Wild trade deadline

[Tomdog]

I am wondering, should the Wild make a move before the deadline.

Giroux is probably going to be available, but can the Wild handle the contract? Maybe if they can make Rask part of the deal?

JT Miller is rumured to be available, but from the article I read the price would be somewhere in the 3 prospects range.

I'm not sure either is worth the cost.

The second part of the question is who would sit if they brought someone in.

Wild staff seem to have a love affair with Gudreau, so I don't see him getting the healthy scratch.

As it is when Bugstad is healthy I don't see him playing. Dewar is playing fine and has more speed to keep up with Sturm and Duhaime. Rask is already on the taxi squad, so who else wold sit?

 

What do you all think, let's hear your thoughts.

[lynxrattle]

Giroux would be cheap, a rental. I'd rather have Miller, but as Tomdog said, he would cost a lot more. Zulgad and Goff were speculating on Brock Nelson. I'm kind of on a fence here. Do we really need anyone? We can't get any stud centers because of the price, anyways. Could we really achieve a run with our inexperienced key players anyways? Kap, Boldy and Fiala have next to no experience on winning in the playoffs. Is it realistic to think we could make a deep run yet? Ideally we would try our best now, but with the idea of really trying for the Cup next season, or the season after that. But the cap hell waiting for us makes near future look pretty daunting. I think maybe Guerin could wait late into trade deadline, to see how the team looks by then.

[Tomdog]

Am I reading cap freindly right, Giroux at $8.275 million. 
Wouldn’t the Wild be on the hook for half to a quarter depending on the trade date. 
do they have the space for that? 
or am I not understanding the cap hit correctly?

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Back when the Wild were making regular post season runs (and getting booted by the Blues, Avalanche, and especially the Hawks), trading for a Giroux (at the cost of picks and a prospect or two) would have made sense.

These days? Not so much.
I actually like Giroux as a player, think he can bring quite a bit to a contender or would-be contender (and dred the Avalanche getting ahold of him), but to add his cap hit, at his age, as a rental, for giving up who knows what (he may not be as expensive as say, Miller, but Philly should have plenty of suitors and the bidding may drive his price up!), and possibly screwing up the Wild's current chemistry, I will take a pass on the Flyer captain.

He simply doesn't make sense for this team at this time as he would have years back.

IMO, what the Wild should be looking for is NOT top end, top cost type forwards because as well as the team is playing, let's be real, this is STILL not a SC contender.
So, in sticking with the 'team game', more than the sum of their parts identity they seem to have taken on, I'd look and see what experienced, solid vets on the blue line are available out there.

Ben Chiarot, in Montreal, would make a real nice addition to any playoff bound team with his hard nosed, nasty edge style. Still pretty mobile, and hungry as hell to win (or at least put in a position to try) after toiling away in places like Winnipeg and Montreal.
Perfect defensive help rental at just 3.25M and shouldn't bust the bank to acquire.

I'd also poke around the NYI front office and see if they think they can get in or not, and if not (they've got a BIG wall to climb), maybe they can be persuaded to part with Scott Mayfield (29 yrs old, 1.45M cap hit) who is a similar player to Ben Chiarot....and he actually has a year beyond this one on his contract.

Third reasonable defenseman I would look at would be Ottawa's Artem Zub. 
6'2 205 pound, 26 year old shut down type defenseman who can also chip in a bit on offense (11 pts in 37 games played from the blue line while staying on the + side of the ledger on a horrible defensive team like the Sens), cap hit just 2.5M and he too has another year beyond this one on his contract.

Outside of that, if the Wild can find reasonably priced (in terms of money and what the team is asking for) forwards, then that could be a go as well.
But I'd like to see the team stay away from the big splashy type stuff that only a Cup ready or close to Cup ready contender should be making.

Minnesota can still get into the playoffs, see what they can do, with solid, if unspectacular players, without drastically changing what is working for them now.
And now, before anyone says, "Yea, but that's what we've been doing....just barely getting in then losing early in the playoffs!"... 

Yea, I get that.
Difference now is, Minnesota actually has some young talent that can actually IMPROVE from the experience, rather than retread vets or vets who already have maxed out on what they could be, and who wouldn't have ever been more than they already were.
To me, that is a HUGE difference.

Rossi, Boldy, Addison, Dewar, Duhaime, assuming all those players are kept on....even through Kaprizov in there.... can ALL get even better with playoff experience and some reasonable acquisitions in the form of good, short term vets backing them up.

