Any hockey fans out there?

[grizzly63]

its sad to see a team so easily defeated when they could have done so much better. I remember that they did make it to the finals though. Even though the view from second place isn't so nice. Its just one more conference championship trophy in the case. Truth be told, I do not watch hockey until the playoffs. The difference in the performance level on game 1 vs 82 is amazing.

 

[seeth07]

In a year with not a lot of major names out there, I knew the Wild were going to have a rough go at locking in a top 2 center that they need so badly. Nelson left the board very early and now Duchene. Donato is also gone today which would have been a good reunion but he is really just isn't quite that top 2 they are needing.

Marner is obviously still left but it would take a pretty good chunk of that 13mil or whatever they have free right now to do that and they still need to figure out at least one more bottom line forward as well as a top forward with Rossi all but out the door.

Bennett and Tavaras will most likely just resign like Duchene and Nelson did.

That just leaves Gourde and Granlund. Will Billy get one of them signed here soon?

 

[Wild Bill]

That just leaves Gourde and Granlund. Will Billy get one of them signed here soon?

I'd assume they will pursue a different center via trade. None of the FA centers do much for me. I don't see any of them getting this team closer to making a run. They're so far away and need so many more pieces.
Would be nice if the team had a homegrown center they developed that can put up ~60 pts a year and play 82 games a year... Oh yea, Marco Rossi, the guy they don't want to pay and have painted themselves in a corner with.
Maybe if Billy G wouldn't hand out No-Move Clauses to have their roster, he'd have more assets available to land players via trade. Why guys like Ryan Hartman (dud), Marcus Johansson (dud), Mats (old) have full NMCs is head scratching.
Roughly 20-25% of NHL players have NMCs. Roughly 45% of MN Mild players have NMCs.

 

[seeth07]

The Rossi situation is puzzling to me. Clearly some locker room stuff behind closed doors that no one knows about. To go from top line to bottom line and on the chopping block for a player of that caliber makes no sense

 

[Wild Bill]

The Rossi situation is puzzling to me. Clearly some locker room stuff behind closed doors that no one knows about. To go from top line to bottom line and on the chopping block for a player of that caliber makes no sense

Yeah it's perplexing.
I hope Rossi lands somewhere that actually wants him and pays him. I'd laugh my tail off if he went somewhere else in the West and became a major thorn in the side of the Mild for whoever he lands with.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Yeah it's perplexing.
I hope Rossi lands somewhere that actually wants him and pays him. I'd laugh my tail off if he went somewhere else in the West and became a major thorn in the side of the Mild for whoever he lands with.

It's like they moved him to the 4th line just because he's undersized to be on either top line for the playoff. It felt like a bone headed move. He still contributed a bit on the fourth but not like he could have

 

[Wild Bill]

It's like they moved him to the 4th line just because he's undersized to be on either top line for the playoff. It felt like a bone headed move. He still contributed a bit on the fourth but not like he could have

It’s clear Billy G that a fair amount say in line combos and he is the one that doesn’t necessarily care for Rossi. Maybe Heynes doesn’t like him either, idk. And yeah they’re clearly not crazy about his size. To that I would say, you knew when you drafted him at 1.09 that he was never going to be 6’ 2” and 215 lbs, so why did you draft him then?

 

[seeth07]

It’s clear Billy G that a fair amount say in line combos and he is the one that doesn’t necessarily care for Rossi. Maybe Heynes doesn’t like him either, idk. And yeah they’re clearly not crazy about his size. To that I would say, you knew when you drafted him at 1.09 that he was never going to be 6’ 2” and 215 lbs, so why did you draft him then?

Pretty sure this guy has made a hell of a career with the versatility to play center from time to time as a "hockey midget"

 

[SaskHunter]

Pretty sure this guy has made a hell of a career with the versatility to play center from time to time as a "hockey midget"
View attachment 375479

Brad Marchand is a rat, not a midget. A with two cups, mind you!

 

[Djfan]

Brad Marchand is a rat, not a midget. A with two cups, mind you!

And dozens of players licked

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

It’s clear Billy G that a fair amount say in line combos and he is the one that doesn’t necessarily care for Rossi. Maybe Heynes doesn’t like him either, idk. And yeah they’re clearly not crazy about his size. To that I would say, you knew when you drafted him at 1.09 that he was never going to be 6’ 2” and 215 lbs, so why did you draft him then?

