Wild 2022 off season

[Jimtown guy]

I’ll just start with this 

 

 

[Icechipper]

So-called goalie controversy ******** as the five skaters with five foot sticks didn't keep the puck out if their own end.

 

I'm still kinda in shock.

[Jimtown guy]

 

Edited May 14, 2022 by Jimtown guy

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

7 hours ago, Jimtown guy said:

I’ll just start with this 

 

 

 

Yep.
That's the big elephant (or two big elephants), that, while NOT in the room, are still occupying space.

Everyone knew these buyouts were a necessity, but also, they were gonna hurt real bad for at least 3 years, and next season, as a certain wrestling announcer liked to say, "Here Comes The Pain!"

Here is where Bill Guerin and his scouring and development crew can REALLY earn their stripes as top class hockey operations people as they maneuver around this malignant cap cyst, and try to find hidden gem players from Europe, the minors, and in the draft. The ONLY way Minnesota can keep from being terrible and the good players we DO have wanting out.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

And here, @Jimtown guy, some other items to enhance your off season thread, as more food for thought, things of interest, and to see where the Wild's roster is this offseason.
Picks, contract lengths, UFA/RFA statuses, as well as contracts in the minors, and of course, the dreaded dead cap hits.

For us fans to peruse while we speculate on what the Wild may do.
All of these are courtesy of capfriendly

 

 

 

[Icechipper]

I could see Beckman making big club next year.

[CreaseAndAssist]

(sigh)   I don't think Beckman will make it next year.  He did not have a great season in Iowa.  He certainly learned its a helluva lot tougher to score in the pros than it is in major junior.  Rossi will probably make the team because he will be relatively cheap and we'll probably be losing at least one top 6 forward this summer.  

 

Next, I would think Calen Addison gets a chance although as it is...the Wild have 3 defenseman already with NMC's in Spurgeon, Brodin and Geezer (Goligoski).  We signed Merrill to a multi-year deal and Kulikov is still under contract.  My guess is we look to trade at least one of those two players and instead re-sign Jacob Middleton who I think the team liked what he brought to the club.  

 

I think Dumba is 100% expendable.  His spot should go to Addison.  But who knows...

 

I have ZERO regret about buying out Suter and Parise.  They were toxic and we're learning more and more about just how stifling they were to that locker room.  The cap hell sucks, mainly because the Wild are being forced to follow the rules while other organizations didn't seem to have to (i.e. Tampa and Vegas with the LTIR).  

 

Fiala I think is probably going to be dealt and maybe we'll see the team try to snag a prospect from another club they hope can replace some of the offense we are going to lose from that exchange.  I don't think this team can afford to give Fiala $8 million per season if it expects to be able to pay raises to Boldy and or Addison and Rossi in the next few seasons.  

 

IMO, the biggest area of intrigue is over what this team does with its goaltending situation.  Talbot had a reasonable season and was not treated well in the playoffs.  Yet he handled the whole situation with terrific poise and professionalism.  Even though his wife was pissed, I think Talbot is being pretty diplomatic about it so I think there is a chance they can mend the fences.  Fleury, while he certainly would be a name the team would love to market I don't think he's a significantly better option than Talbot who is younger and probably still cheaper.  

 

Wallstedt will be in North America, but he'll be in Iowa getting a lot of starts there.  

[Alexandron]

Michael Russo@RussoHockey

6h

#mnwild development camp is July 10-14

 

Prospects will go to Chicago to play the Blackhawks on Sept. 15-18 in a tourney

 

Training camp starts Sept. 22

 

First exhibition game around Sept. 25

 

[IllaZilla]

Courtesy of CapFriendly.com the Wild have:

 

$32,880,833 tied up in 10 forwards

$25,820,000 tied up in 7 defensemen

$3,666,667 tied up in 1 goaltender

$12,743,588 tied up in dead cap money

For a grand total of 

$75,111,088 in salary. 

The 2022-23 Salary Cap is expected to be at $82,500,000.

So the Wild have $7,388,912 to fill out their roster.

