McMahon 6

I hate to break it to ya, Chipper, but it looks like you have one of those cheap counterfeits made in China... if it had a nice, low serial number, you'd be sitting on a nice chunk of coin. As far as the Kaprisov situation goes, for no good logical reason, I get the feeling that things will work out reasonably well in the end. Not sure why this is: maybe it's a dose of blind, stupid optimism that I just ingested (at least I think that's what the yellow barrel-shaped pills are for.. the street pharmacist neglected to label the bottle) A not so illogical reason to be hopeful is the antics of Kap himself: as others have noted on this thread, he has made a pain in the ass of himself for quite some time now. If he continues doing so, other GMs are bound to notice, and #97 might not have the leverage he thinks he does if he decides to try his negotiation tactics elsewhere. At least in MN, Kap would have a sure thing: an organization ready/willing/able to build around him on the ice, and rock star celebrity status off the ice. In a place like NY, he'd be just another blue shirt on the ice, and virtually unknown to most of the population off the ice ("Kapri-who? Never heard of him. Is he the new communist party boss or something?") Hardly seems worth an extra mill or two a year.

Yep, Guerin's actions make it pretty clear that he was willing to give Kap the keys to everything in the franchise minus the old country club membership. It'd be a crying shame if he ends up being a marquee player for another team. Dream shot # 1 is that the parties work something out, and after the Wild reach salary cap freedom, Kaprisov will decide that his best chance at the Cup and a big payday is to re-up right here in Minnesota. If that fails to materialize, dream shot #2 would be for Kap to turn into a flash in the pan bust shortly after we've traded him for a boatload of assets. I for one would gleefully watch him kick himself at the thought of passing up an 8 year deal when he had the chance. That would be a facepalm moment right up there with Decca Records, who turned down a chance to cheaply sign The Beatles to a recording contract in January 1962 because (A) The Beatles didn't sound good enough to sell records in commercial quantities, and (B) even if they were good, guitar bands in general were a passing fad on the verge of going out of style. Can you imagine having that dude as a scout or GM on your favorite hockey team?

I'm seldom one to side with ownership or management in these types of situations. Especially after NHL owners killed the 2012 season in the name of "cost certainty" then wasted no time making a lie out of their own "cost certain" system by handing out Kovalchuk-sized contracts left and right. But I've gotta agree with ^this^ assessment: if offering a max length 8 year deal after a 55 game audition isn't being reasonable and generous, I don't know what is. I too hope that Guerin sticks to his guns. The sad part is, fans like myself (and most others who wear Wild gear at the local watering holes I frequent) were finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel, and finally has reason to be optimistic about the Wild's future. The buyouts of (names redacted) made it clear that Guerin had finally convinced Leipold to clean house and start fresh. We were willing to embrace the suck for three dead cap space years, knowing that an instant supporting cast of NHL ready talent for #97 would quickly follow. But if Kap decides to pull a Gaborik on the organization, he can pound sand IMO. If it does come to that, I just hope we get good value for him in trade -- probably easier said than done when other GMs see our leverage situation in the bargain. If we end up getting nothing for him like we did with Groinpull Gaborik, it's gonna be the Minnesota "No Stars" all over again: goodbye warming house, goodbye team of 18,000, and hello fan apathy with Met Center sized crowds. Man, I really hope that something gets worked out: it'd be a helluva a lot of fun to watch a Wild team loaded for bear in 2025 with Kaprisov in his prime.

Either that or we're becoming the Nashville Predators before the owner there decided to sell the team. The fortunes of the Preds sure improved after CL left the picture there. Could Leipold history be on the verge of repeating itself here? If this theory pans out, y'all heard it here first.

I don't like the NTC either, considering the $5 million price tag. For some reason, MN general managers don't appear to have mastered the art of saying "If you want an NTC, the money goes down to $3 million: if you want the 5 mill, then scratch the NTC. Your choice: I'm cool with either deal." At worst, that would've left wiggle room for Goligoski and his agent to haggle the price up to $4 million, saving a million in cap space. I doubt that teams were standing in line to pay more than that for a player his age (unless he turns into another Ageless Wonder like Lidstrom, in which case an extension for $2.5 million per would be perfectly acceptable...)

