Wild Offseason

[CaptainMusky]

I kinda have a bad feeling about this Kuemper deal. I guess during his last contract it was a real bugger to get to an agreement. Now he has shown some success and knows the Wild are over a barrel of sorts this could really bite them. If it comes to that, I hope they just let him walk. The concussions just worry me too much long term and I dont like the fact that even though he hasnt proven a whole lot, he and his agent are just impossible to work with.

Apparently there have been many discussions with Nino, but few or none with Kuemper. Thats pretty telling.

[OnAFly]

I'm guessing it's more his agent than him. Hopefully, at least.

[10,000 Casts]

http://m.espn.go.com/nhl/rankings?src=desktop&rand=ref~%7B%22ref%22%3A%22http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%3Fp%3Dnhl%2Bpower%2Brankings%2B2014%26fr%3Diphone%26.tsrc%3Dapple%26pcarrier%3DAT%2526T%26pmcc%3D310%26pmnc%3D410%22%7D

Those top 5 teams will be pretty good next season. Jeez the west is absolutely stacked again..

[CaptainMusky]

Agreed. The west didn't get weaker that is for sure. I think st Louis' days are numbered though. They are getting quite old. Colorado got worse IMO. We should be a better scoring team including the power play. Those two things should reduce our games settled in shootouts. This is really where we can make up ground. Far too many ties ending in shootouts where we get only one pt and give the other team another.

[Bear55]

The west is insanely stacked, we picked a bad time to be good but if you wanna win you got to beat the best. I think we are right there with them!

[10,000 Casts]

I think that right wing spot will be a revolving door. Folin in Stoners spot will be interesting to watch.

Quote:

WILD DEPTH CHART from Russo

Here’s a look at how the Wild is shaping up to look like next season. This will change throughout the summer as the Wild add and delete players.

The depth chart is my opinion. Obviously, lines change, roles change, etc. There are interchangeable parts and I’d expect at least another defenseman at some point.

In parentheses, each player’s cap hits with some assistance from the web site, www.capgeek.com.

Forwards

Left wing Center Right wing

Zach Parise ($7.5+M) Mikael Granlund (900K) Jason Pominville (5.6M)

Thomas Vanek ($6.5M) Mikko Koivu (6.75M) Charlie Coyle (900K)

Matt Cooke (2.5M) Erik Haula (900K) Nino Niederreiter (RFA)

Jason Zucker (900+K) Kyle Brodziak (2.83 M) Justin Fontaine (1M)

Cody Almond (550K)

Vying for spots: Zucker, Almond, Stephane Veilleux (587,500), Brett Sutter (600K), Michael Keranen (792,500), Jordan Schroeder (600K), Joel Rechlicz (600K), Brett Bulmer (780K), Kurtis Gabriel (667K), Zack Mitchell (615K), Tyler Graovac (747,500), Zack Phillips ($863,333), Brady Brassart ($836,667), Raphael Bussieres ($759,167), Curt Gogol ($551,667).

Defensemen

Left Defense Right Defense

Ryan Suter (7.5+M) Jared Spurgeon (2.66M)

Marco Scandella (1.025M) Jonas Brodin (1.4+M)

Keith Ballard (1.5M) Christian Folin (925K)

Jon Blum (675K)

Vying for spots: Folin, Blum, Matt Dumba (894,167), Stu Bickel (600K), Gustav Olofsson (795K), Guillaume Gelinas ($596,667), Colton Jobke ($551,667).

Goalies

Niklas Backstrom (3.42M)

Josh Harding (1.9M)

Darcy Kuemper (RFA)

* Kuemper can be sent to the minors without waivers even if he receives a one-way deal.

Vying for spots: Johan Gustafsson (665K), John Curry (600K).

Total cap hit roughly: $57,413,008.

Available cap space: $10.88 million roughly (I based this on a $68.3 million salary-cap ceiling; NHL salary cap next season is $69 million, but the Wild will be charged a bonus overage of a little less than $700,000). Note, the $10.88 million excludes re-signing restricted free agents Niederreiter and Kuemper. The Wild will almost certainly not be a cap ceiling team for the first time in a long time. Its actual payroll (real dollars paid out) is at above $67 million, and all teams have internal budgets.

