Wild Offseason

[JimBuck]

Never thought I'd say this but....

GO HABS!

That is all.

[OnAFly]

+1

That was a great series. I would like to see them win it just because I like watching how crazy the Bell center gets. I think whoever wins the West will steamroll the east, however.

[Bear55]

Well it looks like you can say goodbye to Boogaurd. Wild traded a 5th rounder to San Jose for Brad Staubitz.

It sounds like Staubitz is a slightly better hockey player but not as good as a fighter as Boogaurd, but he does comes with a cheaper price tag. It also sounds like he is a little too good at taking stupid penalties.

[Bear55]

NHL Draft closing in fast, it should at least be interesting who we get at #9 or any number of possible trades that might happen. The NHL has bee fairly busy with a few big trades and some big name free agents coming off the market.

Round 1 will begin at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday and will be nationally televised by VERSUS. The NHL Network will carry Rounds 2-7 on Saturday, with coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

[Bear55]

Wild select Mikael Granlund with the 9th overall pick.

C/W FI 5' 10" 180 FINLAND HIFK

Stats: 43gp 13g 27a 40pts

I think the Wild were hoping one of Connolly, Johanson, Nino or Skinner were going to fall to them but it didn't happen. They did pass up a super skilled Cam Fowler (D) so hopefully that doesn't bite us in the butt down the road.

Overall he sounds like a very talented kid, maybe a bit in the small side but it sounds like he isn't affraid to go into the corner. He put up some very good number playing against men in the Finish pro league. Had he played Canadian Jrs this year he could have hit up the league and been picked in the top 5 so this guy could be a steal. He is more of a passer than a shooter but it sound like he can still put the puck in the net. Lets hope he pans out for us, he has one more year on his Finish contract and then he should be playing for the Wild.

Some Scouting reports:

"He's a very competitive kid. He makes things happen. He had the advantage, if you like, of playing in the Finnish Elite League with men and did very well. He was close to a point a game (40 in 43 games). It's a very well-respected league, probably the closest of all the European leagues to the NHL style of play. He flourished in that league.

"He had a very solid World Junior. The thing that got people worked up a little was that he had a groin injury that plagued him through the early part of the season. At the World Junior, he wasn't at his best though he was one of the best players for Finland. His skating was affected and it continued to affect his play a little bit the rest of the season, but he appears to be fully recovered now.

"He's certainly one of the guys, maybe because of his experience, who might be able to step in and play next year. He has to play over his size limitation. He's not a real big guy, but he's very smart and very quick and he keeps that high compete level, and he's a quality kid with very solid character."

Some Highlights:

[pinkfloyd4ever]

Guy sounds good on paper, hope he makes a impact soon.

Gonna be bummed if Boogaard is gone from us, dude lays some nasty hits and punches. And what better than an arena chanting his name

[10,000 Casts]

Staubitz is a D man. I would say he is Scotts replacement.. More guys will man up and fight Staubitz than Boogy and Scott but he also gets owned more too. He has alot of bad blood with guys like Stortini, Ivanas and Barch so we will get to see way more fights next year!! Can't wait for the season to start!

[OnAFly]

Overall, I like the Granlund kid. At first they listed him as only a wing. I was a little confused why we were picking wings. Then it was posted he plays center and that made a lot more sense. He was one of the top scorers in the Finnish Elite League, so that says something about him. He wasn't THE top scorer due to a groin injury...so that might say something too.

We were supposed to pick Skinner on a couple of different mock drafts. They probably would have if he were available. Either way, I'm happy with the picks made. We also got a goalie that was supposed to go near top 50. We got him at No. 159. Not bad to keep a few goalies in the cupboard.

[Bear55]

I wasn't blown away at first but more I read about Granlund the more I liked him. I don't think he was the guy the Wild was targeting but he could turn out real well for us.

10,000 I think Staubitz is being brought in as a forward, he is listed as a RW on the San Jose site and everything I read about him was at the forward position. I did see one site list him as a D but I think they are mistaken. He could be a converted forward but I'm not sure.

[Bear55]

Wild day two picks.

2/39 RW - Brett Bulmer 6' 3" - 185 lbs.

2/56 LW - Johan Larsson 5' 10" - 200 Lbs.

2/59 LW - Jason Zucker (Trade) 5' 11" - 174 lbs.

6/159 G - Johan Gustafsson 6' 2" - 202 lbs.