None of this catapults the Wild to any Cup heights, but then again, if we are being honest, they aren't in that air space yet anyways.
But they CAN play exciting hockey, hopefully, with more solid defensemen, more mistake free hockey, grow from any playoff runs they may get due to the age of the core, and if they play in the post season anything like they have in the regular season with regards to never being out of games, could cause heartache to ANY team that underestimates them.

Until the shadow of the Parise-Suter buyouts clears, that is the type of team we will need to see before thinking "big prize free agents" and crazy things like Conference Finals and Cups.

My $39.99 take anyways.  

Edited January 29, 2022 by TropicalFruitGirl26

[bbgarnett]

I know Tierney has been talked about but he really doesn't do much for me but he wouldn't cost much, late round pick or maybe you just trade Rask for Tierney and see if maybe Tierney plays better here. OTT also has John Norris but don't know if they'd trade him.

[Jimtown guy]

Just stand pat unless a deal comes up that they just can’t deny 

[bbgarnett]

52 minutes ago, Jimtown guy said:

Just stand pat unless a deal comes up that they just can’t deny 

I would agree but then it makes watching Trade Deadline day no fun.

[lynxrattle]

1 hour ago, bbgarnett said:

I would agree but then it makes watching Trade Deadline day no fun.

Damnit, I already had formed a consensus in my head on staying pat, getting bored on the trade deadline day, and then the no fun realisation totally wrecked it.

 

 

"No fun to hang around
Feelin' that same old way
No fun to hang around
Freaked out for another day"

[Tomdog]

I would still like to see them upgrade at center to replace Gudreau, but That would mean putting Gaudreau on the shelf until an injury shows up, and I don't think they will do that.

I think if they did bring in another center they would move Gaudreau to wing and sit Dewar.

I'm afraid they will do that when Bugstad comes back.

Right now I would like to see Rask, Gaudreau, Bugstad, Benn, and Addison used for covering injuries and giving guys a rest.

I would agree with TropicalFruitGirl26 and bring in a better center, not necessarily a top center, and another bigger defender for depth.

[CreaseAndAssist]

I don't think we'll see a cheap rental of anyone that would be a Top 6 player for us.  The 'cheap rental' would be probably calling up Rossi.  Will that happen?  I don't think so because they want to delay his contract from kicking in, but beyond that...I wouldn't want to risk killing the chemistry of this locker room.  For whatever reason (knock on wood) it is working right now.  

 

We don't need a Martin Hanzal 2.0.  

[Icechipper]

Right now, we are hanging by a wild-card in the tough Central. I don't see Wild in on Giroux or Miller. You need spots for Rossi and Beckman next year.

[Icechipper]

Saw the Tierney speculation on Hockey Writers post today. Huge star in junior, but aren't they all....

[lynxrattle]

0,4 - 0,5 points per game at best. That's not bad if the money and role is appropriate. (At the minimum a lot better money/points ratio than what Parise managed to achieve in his last season with the Wild )

[Icechipper]

I'm scouting Ottawa on my TV. Ennis still wheels and hits. Dub interesting, tough. They just potted two 9 seconds apart hosting Jersey. Subban has yet to slewfoot. Empty Canadian arenas. Nino just scored for Canes at empty Maple Leaf Gardens.

[Icechipper]

Not trade related, but if Staal performs and shows some legs in Beijing would be worth a 401K contract. Wild will need a center and not sure if Wild want to burn year of Rossi's contract. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

10 minutes ago, Icechipper said:

Not trade related, but if Staal performs and shows some legs in Beijing would be worth a 401K contract. Wild will need a center and not sure if Wild want to burn year of Rossi's contract. 

 

I hear what you are saying about not wanting to burn a year, but honestly, THAT along with other timid ways of thinking, is what has helped keep this team in the middling area for years.

I say, just give Rossi his time on the club if he does well in the minors. If he is good enough (doesn't have to be all star caliber), then burning that first year is a small price to pay for having an assumed future cornerstone get a feel for and learn, playing with the "big boys" at the NHL level.
He should get better and better the more he is exposed to NHL caliber competition and then the Wild can simply look towards getting him a regular contract just a year sooner.
If all is well, he will be worth it, and NO ONE will be thinking years from now, "Man, Minnesota really shouldn't have burned that year."

If you can squeeze Staal in there as a depth center at a reasonable cap hit, then great, but this team should absolutely be giving the steering wheel to the younger gen, and have solid, stable vets as complimentary pieces at this point.

[Icechipper]

How bout Chara with a $750000 cap hit. Can't have enough NHL defensemen

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

1 hour ago, Icechipper said:

How bout Chara with a $750000 cap hit. Can't have enough NHL defensemen

 

That would be interesting.
He along with a few other low cost, solid vet defensemen would work for the Wild at this point in time.