Either that, or the guy calling for the pass could go with the universal standby that transcends all languages: "HEY!!!" (or if Pius Suter is the one with the puck, "Hey, POPE!!":) Agree with TFG that 5 mill is a bit stiff to rent a pair of wheels with 36 years on them. Then again, it is only for one year, and we are a bit skinny on D: at least BG didn't pull a Fletcher and give yet another aging retread a multi year early retirement package. And Goligoski should be a good upgrade in blue line veteran leadership - both on the ice and in the locker room - from the recently unloaded cancer we had in that spot. IMO, it'll be four years before we get a chance to see what Guerin really has for general managerial chops: when he has some good cards in his hand and a decent chip stack to play. But if overpaying a bit to rent Goligoski for a year is the "worst" move that BG makes between now and then, I'll take it. GO WILD!!!

I wonder if fans at the X will boo Suter like they still do in Nashville. Personally, I'd love to see him in a Blackhawks sweater, or anyone else in our division for that matter. The Kaprisovs, Fialas and EEKs of the world must be licking their chops at the thought be being "defended" by #20. I would make a decent sized wager that our PP stats improve considerably this coming season. Not only have we shed the dead weight that made our PP a de facto 4 on 4, but if whoever signs Suter puts him out on the PK, he'll save us the trouble of setting up screens in front of the net with his fire hydrant / pylon "positional strength". I kinda feel sorry for the goalie who has to spend 15-20 minutes a game staring at his backside from two feet away. Can't wait for hockey season to start. Thanks to Bill Guerin, the country club days of inmates running the asylum are gone. And it's looking like the days of has-beens like Pominville, Heatley and Vanek coming to Minnesota for one final pre-retirement payday are history as well. If BG can use smoke and mirrors to keep the nucleus of the franchise intact for the three cap-lean years coming up, he'll have good cards in his hand, and lots of chips to play with. * GO WILD!!! * "Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put." Winston Churchill

Totally agree that a 5 year deal would be the sweet spot for the very reason you mention: it'd give the Wild a chance to say "OK, Kaps, our boat anchors are finally off the books and we have salary cap freedom. Here comes your supporting cast, and they're all NHL ready right now!" Any pieces we can add between now and then from Iowa or elsewhere would be gravy. If the Kaprisov camp refuses to go longer than 3 years, then the Wild might be best served to go the sign and shop route. At any rate, Guerin has hopefully pulled the 8 year deal off the table, in the unlikely chance that #97 turns out to be a 55 game flash in the pan. I can almost see it now: Kaprisov camp: "Don't read too much into the second season stats: everyone gets the sophomore jinx. Everything will be fine. By the way, that 8 year deal sounds good after all: where do we sign?" Guerin: "You had your chance to be set for life after 55 games, and ya blew it. Let's wait another season to see if that jinx goes away before we talk more money." Personally, I think Kaprisov is the real deal, but ya never know from one abbreviated season: if he does get an 8 year deal and turns into another Brian Lawton or Dave Archibald, we'll all be screaming "Didn't the Wild learn anything from Suter and Parise about the risk of long term deals?!"

If it's dollars that Kaprisov wants, he would've jumped at the Wild's 8 year offer. I think you hit it right on the head by thinking that Kap is waiting to see what the team looks like in a few years before deciding to commit long term. A decent center would go a long way in this regard. So would some toughness to put the fear of God into opponents who declare open season on the Granlunds, Zuckers and Kaprisovs of the world. Kap's enthusiastic demeanor on the ice and on the bench gives me the impression that he likes it here a lot. If Guerin can keep it that way, a contract extension down the road could be a relatively easy sell. And as you suggest, if things don't end up going south, the Wild could shop him early and get enough assets in trade to have a fast rebuild on their hands. So far, Guerin appears to be making good, sensible decisions: a refreshing change from previous GMs here. I'm more optimistic about the Wild's future than I have been in several years, and I'm also optimistic about Kaprisov wearing #97 with us for a long time. Many pro athletes don't want to come to Minnesota because it's perceived as small market flyover country. But once they get here, more often than not, they don't want to leave (and if they do finish their careers elsewhere, they end up coming back and buying a home in MN to raise their family, with the original McMahon 6 and several former North Stars being cases in point)

