EmptyShelf

I am fine with Hartman, and like this signing. Not Zucc at that ridiculous price/term - a total reach. It is also the fall-off in proven skill from the beginning of last year to this year that I am worried about. There is a lot of hope in our young players and old nags that leads me to believe we will move up in lottery position.

But, I will bet the new GM dumps Rask after seeing his first stride and cross-over. There is no need to validate that tire fire transaction now.

CL is also going to need to pay above market, and agree to hand-off ALL decisions and cease all communication (benign, subversive, etc). He needs to be only an owner - neither seen nor heard from at HQ. Otherwise, we have no chance to get the right guy for this mess. There is a DRAW to this job - MN is a hockey hotbed, fan support is bordeline stupid loyal, and the resources are there (stadium, etc). However, there has to be a 180° shift from the top - I am looking directly at you CL. CL should hire someone with the pedigree to find the right guy and accept the decision without condition, as he has failed countless times himself in hockey-related assessments.

What you need in our next GM: 1) experience in management of the front office coupled with top people skills 2) the accumen to make an unvarnished overall assessment of the franchise and to formulate a 1, 3, and 5 year plan to get far in the playoffs 3) top scouting connections and proven assessment skills 4) the fortitude to stand up to and to clear out the malignancy in the organization; starting with the scouting department, no new deal for 9, and any/all prospective trades for 20 and 11 (literally give them away - addition by subtraction - there is nothing more to assess therein, they are just not the answer to anything; success or as assets). I know this flies counter to my past ranting about maximizing assets, but culture is being crushed by these three, as they are infecting everyone. In short, we need a dynamic leader with a plan and the BALLS to advise CL exactly where we are, and where we need to get to, for continuous deep playoff runs. I don't see that guy out there at present, and i am not sure CL would hire this type of 'alpha male,' he is more inclined to the subservient 'beta male' that is comfortable in only 'making a few tweaks' and lapping up what CL spills. No promising prospects at present, so keep interim GM until you find him, and make some decisions you know have to be made (Rask elimination, Spurgeon deal, demotions in lineup for Country Club). It will be a tough year.....but worth it to rip off the bandaid now, and get a better lottery chance the next couple of years.

See ILLA comments above bold. I advised a few weeks back that what I had heard in terms of the culture in the Front Office was a HORROR SHOW (Back Biting, Psychotic control issues, paranoia, etc - potentially not only an environment where great talent like analytics would run away from, but mass litigation just awaiting a trigger). I heard that CL had no concept of the ego PL would acquire post promotion, as well as the hubris in APPOINTING his son to a significant role in the administration of the draft with 3 years experience, and the damage that would cause. The abysmal trades and signings did matter, but I think the two bold points above created an urgency that had to be addressed. Meanwhile, $ in the form of revenue is plummeting by the truckload.....

Fenton is utterly incompetent: 1). Filip Johansson pick 2). NN trade 3). Granlund trade 4). Bitetto acquistionand playing mandate 5). zuccarello signing with yet another multi year NMC/NTC 6). Two failed trades of Zucker 7). Appointing inexperienced son to ‘run the draft’ - demonstrating both nepotism and poor judgment 9). No foresight for Seattle expansion draft How many more gaffes can you make in 12 months? Feel free to add to the list. This guy is a ‘franchise killer’ with an ego to boot and is an HR nightmare. Cut bait now....enough is enough.

Yes, and they have been burned by regulars with skating issues before - see Rask at present, and in past drafts- Zack Phillips and others. I just don't understand how there are so many mixed messages - we want youth and speed in Fiala and Donato, but we don't want to keep the speed of Zucker. We then draft some players that don't have speed (see our #1 this year), or have skating issues. We also lose when we play teams of size in the playoffs for several years (see St. Louis and Winnipeg), but then get rid of some size at F, in Coyle and Nino, and go smaller/softer Fiala and Donato (and in the draft last year with our #1 at D). Sounds to me like a 'brain-trust', and I use that term loosely, that has no clue, and is just flailing and throwing out rationale and excuses for continued inexplicable decision making....It is why I dumped my season tix - NO PLAN

Aggressive and Attacking are two adjectives that are compelling. Did you hear the comparison of Boldy to Mikko Rantanen by one of the talking heads - that would be a pleasant surprise.

I would also add that having his size and upside as a #2 or #3 W, is better than having the #5 or #6 C or D. Wild need to quit drafting for need and draft the BPA. The question for me came down to Boldy v Caulfield v Krebs. Size is a challenge for 1-2 of them, while 1 also has an injury that might slow development and recovery. I think each of them has significant upside, but Krebs maybe a fraction lower than Boldy and Caulfield. Caulfield might be a generational scorer, but only in the RIGHT situation, which I don't think is the Wild (we also have too many small stature players like; Donato, Fiala, that we are building around). Thus, Boldy seems to have the least risk, but still high potential reward.

Paranoid is to say that you CANNOT state the above opinion on this website. I don't disagree on Boldy. The Wild also cannot afford to whiff in the early rounds of the draft any longer (like last year - they have spent their credibility with many STH's/fans). Yet, Suter and Parise have been boat anchors on this franchise for years, DO go directly to CL, and from all indications DO have way too much say in line-ups, line-mates, TOI, coaching decisions (e.g. hiring their own, and inducing a firing). Few would dispute these viewpoints by this point, and we still have years left - it was only going to be more obvious over the next several years. Perhaps Fenton has finally realized this, and will de-emphasize their influence - which would be a good thing for the franchise,

I saw the US National Team once this year. Very highly skilled team, with a ton of goal scorers and playmakers. The biggest question for me, would be whose game DEFINITELY transfers to the NHL. Lots of prognosticators out there. From what I have heard: No question on Hughes (rare player: high floor/crazy ceiling), Turcotte (high floor/high ceiling), Caulfield (lower floor/high to almost crazy ceiling - needs right environment/not likely on Wild), Zegras (looks to be solid floor/above average to high ceiling), and I would say Boldy (high floor/above average to high ceiling with right linemates and system). In short, safe pick, but has potential to excel. A much more sensible pick than what I was expecting - YES, we can phuck up our 1st round picks with the best of them (Thelen, Bouchard, Pouliot, Sheppard, Gillies, Cuma, Phillips, and the most inexplicable of them all: Johansson). Boldy should outperform this group of dregs....but we did not push all our chips in on a potential boom/bust like Caulfield (I think he will excel, but wouldn't have on the Wild). Fenton also could not afford to wait on another player like the Russian (Podkolzin), as he may not be here by the time he is available to Wild in 2 years, even though he may have the 'third highest ceiling' in this draft. Just my $.02

Not sure about Friday. We’ll find an opportunity. Just think ego and maniacal control issues - abounding.

Oh, and I gave them an earful....at several levels..on behalf of myself and several other STH's I know (a few of which are also dropping).

I would be happy to fill you in with more offline or at a bar. The GM hire just dumped gunpowder into an non-contained fire.....It was time for me to cease donating to a $hit$how with no end in sight

Modano - Desperate backup plan for BOZO the clown; AKA: Paul Fenton