[Bear55]

Still think we need to see a Vanek Granlund Pommers line, lots of built in chemistry and we know Parise Koivu and Coyle can work, especially if Coyle can perform like he did late in the season and playoffs.

Don't know what it is and it might not happen this year but I have a good feeling about a Brodin-Folin Swede combo.

[CaptainMusky]

Still think we need to see a Vanek Granlund Pommers line, lots of built in chemistry and we know Parise Koivu and Coyle can work, especially if Coyle can perform like he did late in the season and playoffs.

I, too, like that vanek, granlund, pommenville line, but my hesitation is you have one guy (vanek) who isnt know to be a fast skating, defensive minded, Pommers same kinda way. They could maybe keep the puck in the offensive zone a long time, but I almost like Koivu at center a bit better than Granlund. I just fear Granlund could take some serious hits in the corners with those two slower guys. Maybe Im over thinking it..

[Bear55]

Just double shift Suter, problem solved.

But hey a Vanek Koivu Pommer and Parise Granlund Coyle (or Nino) sound pretty sweet too. Lets be honest Yoe can't screw this up, any combo of lines could be deadly, he just has to figure out what works great instead of really good.

[CaptainMusky]

I have high expectations for the PP this year. I would love to see vanek, pominville and granlund on the PP together. That could be dynamic

[Bear55]

Yep no reason we can't have two high quality PP's, sound like Vanek is a PP stud. He doesn't just score goals, dude has amazing vision as well.

[CaptainMusky]

Oh yeah, he is a heckuva passer. Getting more excited about the upcoming season for sure, but this Kuemper deal is getting me a bit ticked.

Hopefully that gets figured out soon. Doesnt sound like much progress is being made.

Nino I hope gets done as well.

[OnAFly]

all warmth and no hockey make onafly a dull boy

all warmth and no hockey make onafly a dull boy

all warmth and no hockey make onafly a dull boy

all warmth and no hockey make onafly a dull boy

all warmth and no hockey make onafly a dull boy

all warmth and no hockey make onafly a dull boy

all warmth and no hockey make onafly a dull boy

all warmth and no hockey make onafly a dull boy

all warmth and no hockey make onafly a dull boy

all warmth and no hockey make onafly a dull boy

all warmth and no hockey make onafly a dull boy

all warmth and no hockey make onafly a dull boy

all warmth and no hockey make onafly a dull boy

Is it October yet?

[Bear55]

Aug and Sept do get kind of drag on.

[CaptainMusky]

Yeah, I was sure hoping that we would at least have some contract signing news to get us through August, but that isnt looking good either. Im fairly confident the Nino deal will get done, but the Kuemper one has me more concerned all the time. If it gets too tough and he wants too much, let him walk I say.

[OnAFly]

Well..basically our choices would be to either trade his rights or hold them out of spite so he couldn't play anywhere in North America. If it gets that bad...I hope he enjoys Russia. I've heard good things about that place lately

[Bear55]

Nino will get done, have to imagine both sides want that to happen. Kuemps we don't really need right now if Backs and Harding are healthy, its a risk but he is also risking his standing in the organization by not showing up and competing for the starting goal spot. Hope common sense prevails.

[spearchucker]

Backstrom and Harding were both healthy going into last season as well. I don't think we can count on either one of them for a full season anymore.

[Bear55]

I'm not sure we have a choice right now, they are both under contract and we also have Kumps in limbo. We already have one extra goalie and probably can't sign another until something bad happens. The good new is Bryz will likely still be there if we are in a pinch.

[PierBridge]

Can't imagine Briz ever playing here again and I cant imagine we wont sign Kemps...

[Bear55]

I don't see Bryz here either, but nice to have options if Harding and Backstrom go down again.

[PierBridge]

[Bear55]

Hope Harding can stay healthy, since coming back from MS he has been simply amazing.

[OnAFly]

Yeah hopefully he can stick it out this year. He is top 5 in the league when healthy.

[CaptainMusky]

Kuemper is exploring options in foreign hockey leagues considering talks stalled out with wild. Afraid of that.

Let him walk.