7/189 RW - Dylen Mckinlay 5' 11" - 162 lbs.

I was a little puzzled by the Bulmer pick at first but it sound like the kid is kind of a boom or bust deal and he has some good long term potential. The Larsson kid sounds like he has tons of skill and could be another good player in time. I also like that we moved up to grab another 2nd rounder in Zucker, he could be another good one in time. I'm actually starting to feel like we have some legitimate prospects in the system. Its been a while.

[10,000 Casts]

NO NOT BOOGS REPLACEMENT!!!! He is my main reason for loving this team... I know he can hardly skate... but he still does his job!!! But the wild has 3 enforcers a few years ago with Simon, Fedoruk and Boogy, maybe they will do it again..

hmmm Staubitz was listed as D on Hockeyfights, maybe that is old... Put him on the 4th line with Scott and Boogy and I will be a happy wild fan!

[OnAFly]

I would take a better record over seeing fights. Boogy just isn't a good hockey player. He's a good fighter.

Someone will overpay him for 2yrs and 2mil. That's just the way it is. For a team with cap issues, it just doesn't make sense to try to keep him.

[Bear55]

I like Boogy too but he has to go. He is more of a side show then a hockey player and we need hockey players right now. I'm not sure if Staubitz is his replacement or not but at least he chipped in 3 goals last year playing maybe half the season, how many does Boogy have in his career?

[JimBuck]

Im not sure how accurate this is but it looks like 2 goals and 10 assists for his career total. I'm fine with seeing Boogs go, I love watching him play but very few guys will fight him anymore and he doesn't seem to draw many penalties since the refs have his number. I would feel different about it if we had the scoring power but that is NOT the case.

[10,000 Casts]

ahhh yes the new NHL.. to each their own.. i still think there is room in the new NHL for a goon on the roster.

[spearchucker]

I like Boogey, but how many times did he have the puck on the tape in front of the net and screw it up last year. The guy had a dozen scoring chances and blew every one of them. We have a hard enough time getting goals. We need wings and centers that can score. The X is going to start getting empty pretty quick. I am sick of the mediocre MN teams.

[OnAFly]

Get used to it.

We have 6 million tied up in a goalie and 1 mil a year until 2014 in Parrish. We have few prospects in the system and lots of holes. We lack scoring and lack cap flexibility to acquire it through UFAs. We might see improvement this year, but don't count on it. I doubt we'll make the playoffs.

I liked Boogey too, but these days enforcers are really handcuffed by the rules and the guy had a big target on his back when came to getting called for penalties. When he had the chance, he couldn't score...when he played physical/enforced, he got called. Someone else will sign him, I hope he winds up on the east.

[walleyes12]

Even with Boogies lack of scoring, Sheppard only had 2 more points then him!!! LMFAO

[Bear55]

ahhh yes the new NHL.. to each their own.. i still think there is room in the new NHL for a goon on the roster.

There is plenty of room for goons, they just have to be able to play a little hockey. At least back in the day the fighters had some skills.

I've said this before Boogy would not be the best player on many high school teams and for an NHL player that is kind of sad.

[10,000 Casts]

Boogy brings more to the team than fights, other teams turtle up when he is out there.. His job is to stare guys down from the bench and lay some monster hits.. with that said, I see your guys points but I will be sad if he goes..

Do you think Scott has enough hockey skill to stay on the team? If he would fight more he would be a better enforcer than Boogy anyway.. But he would have to step up..

One thing about boogy that bothers me is that there are only maybe 10 guys in the league that will even go toe to toe with him and when we play the teams like Detroit and Chicago, they just avoid him and he is worthless.. Even the guys like Stortini won't even go with him anymore..

Staubitz isn't going to be much better...

[10,000 Casts]

Wild Team Report

Yahoo! Sports

9 hours, 4 minutes ago

Email Print

INSIDE SHOTS

While the NHL draft is always geared to the future, when you’re coming off a 13th-place finish in the West, fans also hope the general manager could swing something substantial in the trade market to immediately make an impact on the roster.

Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher tried, but so far, no dice.

ADVERTISEMENT

Fletcher made no secret he was conducting trade calls for two weeks heading into the June 25-26 draft weekend in Los Angeles, but after two days, Fletcher wasn’t able to acquire anything except a checking defenseman turned winger in San Jose’s Brad Staubitz(notes) for a fifth-round pick.

That long-coveted quality center to play behind captain Mikko Koivu(notes) didn’t arrive.

