CreaseAndAssist

Those are names I thought about briefly, but I couldn't use Andy Sutton because we got him in the expansion draft. Zbynek Michalek, that reasonable serviceable defenseman we spent the time to develop and then just tossed him away for Erik Westrum and some other minor league defenseman?!?! Yea, I thought about him but since I somewhat based my decision on points he didn't quite make the cut. But he would've fit the parameters since like Dupuis, we didn't draft him and signed him as a free agent out of major junior. Joel Ward is another good find. We didn't keep him long enough, but he had some good years. Not too shabby for a guy who took the super rare Canadian college route to the NHL. Points-wise he still gets edged out. Leddy and Tuch are disqualified from this list because we drafted them. But you're right...they are certainly players whom the team will look back after their careers are done and wished we hadn't let them get away. Heck even now...both of them could've helped fix some holes on this team. The Leddy deal...our best defenseman at the time AND Leddy for Cam Barker. I can understand maybe one-for-one in that kind of a deal...but why were we giving two players away when IMO were the club that was selling in that one.

I simply tried to create the best Wild team I could with the parameters I set. The defense for this team is nothing to get excited about and calling any of them stars is a gross overstatement. Yet if I want anyone to read it...star talent sounds better than the average to above average talent that passed through the Minnesota Wild. I could've stuck to just forwards and its a more respectable team, but since I drafted a full team with my obscurity team...i thought might as well draft a full squad again.

Well I wouldn't think they'd sign a GM they didn't feel was on board with their vision. While Fenton turned out to be a jackpipe to those in the Wild front office and media..he was trying to fulfill the owner's vision. He wasn't just straight up rebuild. It was an attempt to reconstruct the team on the fly. While I wouldn't mind Hextall, he may not fit with what Leipold wants, especially if he plans to run things the same way he did with the Flyers. Don't get me wrong...a lot of us would have been less critical of Fenton if he stuck with the "younger and faster" mantra he claimed to want to establish. The problem was he made moves that contradicted it and it was clear there was no real vision. It was just random things and by the sounds of it...he'd make a move or two and then go on vacation.

Wild GM Search Begins in Earnest...who is out there? I wrote some quick summaries on some of the candidates available. Mellanby seems like an interesting choice, although his role seems to have been similar to what Fenton had with the Predators before he came here. Lots of options and so far it seems like the team is not going to rush it which is (probably) a good thing. Enjoy and discuss....

No, he isn't. He said as much on Barriero the day it was announced Fenton was fired. Also, Russo said Kurvers isn't in the mix mostly because of his health concerns. It amazing how many different people, not just Minnesota media but national media that either tweeted or wrote parts of articles saying how the Wild should not hire Chiarelli. Even though he may fit the experience requirement, but given his mistakes and with the talent he's squandered in his tenures in Boston and Edmonton...they know fans will riot and credibility will be damaged further by hiring Chiarelli.

Not sure where you put Rask other than either 3rd or 4th lines. @IllaZilla's comment about Russo's revealing the Wild did just about no homework on Rask is about as damning as it gets. The sad but funny thing is, what actually happened was worse and more pathetic than we even speculated here.

Its obviously relative to what our team is. But these are the most statistically significant players that fit the parameters I set.

Chiarelli can go to hell. Its either going to be Hextall or Don Waddell by what I've heard. Not sure why any of us need an Oilers fan trying to convince us that Chiarelli is anything other than a massive mistake machine.

Great point. Although isn't that due to the fact the team isn't really that entertaining and companies are hoping to schmooze clients elsewhere? Especially with a team that was such a buzzkill at home last year.

Leipold himself seemed to indicate he really started to feel that way after the exit interviews. Which is why you really have to question his attentiveness / understanding in letting the Zuccarello deal happen?

Well now the guy who would be Fiala and Donato's biggest advocates is gone. It will be interesting to see how this organization now handles him. But the crappy thing is, whoever is the new GM. They now have to make due with Fiala because of what we gave up to get him. No matter what...they'll need to mend a lot of burnt bridges out there.