It honestly baffles me. I really like him as a player, I don't know why the office doesn't seem to. Maybe they will surprise us all and sign him for five years

 

[Wild Bill]

It honestly baffles me. I really like him as a player, I don't know why the office doesn't seem to. Maybe they will surprise us all and sign him for five years

Full no-move clause, of course.

 

[seeth07]

Full no-move clause, of course.

You guys joke about this but there is generally upside on the contract price for doing this and the identity of Wild hockey is a tough tight knit roster that is happy to be in MN. NMC helps with that and I don't necessarily disagree with having them.

The Wild have a strong group right now built on one of the best young defensive cores in the league. They were handicapped the last two seasons by two horrible contracts from the last GM. I strongly feel that with 13mil to now spend, getting a top center and another winger for the second line and the Wild will be super competitive again this next year. I'd prefer Rossi to be that 2nd line winger but I doubt it. With a top line that could be Kirill, EK and Boldy there isnt really a need for any top tier talent in this either

 

[Rainer]

These series was great but I feel bad for McDavid, he needs to win a cup. With him being a RFA now I hope he gets out of Edmonton..... maybe come over to Montreal(finger crossed).

 

[seeth07]

These series was great but I feel bad for McDavid, he needs to win a cup. With him being a RFA now I hope he gets out of Edmonton..... maybe come over to Montreal(finger crossed).

Not until after this season

 

[Rainer]

Connor's a RFA now then a UFA at the end of the upcomming season

 

[Wild Bill]

You guys joke about this but there is generally upside on the contract price for doing this and the identity of Wild hockey is a tough tight knit roster that is happy to be in MN. NMC helps with that and I don't necessarily disagree with having them.

The Wild have a strong group right now built on one of the best young defensive cores in the league. They were handicapped the last two seasons by two horrible contracts from the last GM. I strongly feel that with 13mil to now spend, getting a top center and another winger for the second line and the Wild will be super competitive again this next year. I'd prefer Rossi to be that 2nd line winger but I doubt it. With a top line that could be Kirill, EK and Boldy there isnt really a need for any top tier talent in this either

I hope they can do something to straighten the course of the franchise, but I’m not holding my breathe. I don’t think they’ll be able to make all the moves necessary to be anything close to a contender in one offseason.
Also, there’s always a need for top tier talent. I’ve never seen a MN Mild team score in excess. Wouldn’t mind that someday.

 

[Tradewind]

 

[Wild Bill]

FA opens tomorrow.
The Mild are finally moving out of their salary cap purgatory and have some substantial cash to spend.
Well, the Center market has all but dried up with most of the big names resigning or being traded. They've completely bungled the Marco Rossi situation in about 5 different ways and he now basically holds the hammer over the team's head.
Declan Chisolm gets dealt for a warm body, and then the next day we find out that Jonas Brodin had upper body surgery and is unlikely to start the regular season leaving the blueline undermanned.
And the cherry on top...
One of the main (speculated) reasons they want to move on from Rossi is his size (5' 9" and 182 lbs on NHL.com), here is their second pick from the draft the other day....



Sometimes, the irony is too much....

Here's to The Mild and The State of Hockey ...



... wait... that's actually Florida.

 

[Wild Bill]

FA opens tomorrow.
The Mild are finally moving out of their salary cap purgatory and have some substantial cash to spend.
Well, the Center market has all but dried up with most of the big names resigning or being traded. They've completely bungled the Marco Rossi situation in about 5 different ways and he now basically holds the hammer over the team's head.
Declan Chisolm gets dealt for a warm body, and then the next day we find out that Jonas Brodin had upper body surgery and is unlikely to start the regular season leaving the blueline undermanned.
And the cherry on top...
One of the main (speculated) reasons they want to move on from Rossi is his size (5' 9" and 182 lbs on NHL.com), here is their second pick from the draft the other day....
View attachment 376650
View attachment 376651

Sometimes, the irony is too much....

Here's to The Mild and The State of Hockey ...



... wait... that's actually Florida.

Spoke something into existence, I guess.
Still doesn’t solve the issue at Center.