Wild Payroll - What do we do now.

[scsavre]

Alright Hockey fans, here is the payroll.What the heck should we do. Take the numbers and make us a team.

Forwards Pos 2009-10

Martin Havlat RW / 5,000,000 Through 2014

Mikko Koivu C / 3,250,000 Through 2010/11

Owen Nolan RW / 2,750,000 UFA next year

Chuck Kobasew RW / 2,333,333 through 2010/11

Andrew Brunette LW / 2,333,333 Through 2010/11

Antti Miettinen LW / 2,333,333 Through 2010/11

Eric Belanger C / 1,750,000 UFA next year

Petr Sykora RW / 1,600,000 UFA next year-waivers

James Sheppard C / 1,400,000 RFA next year

Kyle Brodziak C / 1,150,000 Through 2011/12

Derek Boogaard LW / 875,000 UFA next year

Guillaume Latendresse /RW 803,000 RFA next year

Cal Clutterbuck RW / 725,833 RFA next year

Danny Irmen C / 707,850 RFA next year

Andrew Ebbett C / 500,000 RFA next year

Defense Pos 2009-10

Kim Johnsson D / 4,850,000 UFA next year

Brent Burns D / 3,550,000 Through 2011/12

Nick Schultz D / 3,500,000 through 2013/14

Marek Zidlicky D / 3,350,000 UFA next year

Greg Zanon D / 1,933,333 Through 2011/12

Shane Hnidy D / 750,000 UFA next year

John Scott D / 500,000 UFA next year

Goalies Pos 2009-10

Niklas Backstrom G / 6,000,000 Through 2012/13

Josh Harding G / 1,100,000 RFA next year

Buyout Pos 2009-10

Mark Parrish RW / 927,778 Through 2013/14

Actual Payroll 53,123,628

Salary Cap Payroll 53,772,793

Cap Space 3,027,207

Minor's Im not going to list them all

PM Bouchard RW / 4,080,000 Through 2013/14

Gillies C / 1,041,667 Through 2010/11

Cuma C / 1,000,000 Through 2011/12

[scsavre]

Also Johnsson and Leddy for Cam Barker just happened.

What do you think. We save some money with barker at $3mil.

did we just make room to make a move?

[OnAFly]

WOW - Fletcher is not afraid to make moves, huh!

I see it as a Johnsson replacement. His contract was too much right now for what he was. Not to say he wasn't a good defenseman, but 4.85 was a lot.

It does free up a little space and Barker is young, which is nice when you think about trying to build up an organization. Maybe Fletcher is looking to build through trades. Hey, as long as he keeps his hands off of Koivu, I'm fine with that!

[scsavre]

I think i like it too. Barker is young (23) and i think way more explosive, we save about $1.7mil in cap space. I wonder if we have him for the next 2 years as his contract with Chic goes through 2011/2012. He had 40 points last year. I am just so glad to get rid of Johnsson and all that money he costs.

Fletcher has peeked my interest here. There could be more to come. We have money left over, and there is still talks about Nolan to SJ

[OnAFly]

I think moving Nolan to SJ for the playoff run for a pick/prospect would be a great move. I don't think they would keep him on next year and I do think we'd have a good chance of resigning him.

In the end, we would keep Nolan and get a pick/prospect. It would be great if he could work that out.

[KMR85]

The way Latendresse has played since coming here and the way Sheppard has played his entire career, their salaries should be swapped. Actually, Fletcher should just buy Sheppard a bicycle and tell him to ride it out of town.

[scsavre]

Here is what I do, If the wild now have about $5mil in cap space.

Now or in the off-season we move.

Shepard $1.4

Harding $1.1

Zidlicky $3.3

That gives us just about $11mil

Then I dont see Irmen, Earl, Ebbet and Boogaard all being here.

Freeing up $1 mil if we cut one or 2 of them, or have 2 way contracts.

We would have $12 mil minimum for next years.

Buy Saku Koivu for $3mil

Patrick Sharp for $3.9

Leaving us over $5mil

If PMB plays he will take $4mil

Leaves us $1mil for a role player or 2, or more money if we move Cuma up next year.

Sykora might still be on our cap too. I am not sure.

[spearchucker]

Sykora is off of our cap if I am not mistaken.

Zidlicky is going to get signed from what I hear, they are just working out the length of the contract.

Saku Koivu won't be coming here. He could have came this year, but decided not to because Miko was here and didn't want it to ruin their relationship. He is getting up there in age also.

They also need to do something with Belanger. He is a free agent. I don't know who would replace him.

