sweetshot

I wouldn't compare anybody to Kuemper--not sure maturity had anything to do with his success. Until having a career year last year, Kuemper's first 3 years in the league were among his best statistically, the Wild actually did a good job of working him in slowly. There is absolutely no good reason not to try a player with the big club before sending him down if necessary. In Kahkonen's case, maybe he's just another inconsistent or streaky goalie. IMO, you can't necessarily say he wasn't ready.

Yes it will--It's a tough spot for BB. He definitely believes in the vets more than the young guys, although IMO we've seen all Fiala has to offer. And he was pretty clear about the lack of team speed and the type of game they need to play in order to win some games. Big problem is, they don't have the type personnel overall that you need to play that way.

Thanks for the link.

Check out BB's comments after the loss to the Leafs. Very frank and revealing...

He sure could have answered that "do you hope it's Winnipeg" question better. I wonder if his answer is based more on his feelings for the Winnipeg area or his teammates.

Probably just signed a blank check--he is a max cap owner, ya know...

IMO Khovanov could be a diamond in the rough...

The weather ain't bad either...

I'll say it honestly. Ek will at best be a 3rd line center--and he isn't there yet. Rask is ahead of Ek not just because the Wild have invested a lot of $$ in him--he's a better player than Ek. Greenway has shown more improvement in one year than Ek has shown in 2 plus change. (I know, he's not a center-- yet...)

3 reasons for the Zuccarello signing: 1. Shows that they did something to try to improve the club--keeps the fans in the seats. 2. It does--at least short term--improve the team or at least helps keep them at a competitive level--keeps the fans in the seats. 3. Fenton's respectability. I see this as mainly a business move with the goal being keeping the seats full. If it happens to actually improve the Wild and makes them a better team, great. If not, reasons 1 and 2 achieve the main goal.

As long as CL is the owner, all we can really hope for are tweaks, as he looks at his team as a business first and foremost. Keeping the seats full is the key, and all that's ever been necessary to do that since he's been owner are tweaks here and there to keep the team competitive. That may/will be? changing soon but IMO hasn't yet. Probably won't until RS/ZP can't play anymore. As long as he is giving the appearance (max cap team, ie) his goal for the Wild from a competitive standpoint is to win the Cup--and he may actually believe that's what he is doing--the fans will keep filling the seats regardless of how close they actually are to doing that. I believe the majority of the fans have spoken in this regard and really don't care about how CL runs the team--we are happy enough with having a good team that's fairly competitive and gets to the playoffs once in a while--we don't care that much about winning the big prize(its a Minny thing). From that standpoint, CL is the perfect owner. Maybe CL and the Wild get lucky sometime and CL's method of running the team actually leads to the ultimate success, but that can only happen if he surrounds himself with the right people--and we've seen how good he is doing that Go Wild!

Just kidding about Nanne.

Couple of them are decent, but IMO none of them are exceptional. The ones that have proven themselves at some point in time as exceptional we know about and are all taken. It seems to be a very small group of individuals qualified for the position and most have been GM's previously. Maybe there is a relatively unknown candidate(s) out there for whom this would be his first GM job, but I really have a hard time trusting CL to find him. I'm very concerned for the Wild right now as they are at a crossroads, this is probably the most important decision this franchise has ever had to make to this point.

Rumor has it that Nanne is interested....

I think they definitely would. Just don't do anything and hold down the fort until next season and hire the new man then. The current list of experienced candidates currently is terrible--IMO most should not ever be hired as GM again. After reading many of J.R. Ewing's posts and seeing for myself what Chiarelli had done with the Oilers, I will change my loyalties to a different team if CL hires him.