Nah. Leipold shouldn't be let off the hook for cutting the cord. He still let it go on too long. If he was there at Free Agency and just let the Zuccarello deal happen, IMO he's just as guilty for the lack of foresight by this organization.

According to Russo in an interview he gave on KFAN. He said it wasn't about the trades as bad as they were. It was more about his irritability and struggle to change and work with those within the organization. Not to mention his lack of initiative in regards to re-signing Spurgeon, he was a total failure.

Wild Fire GM Paul Fenton I give my thoughts on the move to fire Paul Fenton, as well as share media thoughts, fans thoughts too. He clearly burned all of his bridges rather quickly and when he finally angered Ryan and Zach enough they dropped the axe on him. A strange day indeed...

Iowa Wild Hire Alex Tanguay as assistant coach & '19-'20 Iowa Wild Season thoughts It might seem a tad bit premature to talk about Iowa's upcoming season. But with Tanguay's hire and a roster I think is kind of predictable I decided to comment and pose some thoughts about it all. Enjoy and discuss.

That's a fair fear. Just a mediocre club that isn't bad enough for a lottery pick but still no where really near the playoffs. Yea, that is a miserable place to be.

For me, the inability to attract a top tier forward with that cap space speaks loud and clear. This organization is irrelevant and not looking like a winner. IMO, this was sort of like an absentee intervention. Where you are intent on hosting a party and no one shows up. Hmm...how should I read into this. Maybe...(gasp) no one really wants to be here. IMO, the action you take then is to dismantle the team as much as you can. But instead, we added some more old plywood. It isn't the worst construction material but its worn and isn't what it used to be and won't make a substantial difference but it will give the appearance of having plugged a hole or two maybe. I agree with @IllaZilla's premise that it was a move Fenton felt he had to make so he had someone of note to show for. Yet at the end of the day, I think most of us realize it won't be enough. Its a shame. I'd rather give the kids the keys to the car and develop and go through the growing pains that way instead of keeping the Wild retirement community intact so they get most of the prime time.

As they should. This team will be a bottom feeder and probably for a while.

In case anyone missed it...The Hockey News' latest issue had the Wild picked as one of 3 teams to be named a LOSER in NHL Free Agency because they felt the Zuccarello signing was counterproductive and not impactful enough to justify the deal they gave him. Not that many here would disagree but I just thought I'd pile on just a little more.

Hahahaha...not that I want Aberg anymore, but he was far less counter productive than Bitetto. Bitetto helped the opposition on any shift he took.

Let us not forget that a lot of the rest of the Central Division kind of slowed down or struggled at the same time. The Wild even had a rough patch where it didn't lose ground but eventually our opponents were going to start to win games. Minnesota didn't and it fell to the bottom of the division...which is probably where they'll be...batting it out with Chicago for last place in the Central.

(shrugs) I am more with Hockey78 on this one. By the time we got most of these players listed their best days were past them. They were a step or three slower and they couldn't do what they used to do in many cases so they were relegated to Power Play specialists. Of that team I put together, only Rolston and to a lesser extent Daigle outperformed their expectations. Brian Rolston is my favorite Wild player of all time. Consistent, a leader...didn't complain and I didn't hold it against him for wanting to be paid since we got him on a bargain deal. But interestingly, that Wild team let Rolston go. This Wild team, sort of in a similar situation with Eric Staal...after having a terrible season (after a really good one the year before) we locked him up for two more years.

In full disclosure...I did have Setoguchi and Cooke in the original version. Yet as I thought and considered names from the past and since I wanted the 'best' Wild team I could make of people that fit the requirements I swapped them out. Setoguchi SHOULD have been able to make this list...but the career numbers just didn't pan out after that promising 1st season. Cullen certainly demonstrates how longevity and consistency (albeit modest totals) can help someone pile up the points.

While I've heard nothing but good things about his effort and creativity, I do question his ability to score himself. It will be interesting to see what he's like once he recovers from yet another major injury.

They Were Once Wild: The Star Talent That Passed Through Minnesota In this retrospective, I look back at the Star talent that was not drafted by the team and stayed here less than 5 seasons. Collectively its not a bad team I put together, but too bad we didn't get most of them when they were in their prime. Check it out and discuss.