NAMES, damnit!
the painful part with rolston was the indication that he could have been extended for a reasonable price either before the season or early in the season.
+1. But on the plus side DR never hurt hurt anybody’s feelings with an in season contract /sarcasm
Ms. C might be OK with that. She said the Pens grew on her during the Final.
Yeah, I’d do Malkin for Clutterbuck (that’s what she said). At least the Pens are a team I’d pay attention to. But they don’t need him with Cookie there. And of course, it’s absurd to the nth degree, so there’s that, too.
Still not an excuse for waiting until the last minute to get something done. On top of that doing the same thing with Backstrom the very next year!
Goody - Hindsight is always 20/20
Russo twitter:
Appears L.A. Kings team to beat for Heatley; Alex Frolov, another & the fifth overall pick I’m hearing; No way Wild can beat that
“Still not an excuse for waiting until the last minute to get something done. On top of that doing the same thing with Backstrom the very next year!”
That I will agree with you on.
“Forgot Kunitz…still doesn’t change the fact that they were all role players.”
Come on man, they got Witney back in that trade and are positioned now where they trade Pronger for picks or prospects.
Kinda like building for the future…
On top of that doing the same thing with Backstrom the very next year!
here’s where I get lost at what the b!itch is about. first DR sux because he lets UFA’s walk for nothing. now, when he didn’t let a UFA walk, it’s he waited too long and, i assume, spent too much because of that.
We want NAMES
Fedotenko, Scuderi and Ben Lovejoy (who we envision as Scuderi’s replacement.)
MPS15: Call me crazy, but doing what you say you’ll do carries a lot of weight with me. Even if it does turn out to be a mistake. Have some balls, take a risk. Sometimes you’ll come out like a rose, sometimes like a pile of dog ****.
I do believe one of DR’s statements ran along the lines of “I don’t want a situation like happened in ATL last season with Hossa.” Well, do nothing Doug got exactly that. I’d argue worse since injury pretty much barred any chance of moving him at the deadline.
IMHO, if we had to give up what LA might give up to get Heatley, I would rather have Kessel. Kessel is a very young player who showed signs last year that he might be a seriously solid NHL’er. Superstar, not yet, but has good potential and he’s very young. Secondly, he will cost us less salary wise.
Lucky and Goody, +1 on that..DR left us in a very tough position this year as you are seeing now.
KiPA, in return for???
If LA is going to get Heatley, that takes then out of the Gaby market which could help change his mindset if that was one of the places he liked.
I don’t know if that’s necessarily true. Dropping Frolov and adding Heatley is about 4.6 million swing in cap hit but they’d still have 20 players signed with cap space to spare. They could conceivably go after Gaborik still.
Now, DR did take a risk in keeping Gaborik. Obviously, dog **** now, could’ve easily been a rose though. Had he not made the statement, I wouldn’t feel so strongly about it.
Call me crazy but in a cap world where saving money is key, it would make sense to have a game plan on who you are going to sign and by what date. Most people around the NHL agree that the Wild over paid about an extra $1Mil a year on Backs because they waited too long to figure something out. Doug learned nothing from his mistakes the previous year. That’s what my b!tch is about.
Oh Lord! I hope we don’t trade down that many spaces. Those guys are a dime a dozen. Except maybe Lovejoy - don’t know anything about them. No offense if intended if you’re a fan Kevin. But *blech*.
Goody: Our first and Dupuis for your first. Plus those rights. If the Fedotenko talks fall through.
*about him, I meant
+1 again Lucky..I said something similar in an earlier post. DR should have known before the last season started whether or not gabby was staying. And at the VERY least, dropped a trade once Gabby turned down the long term contract they offered him.
No offense intended. I’d like to re-sign Scuderi or Lovejoy but Scuderi will be too expensive. Lovejoy’s untested but showed some good signs.
I reeeaaaalllly should be doing something else…
Twitter, this is exactly the sort of thing where I think twitter has value. Up to the minute coverage of important events. Ok, ok, the draft isn’t THAT important in the grand scheme of things, but you get my drift. I think I’d wager quite a bit of money though that 99% of what goes through twitter is “OMG, LIKE I JUST BOUGHT THE COOLEST SHOES!!!”
Who wants Dupuis back??? No thanks Kevin in PA..
TSN says Leafs receive “significant” and “unexpected” offer for Kaberle.
Hmmm, post about twitter awaiting moderation? Did my previous droppings (nudge, nudge, get it?) get me on some sort of list?
I’m not the one making the offer, BT, but I’ll pass it on.
PLEASE bring in Fedotenko! Hal Gill would be a decent pick up too. I’d like to see him and John Scott paired up together… But my guess is Pittsburg is trying to move some of their retreads.