With Chara though, question would be whether he would come here.
In this case, not because the Wild aren't "attractive", but rather, Chara was very specific and adamant about staying on the East coast when he signed his deal with the Isles. 
I am guessing it is a personal, family matter thing.....though I suppose it's possible he waives it if he wants a chance at the post season, which the Isles look like they might not be able to give him.

I like Ben Chiarot (MTL, 30 yrs, 3.5M cap), Luke Schenn (VAN, 32 yrs, 850K cap), and Artem Zub (OTT, 26 yrs, 2.5M cap) as far as D-Men go too for this team.
All three of these guys are good hitters and shot blockers, and Zub in particular has some offensive upside too.
I mentioned these guys in an earlier post...still feel they could help Minnesota in a playoff scenario.

EDIT:
Seems Chiarot has landed on the IR.
Is he really injured, or is that because the Habs and a team have settled on a deal for him?
Not sure....

Edited February 18, 2022 by TropicalFruitGirl26

[lynxrattle]

Schenn's cheap

[OccamsRazor]

On 1/29/2022 at 12:11 PM, Tomdog said:

Am I reading cap freindly right, Giroux at $8.275 million. 
Wouldn’t the Wild be on the hook for half to a quarter depending on the trade date. 
do they have the space for that? 
or am I not understanding the cap hit correctly?

 

 

As of last week he was owed 2.9 mill left the Wild would have to cover and that number.

 

However will go down every game he plays and don't expect them to move G till he has played his 1,000 game on March 17th after that they could move him.

 

Even though Guerin has come and said he loves Claude I expect him to end up with the Avs it is where he said he wanted to go.

 

But the Blues are in on him too so not sure what becomes of it all.

 

But one thing is for sure do not seek him if you expect playoff leadership because he really has none. Hence one play series win in the last decade.

 

Guess we'll see how much ol Bill likes Claude.

Edited February 18, 2022 by OccamsRazor

[bbgarnett]

4 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

 

As of last week he was owed 2.9 mill left the Wild would have to cover and that number.

 

However will go down every game he plays and don't expect them to move G till he has played his 1,000 game on March 17th after that they could move him.

 

Even though Guerin has come and said he loves Claude I expect him to end up with the Avs it is where he said he wanted to go.

 

But the Blues are in on him too so not sure what becomes of it all.

 

But one thing is for sure do not seek him if you expect playoff leadership because he really has none. Hence one play series win in the last decade.

 

Guess we'll see how much ol Bill likes Claude.

Take this for what it's worth 

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by bbgarnett

[OccamsRazor]

9 minutes ago, bbgarnett said:

Take this for what it's worth 

 

 

Fine by me he goes to the highest bidder.

 

We'll fund out what is true and not soon.

 

It won't go till March 17th game is over.

 

Plenty of time to speculate....

[bbgarnett]

3 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

Fine by me he goes to the highest bidder.

 

We'll fund out what is true and not soon.

 

It won't go till March 17th game is over.

 

Plenty of time to speculate....

Agreed no way he get's moved before then.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

4 hours ago, lynxrattle said:

Schenn's cheap

 

Funny thing about him...he  has truly evolved as an NHL defenseman throughout his career.
He is most certainly middle pair on his best day, but mostly better to deal with the bottom six of the opposition as a third pair guy.

But Toronto Schenn, Philadelphia Schenn, and Arizona Schenn were horrific, defensively.
It wasn't until he ended up on the Ducks where his defense seemed to get better and teams started looking at him as a viable option for their NHL rosters.
He even spent some extended time in the minors to figure out the rest of his game while with the Ducks and Lightning, so that once he was called up again, he was much improved in the basics of goal prevention.

Vancouver got his services, then he ended up in Tampa Bay, and now back in Vancouver.
Certainly, he still brainfarts on occasion, but I gotta say, if the team he is on uses him properly, doesn't expect him to be an everyday top four guy, and is already sound defensively, he can certainly fit in, deliver some fear of getting smashed to opposing forwards, stick up for teammates and fight, and give up the body, no questions asked to block hellacious shots.

The Wild, IMO, seem like a very good fit, given the above criteria, and his play at this stage of his career.
And for 800K AAV (he even has a year left after this one), I don't think you can go wrong with him in the lineup.

Edited February 18, 2022 by TropicalFruitGirl26

[lynxrattle]

The Wild needs to think about the money first. Schenn sounds like risk we could live with.