Shep needs to go, but I hope we can get something for him. Maybe Fletcher can work another Latandresse deal.

[scsavre]

I will try to find out about Sykora, i cant remember how it works. He is on waivers, so we pay him until someone picks him up. I am hoping that this doesnt mean he is on our cap.

I am still thinking Saku next year. I think he just wanted to skate with sealanne for a year. To be honest i dont think Saku is a big deal anyway, besides his leadership, I guess.

I am looking for more young players to get in the off season. If we can find a few more of these guys that have a few years in the NHL I think we can have a good team. We need another pure goal scored though. Another 20 goal getter would be nice.

[spearchucker]

I will try to find out about Sykora, i cant remember how it works. He is on waivers, so we pay him until someone picks him up. I am hoping that this doesnt mean he is on our cap.

I don't think he is on waivers anymore. I think they somehow released him from his contract. The way I understood it, each side basically agreed to tear up the contract. I'm not sure what that does on the cap, but I thought we were clear of that money.

[scsavre]

If you were Sykora, would you agree to just rip up a contract? Sounds dumb. But you might be right. the league approved his unconditional waivers. And he didnt show up in Houston ever. So yes contract ripped.

[spearchucker]

If he didn't agree he would have to play in Houston, and he didn't want to do that.

[10,000 Casts]

Sign Boogaard next year and give him what he wants... He is to big of a draw to let go. If you let him go, sign Scott and make him fight 20 times a year.

What happened to Kobasew?

Trade Havlat for a washing machine if someone will take him... That is to much salary for a 2nd liner.

[scsavre]

Havlat will finish the year good and do what he is suppose to next year.

Kobasew supposedly is coming back game ready after the olympics.

Agree, bougaard draws fans and makes money. Hopefully he doesnt want $1mil noext year though.

[walleyes12]

Your crazy to trade Havlat, he will finish just behind Koivu in points. We need to build around him, Koivu and Lantandresse

[scsavre]

You just wait, Havalat is going to put up some big numbers.

He will get at minimum 30 goals and 75 points next year. He is a stud in the playoffs too.

Dont get me wrong Koivu is our guy, our team leader and locker room guy. But I think Havlat is going to take over the point lead from Koivu, maybe not this year. But next year he is going to put up the numbers. I hope I am wrong cause Koivu will have to put up 80 points to beat him.

I am not sure where the lines shake up at, but if we get Sharp to play with Havlat, watch out. Also can you imagine that little whimp PMB passing to Latendresse.

[spearchucker]

Kobasew hurt his knee over a month ago.

Havlat is starting to play pretty well after a slow start. I think we need to keep him. He may have a no trade clause too since he has a 5 year contract. Boogs is kind of a circus freak but he has been playing pretty good lately (besides the Atlanta game where he took a stupid slash and got benched the rest of the game). His line has been contributing.

[Bear55]

No way you trade Havlat, he is signed to a very fair contract and even if he isn't having a great year he is still very valuable to this team. Get a little more talent around him and watch out.

[OnAFly]

The Latendress - Ebbett/Brodziak - Havlat line has been on fire all season. I hope they keep that line forever if it can produce like it has this year.

[Bear55]

I know we shouldn't fix what isn't broken but just imagine how good that line would be if you replaced Ebbett/Brodziak with a center who was a little closer to Havlat skill wise.

[OnAFly]

Yeah, I know what you mean. There have been more than a few times where someone goes on a break, I get all excited, then I see it's Brodziak and lose all hope in scoring. That guy just doesn't seem to have the scoring touch to him. He is good at making plays and getting pucks to his line-mates, though. So, I guess he's not all bad.

[walleyes12]

Brodziak would be a great third line center, They need a playmaker center with Havlat and Lantandresse, that would be a scary good line!

[scsavre]

I guess that center is PMB, if he ever skates again. Havlat is a playmaker that can really score though. He is always going to have more assists than goals. He is very good at setting guys up and scoring. With the right person they can be so good. So you can add a pure goalscorer like Sharp (wing) to the line, or add a pure playmaker like PMB to the line.

I would like to see a fast, playmaking power forward added to the line. But i dont think we have that.

I am just going to put out a Classified for Peter Forsberg and the 80 assists he would get.

[Bear55]

Forsberg is a little old, if we are going to dream why not go for Towes or Stamkos or Backstrom?

[scsavre]

Yah, Forsberg is old and fragile. Stamkos is going to be available... for a lot of money.

I dont see those 3 mentioned ever comparing to him either. I guess we will have to wait it out. It looks like we are starting to build around the guys we have. But obviously we are a couple players short. I am excited to see what happens.