Wild paying for last years shopping spree

[yave1964]

Last years darlings spent 190 million on two players, Suter and Parise who combined to lead the Wild to an 8 seed and an early out in the first round. Good job boys.

This year, cap hell is killing them, Bouchard was let go to the Isles, Clutterbuck was traded to the Island, Setoguchi just traded to the Jets, Gilbet bought out, Cullen left for Nashville. In short, the darlings of last year have had the coach turn in to a pumpkin because two players take up such an absurd amount of the salary cap.

The kids didn't develop as hoped, they are praying that they do so this year, if not in a much tougher division they could be an insignificant also ran, not so hot for 190 million bucks.

This is not how teams are built. Look to Chicago and Pittsburgh and Detroit, you build from within and add pieces as needed. It really surprised me when the wild signed both, next years cap wlll be a few million lower, this is a two trick pony franchise that done shot itself in the foot.

Edited July 6, 2013 by yave1964

[jammer2]

@yave1964 I'd disagree with that assessment of the Wild. Those guys were let go because the up and coming kids are to talented to not play at the NHL level. Every GM in the league is envious of the stable of youngsters they have assembled. This is a up and coming team that will be in the mix for the next decade in the West. I don't think the signings were the smartest things ever....but as long as Suter and Praise are still playing at a high level when the kids mature, they should be fine. The only real long term need is goaltending...and depth on defense. Don't know how long Backstrom can maintain his play, he's 35....and I'm not sold on Kuemper being the answer if Backstrom does look older.

Dumba looks like a star, should break in this year....and Brodin is probably the most underrated young star in the league, that should solidify the defense for the coming years. Their forward prospects are 5-6 deep and all are highly tought of. Not many teams that would not switch their entire roster for the Wilds in my estimation.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

I realize this thread is a few months old and before the season started, but as I read the OP's post, I was thinking that I really disagreed with most of the post.....then read @jammer2 's post, and honestly, he pretty much posted what I was thinking.

 

Granted, the two signings, now in hindsight, perhaps weren't the most prudent thing to do, but I have a feeling that the Wild really are counting on their depth of young talent to MAKE that work.

 

I would have to say though, that @yave1964 has a great point in that when you spend that much money and have a quick playoff exit, that does not look good at all, and something like that would make one question the decisions made by front office....buuuut, still, seeing as how the Wild hadn't made the playoffs in like, what, 5 seasons, then simply MAKING the post season was victory enough..at least at that point in time.

 

And jammer is also spot on in the goaltending assessment. No doubt both Backstrom and Harding are very good..Harding has been particularly outstanding this year, however, both are long known to need time off due to injury in one form or the other.....and while Harding has shown GREAT intestinal fortitude, we all know about his MS condition and how that could affect the team at a critical time.

 

Wild don't have their goaltender to make them contenders year in, year out just yet, IMO...that is something they will need to address pretty soon.

Defense? Minnesota need to decide what exactly, is the kind of defense they want, and develop and PLAY those kinds of players...trading off the ones they feel don't fit into their plans, even though they may be good players as well.

 

Does Minnesota want a more stay-at-home type group? Do they want large aggressive D? Or perhaps smaller mobile, offensive oriented types?

Right now, they seem to have a hodge podge mix of different types,and while several are good, or will be very good, the right mix has to be found, and allow those guys to develop and play together.

 

Minnesota's young talent depth will shine through sooner than later, that I am sure of. I've been calling them contenders the last two seasons, and while in hindsight I may have been a bit premature in that assessment, there is no doubt in my mind they HAVE the talent to become a very good team on a yearly basis.

 

Long term goal, deciding on a defense type, and maybe getting a forward or two that are TRUE finishers when it comes to the offense.

 

Get that, and this team will not only have carved itself an identity, but be a team OTHERS will be thinking about how to counteract and beat.

[yave1964]

@TropicalFruitGirl26

 

  Thank you for the read and the comments!!

 

  I stick to my basic premise that this is no way to build an organization, putting all of your eggs in one or two baskets. I truly believe that the Wild made a terrible mistake overpaying for Parise and Suter last year.

  Am i saying they are not solid, veteran players who can help a team to the promised land? No, of course not, i love them both but in todays salary cap world the Wild have so much money wrapped up in the two of them tha they were forced to allow solid role players like Cullen, Bouchard, Gilbert, Clutterbuck, ect... leave. Relying on the youth is not neccesarilly a bad thing, the Wild are loaded with prospects, I am just of the opinion that their farm system is a tad overrated. B4rodin was a breth of fresh air last season, Granlund seems to have found a role this year, albeit not the first line center the team had hoped for. Other than that the kids still are not that productive. If it werent for the miraculous play of the inspirational Josh Harding this club would be down a peg or two in the standings and on the outside looking in.

  Getting Pominville surprised me and has turned out well, i am not really a Hackett fan. I know the rumors have swirled that Vanek wants to come here which would be a huge shock to me, i just dont know where the money or space would come from. They already jettisoned so much last year, who would be next?

  So yeah, i stick to it, i think this club is a low end playoff team at best and an early knockout as currently assembled, with too much money invested in two players to fill holes when they pop up. Winning organizations build from within, look at Pittsburgh and Chicago, the two clubs that are the gold standard today as far as I am concerned. THAT is how you build, smart drafting, organizational depth, the occasional smart trade or free agent signing. Hardly ever a big splash. IMHO that is how it is done, i believe the double signing has made the Wild a team that may occasionally make the second round of the postseason but that is top shelf unless the cap goes up significantly or the kids develop way beyond what i think they are capable of.