So now the Wild may have to be more active in the weak free-agent market than it originally wanted to.

Does that mean Matt Cullen(notes)? Maybe Olli Jokinen(notes)? How about revisiting Saku Koivu(notes) to be united with his younger brother?

Regardless, Fletcher must find solutions.

“There’s always pressure to win, and you always feel that pressure, and we all want to win both short-term and long-term,” Fletcher said. “But once you start feeling pressure to make something happen, that’s when you start making mistakes.”

Season Highlight: A pair of late game comebacks brought Wild fans loads of excitement. In the home opener Oct. 6, a three-goal third-period comeback led to a victory over Anaheim. Then a four-goal third-period comeback Jan. 9 sparked a 6-5 win over Chicago. Also, after a 7-12-2 start, the Wild went 13-4-1 from Nov. 20 to Dec. 28.

Turning Point: It was early, but it was deadly. Minnesota started the season 0-8 on the road, an overlaying theme for the plagued season. If you take away the three victories at Calgary, the Wild went a dismal 10-24-4 in its other 38 road games.

NOTES, QUOTES

• After nine years on the Wild’s coaching staff, Minnesota native Mike Ramsey abruptly resigned in June. Ramsey was a holdover from the longtime Jacques Lemaire coaching staff.

“He didn’t feel completely comfortable or settled,” coach Todd Richards said. “It was almost like a 10-year marriage with Jacques. (Ramsey) was used to a way of doing certain things, and then somebody comes in and it’s different, and he never truly felt settled or comfortable.

“But Mike was a big part of our staff, so it came as a complete shock to me.”

• The Wild hired former Wild D Brad Bombardir as the team’s new director of player development. Bombardir will spend one week a month with the Wild’s American Hockey League affiliate in Houston and at least one week a month spending time visiting the Wild’s junior and college prospects.

• The NHL wanted to have a “drawn-out lottery” between the Wild and Carolina Hurricanes to select components of this fall’s trip to Helsinki, Finland, “so I just called Chuck, we had a one-minute conversation and we figured it all out,” said Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford.

“Yeah,” said Wild GM Chuck Fletcher. “He got first choice of hotel, I got first choice of locker room, he got first choice of practice times and I got first choice of home game.”

The Wild will be the home team Oct. 7; the Hurricanes will be home team Oct. 8.

Quote To Note: “It’s hard to put things in perspective because there’s always such an emphasis on the present. We have every intention of competing next year and having a good hockey team, but the future comes before you know it. As we saw this year with (Stanley Cup finalists) Chicago and Philadelphia, those clubs are littered with good young players throughout their lineup. The ultimate key to our long-term success is adding more youth to our organization.”—Wild GM Chuck Fletcher, on the importance of the draft.

ROSTER REPORT

Most Valuable Player: For the first time in franchise history, the Wild this season named a season-long captain rather than award the “C” on a monthly basis. Center Mikko Koivu got the call, and he did not disappoint. Koivu set career highs in goals (22) assists (49) and points (71). His assist total was one off the franchise record. He also ranked second in the NHL in faceoffs won.

Most Disappointing Player: When the Wild signed Martin Havlat(notes) to a six-year, $30 million contract last July, the team probably didn’t think he would fully make up for the loss of Marian Gaborik(notes). But it sure expected more than the 54 points Havlat put up this season after scoring 77 last season for the Blackhawks. He scored just 18 goals, fifth on the team.

Free Agent Focus: The two biggest issues are extending the contract of Mikko Koivu, who can become an unrestricted free agent next summer, and re-signing restricted free agent Guillaume Latendresse(notes), who helped the Wild immensely (25 goals in 55 games) after he was traded to Minnesota on Nov. 23. Derek Boogaard(notes), Owen Nolan(notes), John Scott(notes), Andrew Ebbett(notes), Robbie Earl(notes) and Shane Hnidy(notes) are also unrestricted free agents, while Josh Harding(notes) is restricted. Minnesota has holes, most notably a scoring winger, a No. 2 center and another power-play point man. The free agent pool is weak, so the trade route is most likely.

It’s looking more and more as if the Wild will be without an enforcer next season. It has had limited discussions with Boogaard, who can probably make more on the open market than the Wild’s able to give. The Wild signed minor-league D Clayton Stoner(notes) to a one-year deal in March, so it appears as if 6-foot-8 John Scott will be allowed to test free agency.