 

They have three RFA's (Fiala ($5.1M), Dewar ($825K), and Middleton ($725K))

They have four UFA's (Deslauriers ($1M), Bjugstad ($900K), Benn ($900K), and Fleury ($7M or $3.5M, take your pick))

 

[Tomdog]

I think this off season will come down to one overall strategy. 
Who the Wild feel is a bargain. 
Do they want Fleury? Yes,for the right price. Will he take what they can afford, I doubt it. He really isn’t any better than Talbot. 
Can they afford Fiala? Probably not. I think they will trade him away for an up and comer, just like the way they got him for Granlund. 
Benn, Bugstad, goodbye, goodluck. 
Dewar, Dlo if the price is right. 
If they can trade Dumba and Fiala it would really help free them up for more options. 

[Jimtown guy]

https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/bill-guerin-loses-cool-in-epic-on-air-interview-with-dan-barreiro-minnesota-wild-gm-kfan/

 

Guerin got a little feisty  

Edited May 20, 2022 by Jimtown guy

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

30 minutes ago, Jimtown guy said:

https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/bill-guerin-loses-cool-in-epic-on-air-interview-with-dan-barreiro-minnesota-wild-gm-kfan/

 

Guerin got a little feisty  

 

Listening to that, I am convinced now more than ever, that he IS the right guy to guide this organization forward and try to build a championship caliber team out of.
Even with the monetary challenges, the tough decisions that have to be made, the ever improving division they are in, the harassing media types, the 'smartest guys in the room' dork bloggers/columnists/podcasters/mickey mouse journalists, and every other "THEY"   that he has to cross paths with, Bill Guerin, much more than Chuck Fletcher, definitely more than Paul Freakin Fenton, is the guy I want handling all that.

Leader as a player and manager...and, I may be wrong on this, but I believe he was also at one point in his career, part of the leadership or at least one of the more vocal people in the player's union?
Guy really doesn't come off as the type that is going to be led by the nose by anyone, take any crap from anyone, or bend to someone just because of one reason or another.

I think he will do what he needs to do to the best of his ability, and if ultimately it isn't enough, then he will be fired like any other GM, but he will have done things HIS way, fueled by, like he mentioned himself, his experience in going through as a player, all the things he was asked about regarding some of the current players on his roster now.

Great stuff.
So those named "THEY" best be wary 

[ClusterChuck]

On 5/20/2022 at 12:45 PM, Jimtown guy said:

https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/bill-guerin-loses-cool-in-epic-on-air-interview-with-dan-barreiro-minnesota-wild-gm-kfan/

 

Guerin got a little feisty  

I was listening to that live and have heard many other interviews...He always sounds like that.  He even laughed a bunch of times after DB kept poking for answers.
I did like how he basically called out all the media know-it-alls as not so much, They don't know cr4p if it doesn't come straight from BG or his War room. 

[ClusterChuck]

On 5/18/2022 at 10:59 PM, Tomdog said:

I think this off season will come down to one overall strategy. 
Who the Wild feel is a bargain. 
Do they want Fleury? Yes,for the right price. Will he take what they can afford, I doubt it. He really isn’t any better than Talbot. 
Can they afford Fiala? Probably not. I think they will trade him away for an up and comer, just like the way they got him for Granlund. 
Benn, Bugstad, goodbye, goodluck. 
Dewar, Dlo if the price is right. 
If they can trade Dumba and Fiala it would really help free them up for more options. 

Agreed on all points !!
Then there has to be $$ ready for Boldy if he has anything close to this season's stats. Hopefully no sophomore slump.

[Alexandron]

On 5/20/2022 at 1:26 PM, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

Listening to that, I am convinced now more than ever, that he IS the right guy to guide this organization forward and try to build a championship caliber team out of.

I think he will do what he needs to do to the best of his ability, and if ultimately it isn't enough, then he will be fired like any other GM, but he will have done things HIS way, fueled by, like he mentioned himself, his experience in going through as a player, all the things he was asked about regarding some of the current players on his roster now.
 

You are right. I think he does things exclusively His way, but not They way as we have seen before him. For a long run, hope, he will have a real success as a part of the Wild club. So far he made a true history for the 2021-2022 regular season in many our team's records.

