Alexandron

Thanks for the info. Sad news regarding our very valuable players Brodin and EEK. Those surgeries are not as simple, especially in recovery time. Hopefully, they will restore their strength as fast as possible.

I am still concerned too for our team regarding the Wild backup goalie for 2025-26 season. Wallstedt, Petersen, even Hlavaj in my opinion, are not ready yet for the big club to play. I agree, maybe only tryouts during pre-season will be helpful to see who would present more promise in that position. Probably experienced Kahkonen would be a better candidate for a backup goalie position if he is still available. But not sure for GM plans during off season.

Thanks . Very nice interview. No questions, he is a well built star with 2 Stanley Cups in his records (Blues and Panthers). I am sure, before signing this contract he talked well to Kaprizov and Kaprizov talked to GM for a contract as well too. Both have same agents according to this interview. If Tarasenko required to move to the Wild team, it really means a lot. I don't remember that in the Wild history. I just wish that not only Tarasenko and Kaprizov will build a strong friendship, but entire team (every member of the team) will build a friendship as well as like Panthers did with their team. It seems it is a main key success for that team after listening a long discussion about their 3 years in a row Stanley Cup way success. Our players (doesn't matter who they are veterans, or youngsters) should not seat separately or by groups in a locker room but next to each other as a very very united team. Interesting also, Nico Sturm is a Stanley Cup winner with Avalanche team in 2021-22 season and played 8 playoffs games for Panthers this 2024-25 season which means he has a nice playoffs experience as well. It seems he is a strong very well developed player too who played for our team before for 3 seasons. Plus Yurov ( a recent Gagarin Cup winner) could give us some benefits also to move us towards the Stanley Cup finals. Hope, the regular season 2025-26 will help us to build a pretty nice team to compete against very tough teams such Vegas, Edmonton, Dallas, Kings, Avalanche , St. Louis, and Florida teams (Lightning and of course, Panthers). Overall, NHL league is not an easy league to play there, but we always live with some better hope. Actually, our team was not as bad this playoffs season. I like it the most in a last 11 seasons.

Definitely, he is a much better, star level than Gaudreau, Johansson, Nyquist, Rossi... especially on PP, plus enormous experience in playoffs. I just hope he is in a good health, because he had some health issues before. Why not to have a scoring line Red Wings #2 in our Wild team? May that will bring us to the Cup finals, which we are already waiting for a long long 25 years as a Wild fans?

Regarding a draft last weekend, among 21 drafted Russian prospects every 3rd player was a goalie ( total there were 7 Russian goalie prospects). None of them were taken by the Wild club. The best one Andriyanov (1st round) was taken by Blue Jackets , Frolov went to Hurricanes, and Medvedev to Canucks. The rest 4 went to other clubs. I am still not sure if we have really playoffs caliber goalies in our team. Kind of my biggest concern. Gustavsson didn't show superb consistency , and Wallstedt showed even less consistency than our previous promising prospect Kahkonen. Not sure if Wallstedt is ready as a backup goalie for the main team yet. Actually, Kahkonen was the best goalie in AHL when played in Iowa, but not Wallstedt, and played not bad in Minnesota either. Interesting also, if our Iowa Wild team will make some nice progress with a new experienced head coach.

Interesting, just discovered a flyer. Minnesota will host World Junior Championship in 2 arenas (Xcel Energy Center and Mariucci ) from December 26, 2025 - January 5, 2026. Schedule already published.

According to media, draft 2025 has 3 Russian promising goalie prospects : Andreyanov (GAA 1.75); Frolov ( GAA varied for 3 different teams in a season 2024-25 1.83-2.05-2.75); Medvedev (GAA 2.79). Maybe the Wild has a chance to draft one of them?

Agree, good for him and Seattle. But it is good for us as well , because he opened the window in the main club , probably, for Ohgren or maybe other young promising productive prospects. Definitely, we need to look more in direction to make our team much more productive and younger in comparison as we are now.

I listened recently on YouTube a nice analytical discussion regarding Florida Panthers success for 3 years in a row who reached the finals. I noticed from this discussion that the biggest part of their success is a superb very friendly atmosphere in the team among the players as well as with the coaching staff. Without that, even any very talented player has different levels of suppression. I think also for our Wild team we need to add by signing or by drafting one talented Russian goalie because they have a long long history of success in that part of hockey. In the Wild team of 25 years of history we had only for a half of the season a pretty good experienced goalie Bryzgalov who helped the team to get a playoffs spot. And that was it. Small example, for the last 6 years in a row 2 Russian goalies brought their teams to Stanley Cup Finals, which is enormous achievement ( 3 times Vasilevsky for Lightning and 3 times Bobrovsky for Panthers). And they helped their teams to win 4 Cups in those 6 years. Personally for me, Bobrovsky is merit to be in a Hall of Fame for his an outstanding play and his achievements during his NHL career, especially on a road games which is really disturbing an opposite teams.

I just read the media note from yesterday(June 23rd), that Flyers are going to sign a KHL star Maxim Shabanov by July 1st.

Very nice and detailed article was published today by Tony Abbott at hockeywilderness.com " What (Actually Good) Lessons Can the Wild Learn From the Panthers? Completely agree with him that we don't have enough amount of real playoffs talented players also capable to play a dirty, mean playoffs hockey. He placed the list of a not Cup players in our team. I will add Nyquist too, if he is still our player.

Florida Panthers reached Stanley Cup finals 3 years in a row and won the Cup 2 years in a row already. Many games they won on a road. Overall, it is a huge achievement for the NHL team!!! In my opinion, this team is a team of real warriors. One of them is our Wild former player defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (2 goals ;3 assists this playoffs season), who won this Cup twice already. He was a warrior for our team too in 2021-22 season. For the Wild team's records and individual players records that season was one of the best in the Wild history. We need to build a team of warriors. Talent is not enough. Goalie is also must be a warrior like Bobrovsky for 3 Stanley Cup finals 3 years in a row. He is probably a candidate for Hall of Fame in NHL. I am sure many NHL coaches will be carefully analyzing the continuous success of the Florida Panthers team. Congratulations to this outstanding team!!!

Media is comparing him with Kirill Kaprizov level. Very speedy, very skilled , very smart. 67 points in 65 games of past regular season, and 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 21 playoffs games for Gagarin Cup, MVP helped to bring his team to the playoffs finals. That player is not for AHL level. He has now almost 160 lbs , but with American food he can easily gain up to 200 lbs. like Kaprizov did the same here.

I also would like to add, that initially Rossi was not as a good player , had difficulties to read the game during his play (was not making the right decisions during the game, he didn't know how to play the right game). And 3 years ago the coaching staff put a lot time for him personally (spent entire summer) to make out of him a really good player. After that he started to play well for 2 seasons. He should appreciate what the team (coaches, players) gave to him during his career here. Even last year he played all 82 games plus 6 playoffs games. Definitely he has a talent, but only a talent is not enough to be a real NHL professional player. Hopefully, he will find a team with a satisfying long offer ( probably $7-8 mln. per year for 6-7 years).

Yes. It seems he wants the same contract as Boldy has. There are at least 5 teams who want him: Flyers, Sabres, Blackhawks, Canadiens, Kraken and maybe Penguins. Will see who will pay the most for him.