Wild Offseason Thread

[OnAFly]

I think we can pick up a couple of bodies for cheap that will equal Zidlicky and Bergeron defensively. A Jonsson replacement might be more spendy, but certainly not 5 mil. We'll have Scott and Foster (hopefully). Burns will be back. I know I'll catch he11 for this but, Skoula should be re-signed. I think we can easily work out a defense that is on par or better than what we had this year while saving money.

If we take that money and put it together with the Gabby money we save, we could pick up a very good forward. As always we have to look to our younger players to continue to improve as well.

[Bear55]

With the salary cap I always figure that there are 2 parts of a team to manage. Free agents and draft picks but I really think it's starts with the later.

So in 6 or 7 drafts (I won't include the last couple since some of those players are developing) who have the Wild drafted that were really good players. I can think of:

Gabby

Koivu

Burns

Schultz

I'll add in O'Sullivan since he was traded away for Demetria although he wasn't drafted that long ago.

You can probably add in another player or two that you like (PMB) but who else has the organization really drafted that stands out? Whoever is making the draft decisions (DR I assume) is doing poorly and should be fired if you ask me.

IMO they have not drafted well and JL and his system kept them in games. With JL now gone it will be interesting to see how the Wild finish with lesser players.

I agree acherystud, I think our drafting hasn't been the best. However I did see somewhere a chart comparing NHL teams draft record over the past 7-8 years and there wild were in the middle of the pack. They based it off how many of the drafted players made it to the NHL. It still is a [PoorWordUsage] shoot and teams are wrong a lot more then they are right.

My main issue with our draft is after the first round we always seem to draft guys that have size or a good work ethic, or they have some tools they just have to put them all together. A lot of these guys are long shots to make the NHL or end up as grinders, you can find those types of players anywhere. I really would like to see us draft some guys with some skills. Sure a guy with a big frame and some tools are nice but if he doesn't have the hockey sense or sniping skills he isn't going to magically develop into a scoring machine. Now I'm no expert but every draft I see guys we pass up look to have a much better up-side then whoever we draft. With that said its hard to argue against our first round picks, although Gillies was kind of a head scratcher, I know he was rated high but he's never really lit up the score board on any level so I really don't see him being a consistent scorer in the NHL.

[archerystud]

Well if we always draft like poorly we have to put someone in a jersey to play. I think they made some good picks early on. But lately none of the players seems to play or at least stand out. Either the Wild can't develop them or they are drafting poorly.

Does anyone know how the salary cap works in the NHL? If the Wild were to drop a player that was making 3mil/year how much counts against their salary cap?

I believe that a team has to buy out a contract to release a player. In other words you can't just drop them like the NHL. So I think the Wild are stuck with some of their overpriced guys that they have unless they can trade them, but I'm not positive on that.

[OnAFly]

They have to put them on waivers. If someone picks them up off of waivers, we are off the hook for their salary. If they clear waivers, we have to pay them some percentage of their salary which counts against our cap. This is what Parrish went through. He cleared and then was picked up by Dallas for a lower price and we paid him a lump some against our cap.

On drafting - Drafting a "sniper" after the first round is difficult. There are 29 other teams all looking at the players in the draft. The chances of all of those teams overlooking someone are not very good. I do agree we need to improve our drafting, but I don't get my hopes up for players drafted in the 3rd round. What I would like to see our 1st rounders improve.

[Bear55]

On drafting - Drafting a "sniper" after the first round is difficult. There are 29 other teams all looking at the players in the draft. The chances of all of those teams overlooking someone are not very good. I do agree we need to improve our drafting, but I don't get my hopes up for players drafted in the 3rd round. What I would like to see our 1st rounders improve.

Good point, it is a total [PoorWordUsage] shoot and its better to be lucky than good. I'd just rather see us take some boom or bust type guys in the later rounds instead of guys who have limited success in jr's and won't have a chance of making any kind of impact down the road.

[OnAFly]

Yeah I know what you mean. It seems like we take the conservative approach to everything. Never take the guy that has a small chance at being great, always take the guy with no chance of being great but will definitely be a checker in the NHL.

...and then there are teams like Detroit. I don't know how they do it but they pull gems out of the later rounds.

[crothmeier]

we hold onto boogard and scott and there are our bruisers. we dont need to draft the giants that cant skate, dont have skills but can hit. we are good in that department. get some sharp shooters in there. Take a chance and throw some money to keep Gabby and give him a few guys to work with. him and mikko are a good start.

[walleyes12]

we hold onto boogard and scott and there are our bruisers. we dont need to draft the giants that cant skate, dont have skills but can hit. we are good in that department. get some sharp shooters in there. Take a chance and throw some money to keep Gabby and give him a few guys to work with. him and mikko are a good start.

I like your thinking!!!

[OnAFly]

Yeah, keeping Gabby another year would be really nice. The free agent waters are pretty tempting, though.

[Bear55]

Maybe a new coach and new GM will talk him into staying but I still think that is a long shot.

[Slowhand]

Wonder how PMB would do playing in a more offensive-style system? I'd like to see the Wild let him loose and see what he can do....take alittle backchecking away from him and let him break out. His #'s could go way up. He might be some of the offense we're looking for...he has the talent.

[OnAFly]

I've thought that about a couple of our players. It would seem like they would carry the puck into the offensive zone and then not try to get deep by themselves. It was always wait for a second guy to get in and then go. By that time the other team had all their players in and we were pretty much left with a dump and crash play which would end up in the hands of the other team.

[Slowhand]

Its one thing Bouchard can do is carry a puck....as long a he doesnt get bodied.

[crothmeier]

I just read the Wild re-signed Scott to a 1-year deal for $550k.

Thats a good thing in my opinion.