Draft Picks Of Note:

• Mikael Granlund, 5-10, 180, Helsinki (Finland), first round, 9th overall. The Finnish Elite League rookie of the year could have led the entire league in scoring as a 17-year-old if he didn’t miss 15 games with a groin injury. He’s a skilled, very competitive winger who is considered very NHL-ready.

• Johan Larsson, 5-10, 200, Brynas Jr. (Sweden), second round, 56th overall. Skilled winger had an inconsistent season, but many scouts said he was one of the biggest sleepers in the draft and may not only have been Sweden’s best player in the World Under-18s, but also the best player in the entire tournament.

• Jason Zucker, 5-11, 174, USA Under-18, second round, 59th overall. The Wild so wanted this super-fast, character kid, it traded a third- and fourth-round pick to the Florida Panthers for an extra second-rounder. Zucker is the first Nevada-trained player to ever be drafted in the NHL, and he was one of two players on the national team program (Jack Campbell) that won three gold medals in one calendar year.

Player Notes:

• If Wild enforcer Derek Boogaard leaves as a free agent, the Detroit Red Wings may be interested. Red Wings GM Ken Holland said he wants to sign an enforcer, and star Pavel Datsyuk(notes) said he’d like it to be Boogaard. Boogaard will train with Datsyuk for a second straight summer in Russia.

“We haven’t closed the book either, and maybe we revisit it July 1 or 2 if we don’t (re-sign him before),” GM Chuck Fletcher said. “But we have several areas we’re looking to improve. It comes down to, ‘how much cap space can you allocate to a certain area without compromising other areas?’”

• The Wild re-signed C James Sheppard(notes) to a one-year deal worth $803,000. After a two-goal season, there was debate as to whether the Wild would even extend Sheppard a qualifying offer. The much-maligned center won’t be “given anything” in training camp, GM Chuck Fletcher said.

• The Wild tendered qualifying offers to restricted free agents Guillaume Latendresse, Josh Harding, Anton Khudobin(notes), Nate Prosser(notes) and Matt Kassian(notes). Morten Madsen(notes) and Jamie Fraser(notes) were let go.

Medical Watch:

• C Mikko Koivu (right shoulder and right knee surgery) will spend just about all of the offseason recovering from his surgeries. He’ll need 14-16 weeks to recuperate from the shoulder operation and 3-4 weeks after the knee surgery.

• D Cam Barker(notes) (right ankle surgery) underwent the procedure April 20 but should be OK by late May.

• G Josh Harding (hip) will likely have surgery on a torn labrum.

• D Clayton Stoner (sports hernia surgery) is rehabbing after a second surgery. He didn’t play after Jan. 5.

• C Andrew Ebbett (broken finger) underwent season-ending surgery. He was expected to begin rehab in late April.

• C/RW Pierre-Marc Bouchard(notes) missed 81 of 82 games with a concussion, and his return is uncertain.

• LW Guillaume Latendresse missed the final two games with a back injury.

• RW Martin Havlat missed the final two games with a hamstring injury.

• D Marek Zidlicky(notes) (arm) missed the final three games with an arm injury.

• LW/RW Owen Nolan played his 1,200th April 4 in Vancouver but missed the final three games with a knee injury.

• C James Sheppard missed the season finale against Dallas with a knee injury.

[Bear55]

I'm not sure Scott has what it takes either. Staubitz sounds like more of a 4ht line grinder who is willing to fight and stand up for teammates. He won't put the fear in people Boogy will but I don't think they are bringing him in to replace him. I don't think there is anyone who will replace Boogaard and at the same time be skilled enough to play a regular shift.

[spearchucker]

Last year was the first year that I would say that Boogey was more of a liability than help. He took several uncharacteristic undisciplined penalties at key moments, granted he got no slack from the refs all year.

[Born2Fish]

Quote:

The Minnesota Wild have re-signed left wing Guillaume Latendresse to a two-year contract.

The team announced the deal on Thursday. Latendresse came over in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens during last season and emerged as one of the team's best offensive players in the second half of the season.

Latendresse had 25 goals and 12 assists in 55 games with the Wild after the Nov. 23 trade. The move seemed to energize Latendresse as well, who languished in his previous three seasons in Montreal. He finished the season with a career-high 27 goals and 40 points.

[OnAFly]

I was hoping to get him for a little less, but overall it's not a bad deal. If last year was a fluke, we only have him for a short time. If not, we've got time to work out another deal. Hopefully he keeps up his production.