Personally, I'd even be OK with a 4 year deal, though longer would be better. 55 games is indeed a small sample size, but there are run-of-the-mill Calder winners, then there are Calder winners who have legit superstar written all over them. Kaprisov's performance puts him in the latter category IMO. If the Wild blow this one, they might have to wait a decade or more before they get another chance to take a swing at playing hardball. If Kap is good with less money for a shorter term, I say pull the trigger and do it. If guys like Fiala, EEk, Brodin and others continue their upward trends, prospects like Boldy plus a Russian or two join the supporting cast, and the team is finally free of the salary cap handcuffs 4 years from now, Kaprisov may very well decide that his best chance at getting the big trophy is to re-up right here in Minnesota. If I'm the Wild organization, I'd be making arrangements right now to plaster #97 on every marketing tool under the sun, hiring an artist to paint a massive mural or billboard at the X where Kap can't miss it any time he comes to work, and doing whatever it takes to convince him that being the face of the franchise here would be just as lucrative - and a helluva lot more fun - than being just another face on a NY or LA roster. And besides, the fishing is better in MN than NY or LA. Eureka! I smell a bidding war coming for fishing boat endorsement contracts. The Wild marketing department and Kap's agent can thank me later.

The most expensive 4 points in hockey history!

Bingo. Suter apologists would whip out the "he leads the team in assists" line any time someone dared to say anything negative realistic about #20. I wonder how many of them noticed the assist totals plummet after he lost his secondary assist meal ticket (*cough* Granlund) Suter might be a serviceable roster addition for a team with holes in their blue line, but like C&A and other posters have noted, I would not expect anything big from him if I were a fan of the team that picks him up. This goes double if that team decides to use Suter on the PP: the guy is no threat to shoot - or do much else other than dump the puck off to a winger on the half wall - so he in effect turns a power play into a de facto 4 on 4 situation. Parise, on the other hand, probably has a couple more useful seasons in him if he can stay healthy. Though that's a big "if". At any rate, #11 showed something resembling hustle and effort on the ice, and showed genuine joy when a teammate scored: at least the guy made some attempt to earn his boat anchor contract. Suter, not so much: he was almost always the last guy to join the celebration after a goal, and after a half-hearted helmet pat or two, the first to leave (probably headed to the scorer's table to beg for an osmosis point...)

Hot damn! I'm off to the liquor store to get a bottle of fine champagne to celebrate! I didn't expect BG to pull the trigger on both of 'em at the same time. With advance apologies to LiG, that was a BiG ballsy move by Guerin. I like it, though: the cap hits are a bummer, but at least we get enough cap space for Kap, and removed some serious clubhouse cancer at the same time. I'm having a much easier time being optimistic about the Wild's chances going forward. Heck, if the Kraken take Dumba off our hands, optimism could give way to downright excitement. GO WILD!!! Bill Guerin

The last 2 and 1/2 games were sure a helluva lot of fun. This Wild team is starting to take on a different flavor IMO: in previous playoffs, the team was so obviously one-and-done that most of us were probably thinking "Let's get this over with as quickly and painlessly as possible." After witnessing this year's performance, though, I'm thinking more like: if VGK is a legit Cup contender, the Wild sure gave 'em all they could handle. Heck, if we can get a good center, some supporting cast for Kaps, and a tough guy to put the fear of God into opponents who declare open season on our guys, this team could make some serious post-season noise in short order. I wonder where BG would possibly find enough cap space to make any or all of this happen... hmmm... (sarcastically scratching head here:) And lastly, I would like to give a huge shout-out and thank you to LiG and Sota for their continuing tireless work on this board. I haven't had a chance to hop on much these days due to funky work hours and such, but do try to read your analysis and reviews whenever possible. It never disappoints: always enjoyable, and greatly appreciated! Can't wait to see what Kaprisov and the gang can deliver in a full season. GO WILD!!!