[Tomdog]

I’m trying to think what would BG’s worst move be?

Signing Bugstad?, he’s still pretty cheap. 
Golgoski? When healthy and rested he’s OK. 
Maybe dragging his feet on signings last summer cost him some player options?

However after listening to the Dan Berrero interview Guerin hinted that the locker room issues were NOT solely Suter and Parise. Maybe losing some of last year’s players wasn’t such a bad thing. 
 

So what has been Bill Guerin’s worst move?

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

53 minutes ago, Tomdog said:

I’m trying to think what would BG’s worst move be?

Signing Bugstad?, he’s still pretty cheap. 
Golgoski? When healthy and rested he’s OK. 
Maybe dragging his feet on signings last summer cost him some player options?

However after listening to the Dan Berrero interview Guerin hinted that the locker room issues were NOT solely Suter and Parise. Maybe losing some of last year’s players wasn’t such a bad thing. 
 

So what has been Bill Guerin’s worst move?

 

Some good points you made there, and right off the top I can't think of something he's done (or not done) to date that would qualify as a "WTF, Bill!" moment.
Closest I can come up with is perhaps giving up on Kahkonen in favor of two goalies, Talbot and Fleury, who if you consider their ages, aren't going to be the goalies leading this team "for years to come".

I understand why Guerin wanted to get a guy like Fleury in (given his championship pedigree and his penchant for helping to buoy a franchise, but as much as I do like Fleury in net, I also recognize the Wild still have lots of work to do to be a true championship caliber team year in, year out, and Fleury isn't going to be around for that....and neither will Talbot for that matter.
Those guys are in the "try to win now" category.

Not saying Kahkonen would've been the ultimate answer in goal, but I can't help but shake the feeling that Kahkonen would continue to improve as a player with more playing time and his age suggest he would have been around a lot longer as the Wild build towards an annual Cup contender.
I guess if he flatlines in San Jose, Guerin will be undoubtedly justified in that move.

I understand MN has some good goalie prospects in their pipeline, and Guerin would know better than any of us here, and perhaps that is why he was comfortable dealing away Kahkonen, rolling the dice with the Fleury/Talbot combo, and then when the time comes, promote or bring over those young goalies come "show time".

Time will tell. But to date, I don't have any major complaints about Guerin's  handling of his job.

[CreaseAndAssist]

Why sign Bjugstad?  I really hope it isn't the 'one of us' argument.  He doesn't bring up much to the table and it closes off a spot that could potentially be filled by a younger player.  Sure he's cheap, but I'd rather give a young player an opportunity than let him hang on for one more season.  

 

Middleton is a player I really hope this team doesn't lose and I have a bad feeling Addison might be dealt after being blocked off by veteran players they committed too many years to.  

 

I haven't listened to Guerin's interview on Dan Barriero yet, but I heard he got worked up.  I wish he'd be as annoyed about people asking about Dumba as many were at giving Geezer a no movement clause or committing another 3 years to Merrill before the halfway mark of the season.

 

I have agreed with MOST of what Bill Guerin has done thus far, but he made some mistakes this year IMO.  Trying to bring back Fleury is a fool's errand.  Sure, he still has some game left...but I don't think he's going to be good enough to make up for the loss of offense this organization is about to experience.  

 

The Wild are going from being a team with two scoring lines to one.  Remember, even if we do snag a prospect and pick for Fiala, we'll have to pay that young player too.  

Edited May 22, 2022 by CreaseAndAssist

[Tomdog]

I think they signed Bugstad as a cheap Right handed shot. 
RH shots seem to be very hard to find. 
Fleury cost us a player that had no intention of playing for us. 
Bringing in Fleury allowed him to trade Kahkonen for Jacob Middleton. 
This makes the Kahkonen move look so much better. 

Edited May 22, 2022 by Tomdog

[CreaseAndAssist]

Meh.  Fleury didn't cost much at all.  But it doesn't mean I want to see them bring him back.  I don't see what he adds over Talbot.  