Yeah, I don’t think any of those guys, including Dupuis would improve the team. We need SCORING. Just goals. That’s it. GOALS.
Our first and Dupuis for your first
This is a bad deal for the Wild. even with those rights thrown in. Tinko could be alirhgt I guess, but Scuderi seems very average.
TSN says Leafs receive “significant” and “unexpected” offer for Kaberle.
Hmmmm… I wonder what the offer is.. and who it is from… Damn the suspense is killing me!!
TSN says Leafs receive “significant” and “unexpected” offer for Kaberle.
Well it’s not from us that’s for sure
Thanks Kevin! I appreciate it.
I love this time of the year..
Scuderi would be another Schultz.
I wonder if the Wild think they can still get a guy they really like (Leddy) with Pitt’s pick, and don’t really think there’s that much of a drop off from the guys they think they could grab at 12. With the hopes of course that would be able to sign Scuderi or Lovejoy.
Chris - seriously you’re being a buzzkill and kinda ruining my draft anticipation.
I get that you are trying to be realistic, but at least let us have some hopes.
Scuderi would be another Schultz.
Hmmm… that’s not so bad I guess.
Come on Fletch, bring us gold today or tomorrow
Wild could be team to beat in the Heater sweepstakes..if we would be dumb enough to offer our whole team.
that’ll be the day guns, that’ll be the day
i sure hope this regime either extends or trades burns and koivu this summer then because waiting any longer will mean we will have to overpay…
Wait for it…
I think Fletch will realize that, he is a smart guy. Hey I have my biggest hopes set on resigning Gabby long term. That’s my fun. I don’t want to lead people on about on tho Guns. All this fun is setting up everyone being miserable if nothing big happens which is a possibility.
i wonder when the first trade is going to happen. i think it will be like the flood gates opening…as soon as something goes down, everything is going to happen.
Jordan +1
LMAO
For those of you avoiding Twitter, I think our favorite blogger is quickly becoming a huge fan. Updates are coming quick (Kings in front for Heatley)
you are late, that is old news
G*, I know you are being sarcastic, but I can’t help myself. For anyone who may be thinking along those lines, the GM can’t talk about extending Koivu until after next season and Burns until after the 10/11 season. Remember that contract talks can not be started until the player starts the final year of their contract.
I know it’s late, just trying to get people to realize Russo is moving over to the Twitter Train.
Doesn’t have many followers yet.
Dude, he is up to 258 followers already… he just joined this afternoon.
God i hate Twitter… it makes you me sound like such a twat.
Isn’t twat the past tense of Twitter?
Goal is to get Russo to 1,000 by start of the draft!
Let’s do this people!
I twat I twaw a twitty twat.
how has the moderator not moderated all this talk about twat?
Re: potential Harding trade with the Blues
If we get Backes in a trade with the Blues, it would go a long way toward me trusting Fletch judgement. Backes is a Bull on skates and brings offense. And he’s from Spring Lake Park MN. Yes, one of us. Ooooooohhhh yah!
I gotta beleive Oshie is untouchable.
I would take Erik Johnson, that is about it. They most likely wouldn’t give him up, Oshie, Backes, or any of the top players. Maybe Fletch is just taking their first for Harding.
Russostrib will have a fresh blog up at startribune.com/russo in roughly a half-hour #nhl
I’m with you on Backes. I don’t know what else would be included either way in that trade, but I would like to have him suit up for MN. If I see a bruiser forward with a significant number of goals (31G, 23A), and with more goals than assists, I think of him getting set-up by PMB.
Any info on the other Koivu?
And he’s from Spring Lake Park MN. Yes, one of us.
Is this sarcasm? I can’t tell.
Wild should probably just pick up Tanguay, Koivu, and Kovalev.
I don’t know if I would root for a guy from Spring Lake Park. Too close to coontown for me.
I love how Russo now uses Twitter to Manage Expectations
Easy for4rest, I’m from Andover
Interesting update on TSN about the competition committee:
1. No Winter Classic doubleheader in Calgary.
2. No changes to fighting rules next year
3. No changes to the “head shot” rule, but they believe it should be enforced more.
4. They are continuing to look at reducing goalie gear “proportionality.”
Yes ATX it is sarcasm, directed at no one in particular.
I can actually see your blood pressure rise when the MN player subject comes up. Please let it go.
take that Calgary!
Indeed Pewter. It does get me going.
Gunslinger,just kidding. I have some good friends from and in coontown.
FOODZ!!
new blog guys
I hear Saku Koivu’s name brought up on a regular basis. Can someone tell me why we would want a late-30’s, PMB-sized center? It’s not like the Koivu’s are the Sedins, so the brother thing is irrelevant. Are we looking to add more Spin-o-turnover power to our lineup?