It looks like message was received, even if the timing was less than ideal. Parise did step it up a notch when he was on the ice, and that double five hole goal was a thing of beauty: even an NFL long snapper would've been proud/jealous of that hike. There is one other player in serious need of the same message, and I think we all know who that is. As far as hate and conspiracy theories go, you still won't see a whole lot of love for Parise or Suter - particularly the latter - on these boards. But there's a helluva lot more optimism going on these days: a massive thanks to #97 for that. And seeing the strides made by guys like EEk and Fiala this year doesn't hurt the positivity factor either. Heck, if BG can find a way to unload one or both of the boat anchors early and use the cap space to build around Kaprisov, optimism will turn into downright giddiness (not to mention a seriously legit Cup contender) And speaking of Kaps, if he doesn't take home the Calder this year, then we know the fix is in.

I see what ya mean, Sota. Went to the watering hole last night and asked the bartender to put on the Wild game: the poor guy spent the better part of 10 minutes trying to find the channel before another customer said "They're not playing tonight, you imbecile: ya call yourself a fan?!" In full disclosure, I've only been watching Minnesota hockey since Doug Mohns took over #6 from the original McMahon 6 after he got traded to the Blackhawks for some dude named Reid (and the customer at the watering hole looked old enough to be his dad...) Been working some funky hours in April, but May is looking normal enough to possibly make these GDTs become a party of four. The next two weeks will be interesting: if we can hang with the big dogs, the days of one and done post seasons may finally be over with. I for one would be cool with Minnesota hockey in June. Go Wild!!

Ah, yes... my blood pressure would rocket up every time I saw all three Wild forwards doing a perpetual cycle-jerk behind the net. Now that #97 has proven that he can cycle the puck all by himself, it's only a matter of time before his English gets good enough to chew out any imbeciles who insist on staying magnetically attached to the boards the entire shift. Давайте идти дикий!!

This place probably cleared out when word got out that we're a bunch of old fogies with AARP cards. Tho being north of 50 and a card carrying member myself, it's nice to know that I'm not the oldest fart on this board. Another fun win by the Wild last night: caught the last two periods at the local watering hole. It's nice to see the good guys banking points against the likes of the Sharks and the Yotes: good teams are supposed to put away teams in their rear view mirror. And dare I say it? The Wild are looking like a pretty darn good team these days. Kaprisov has long term superstar written all over him. The way I see it, we're two boat anchors away from being a legit Cup contender.

It could've been worse: Leipold could've paid them in denarii rather than sestercii.. Perhaps that's how the deal went down: Leipold didn't have any denarii on him, so he paid them in sestercii and quadrupled the length of the originally intended contracts to make up the difference.

Bingo. Drives me crazy to watch our speed guys slam on the brakes at the blue line to say onside. Drives me doubly crazy when two of the PP guys have the acceleration of a Ford Pinto or an AMC Gremlin. By the time they get back up to "speed" in the offensive zone, the PK has already iced the puck so we get the privilege of watching Suter make his ponderous way back to our zone to start the whole damn thing over again. IMO, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is not insanity: it's stupidity.

If your seats at the X are close enough to the ice, next time #20 decides to stand motionless in front of the crease with his thumb up his as$ while his partner does all the defensive work (which happens about two dozen times per game) how about yelling out "Hey Suter, there's a dog pissing on your skates!" I'll knock back a cold one in your honor if it's loud enough to get picked up on TV.

I say bring 'em on. The Wild are virtually unbeatable whenever I wear an Avs sweater at the local watering hole. Looking forward to screaming "YAAAAAHHHH!!!" a few times there tonight. I dunno about the rest of the folks on this board, but I have trouble avoiding the trap of getting overly giddy watching the roll we've been on lately. But after enduring years of ineptitude courtesy of the Three Stooges #9, #11 and #20, it sure is nice to find an excuse for joy and giddiness. Thank you, #97!! Now if we could only find a way to unload the two remaining stooges, a.k.a. Laurel and Hardy. Had a strange dream last night: Kaprisov, Granlund and Zucker were on the same line for the Wild. Just when they were about to go on a PP with Spurge and Brodin, the damn alarm went off.

Faaaak.. that was a disappointing end to a fine hockey game. Good night all.

I say give the man a chance: put him out for the entire OT and let him take the first shot in SO to see if he can redeem himself.

Oh Lordy.. faaaaak.. it had to be Tuch.