 

Kahkonen wasn't bad and the Wild spent the time and effort to develop him.  We've traded away a small bunch of goaltenders who have had reasonable NHL careers after we took the time to develop them.  Khudobin, Kuemper, Kahkonen.  

 

Do we have a spot for Middleton to say nothing of cap space?  Even if Fiala didn't really want to stay in Minnesota, we're still going to miss that offense.  We certainly missed it in the playoffs.  Yes and I realize that might be why the organization soured on the guy, but his goals / scoring made a difference.  He gave the team another threat.  Now we'll be back to being a one-trick pony.  

[CreaseAndAssist]

They...are sometimes 100% right.  He's tired of people dumping on an oft-injured defenseman who makes too much money?  Ok.  That's Guerin's choice.  

 

Doesn't mean we have to accept it or like it.  And I don't think he would care if we do or we don't.  

 

Kudos to Barriero for not just giving him softball questions like another far bigger KFAN personality would.  

 

Kudos to Guerin for being relatively honest in that interview and saying what he felt.  

 

I may not have liked what he had to say but I appreciate him sharing what he did.  

[Jimtown guy]

 

[Confrontational]

Spurgeon @ $7.6m/yr - holy buckets...  And for another 5+ years...  

[ClusterChuck]

On 5/22/2022 at 10:17 AM, CreaseAndAssist said:

Meh.  Fleury didn't cost much at all.  But it doesn't mean I want to see them bring him back.  I don't see what he adds over Talbot.  

 

Kahkonen wasn't bad and the Wild spent the time and effort to develop him.  We've traded away a small bunch of goaltenders who have had reasonable NHL careers after we took the time to develop them.  Khudobin, Kuemper, Kahkonen.  

 

Do we have a spot for Middleton to say nothing of cap space?  Even if Fiala didn't really want to stay in Minnesota, we're still going to miss that offense.  We certainly missed it in the playoffs.  Yes and I realize that might be why the organization soured on the guy, but his goals / scoring made a difference.  He gave the team another threat.  Now we'll be back to being a one-trick pony.  

We have an issue with goalies that have K's for their name. 
Agreed...Fiala gave us that 2nd line threat. We'll miss that if/when he leaves. We shouldn't expect somebody like Rossi come in and fill those shoes.

[Alexandron]

22 hours ago, ClusterChuck said:

We have an issue with goalies that have K's for their name. 
Agreed...Fiala gave us that 2nd line threat. We'll miss that if/when he leaves. We shouldn't expect somebody like Rossi come in and fill those shoes.

Time to try new letters W (Wallstedt who is our new hope); V (Vasilevsky); Sh (Shesterkin); B(Binnington). Maybe these letters will give us a better luck in goaltending.  Look how important was Binnington's play against us and the first 2 games against Colorado until he was injured by Kadri. I really was superbly impressed of Binnington's play during this and 2019 playoffs. And how inconsistent Husso was playing against us and Colorado team during this playoffs. It seems Blues will be eliminated because of poor Husso performance.

Actually, I have got an idea after watching multiple playoffs games. We need to look for a star goalie capable to play strong and consistently steal games during the regular season against the teams in our Division - Colorado, St. Louis, Nashville. For many many years we always struggling against these teams. Our stats are depressing against them. If we will find such a goalie star then our playoffs results will improve too. Why I put more accent on goalie's performance? Because during the playoffs season is much more difficult to score in comparison to the regular season. That is happening with many teams during a playoffs time and we had seen this with our team too.

 

From my understanding, Guerin is planning to trade Fiala because he will be too expensive for us, but Guerin also is expecting to bring Rossi to the big club. Hopefully he will fit well in the line with Boldy and Gaudreau. Rossi and Boldy had chemistry before; and Boldy and Gaudreau had it last season. Sincerely, I will miss Fiala too. He gave us a pretty good drive during 3 regular seasons and probably, he will be a valuable player in the future during playoffs time. He is same age as Kaprizov and will be able to grow more and more in his production. To bring pressure down from the first 3 lines, we also need to look for a tremendous improvement in scoring of the 4th line as well as to look for an improvement in scoring from the defensive lines which I practically did not see it this season. Also we need to look for a powerful shooters because we do not have them in our team.