offseason predictions

[mnbob70]

Dumba gone.
Klingberg gone.
Addison traded.
Sundqvist gone.
Nyquist gone.
Steel gone.
Work out a deal with Johansson.
Duhaime back.
Reaves back maybe.

Team will be worse next year as the transition to young guys begins.

[dennis1]

Evanson gone.

[mnbob70]

Evanson gone.

I don't think so but it will be interesting to see what happens.

[Slap Shot]

Evason needs to go. 0-8 in playoff series and again proves he can't adjust when their opponent does. And why do his best offensive players completely disappear in the playoffs?

btw Spurgeon was been on the ice for 13 of the 19 Stars' goals.

[LwnmwrMan222]

Trade Kaprizov for a player and 2 number 1s. Completely blown this up.

Didn't work last year, didn't work this year.

[Justin Kase]

I’m hoping Dean is gone. Team discipline has to start with the coach.

[Ask Not]

Trade Kaprizov for a player and 2 number 1s. Completely blown this up.

Didn't work last year, didn't work this year.

There won't be a worse take in any forum this year
Horrible, absolutely horrible.

[Angry Waters]

Trade Kaprizov for a player and 2 number 1s. Completely blown this up.

Didn't work last year, didn't work this year.

Really???

[DMB]

Evason needs to go. 0-8 in playoff series and again proves he can't adjust when their opponent does. And why do his best offensive players completely disappear in the playoffs?

btw Spurgeon was been on the ice for 13 of the 19 Stars' goals.

Evason is 0-4 in playoffs right? The Wild as a team are 0-8 in their last 8. He seems to come up small in big situations much too often for me.

[dennis1]

Evason needs to go. 0-8 in playoff series and again proves he can't adjust when their opponent does. And why do his best offensive players completely disappear in the playoffs?

btw Spurgeon was been on the ice for 13 of the 19 Stars' goals.

Evason is 0-4 in playoffs right? The Wild as a team are 0-8 in their last 8. He seems to come up small in big situations much too often for me.

Kind of like the Mike Zimmer of hockey.

[DMB]

Evason needs to go. 0-8 in playoff series and again proves he can't adjust when their opponent does. And why do his best offensive players completely disappear in the playoffs?

btw Spurgeon was been on the ice for 13 of the 19 Stars' goals.

Evason is 0-4 in playoffs right? The Wild as a team are 0-8 in their last 8. He seems to come up small in big situations much too often for me.

Kind of like the Mike Zimmer of hockey.

Right.

[LwnmwrMan222]

Trade Kaprizov for a player and 2 number 1s. Completely blown this up.

Didn't work last year, didn't work this year.

Really???

Yes. Maximum value.

[Hornets]

OK, here's my thoughts.

Bummer of a series for sure and I really thought we'd win it after the tremendous game 3 effort. Played well in game 4 but Oettinger was too good and Dallas did what they had to do and basically won the series at that point. I was VERY disappointed in the overall compete level for games 5 and 6 and hope BG will take notice of who quit and who didn't. Both teams had a star player out with Ek and Pavelski, but pretty sure the loss of Ek hurt us more. As for next season, here's thoughts on the players:

Goalies- Gus played well but with Jesper waiting in the wings BG cannot afford to give him a big deal. If we can sign him for 2-3 years at no more than 2 million year I'd do it. If he demands more and you feel Jesper is ready or very close to being ready then you say goodbye. We're stuck with MAF one more year and that is a huge bummer.

Defense- One would assume Dumba and Klingberg are gone. Brodin, Spurg, Faber, and Middleton are a decent foursome and both Merrill and Goligoski are under contract for another year so unless either of them can be traded they'll be part of the mix. I don't see how Addison remains as BG and Dean obviously don't like his style and the feeling is probably mutual. This is a problem because no one of the aforementioned 6 are much in the way of PP threats so something has to give...

Forwards- Most likely have seen the last of Sundqvist, Nyquist, and Johansson as all three are FA's and will most likely be beyond what the Wild could afford. Johansson probably has the best chance of returning of the 3. KK. Hartsy. Zuccs, Marcus, Boldy, Freddy, and Dewar are all under contract and likely to return. Would love to see Duhaime back if they can work out a manageable deal. Reaves did what he was here to do but I just don't know if I'd bring him back as he will be 36 and most likely losing another step. Unless he would agree to a million or less I say let him go. So there could/should be 4-5 spots open for the final forward spots and this is where we desperately need a few of the prospects to step in and play somewhat significant roles at bargain basement salaries.

Coaches- Not a Dean hater but numbers don't lie. Under his leadership the Wild have not progressed but have instead showed a continuous habit of underperforming in the playoffs. I'd like BG to explore who might be available to replace Dean and if he finds the right guy then you thank Dean for his service and show him the door.

Overall at this juncture I do not have a whole lot of optimism looking forward to the next couple of years and I continue to fear that KK will get sick of the situation and bail when his contract is up. BG has 3 years left to prove to KK that something special is possible as soon as those Zach and Ryan contracts are off the books and lets hope somehow he makes that happen. I thought we might be headed for a bottoming out of sorts earlier this season and then we went on an impressive run that apparently was a mirage. Next year is so hard to gauge...I could see us flailing badly and missing the playoffs or I could see a repeat of this season. That's maddening. I am continuing to put trust in BG but my patience is wearing thin...very thin.

[Angry Waters]

OK, here's my thoughts.

Bummer of a series for sure and I really thought we'd win it after the tremendous game 3 effort. Played well in game 4 but Oettinger was too good and Dallas did what they had to do and basically won the series at that point. I was VERY disappointed in the overall compete level for games 5 and 6 and hope BG will take notice of who quit and who didn't. Both teams had a star player out with Ek and Pavelski, but pretty sure the loss of Ek hurt us more. As for next season, here's thoughts on the players:

Goalies- Gus played well but with Jesper waiting in the wings BG cannot afford to give him a big deal. If we can sign him for 2-3 years at no more than 2 million year I'd do it. If he demands more and you feel Jesper is ready or very close to being ready then you say goodbye. We're stuck with MAF one more year and that is a huge bummer.

Defense- One would assume Dumba and Klingberg are gone. Brodin, Spurg, Faber, and Middleton are a decent foursome and both Merrill and Goligoski are under contract for another year so unless either of them can be traded they'll be part of the mix. I don't see how Addison remains as BG and Dean obviously don't like his style and the feeling is probably mutual. This is a problem because no one of the aforementioned 6 are much in the way of PP threats so something has to give...

Forwards- Most likely have seen the last of Sundqvist, Nyquist, and Johansson as all three are FA's and will most likely be beyond what the Wild could afford. Johansson probably has the best chance of returning of the 3. KK. Hartsy. Zuccs, Marcus, Boldy, Freddy, and Dewar are all under contract and likely to return. Would love to see Duhaime back if they can work out a manageable deal. Reaves did what he was here to do but I just don't know if I'd bring him back as he will be 36 and most likely losing another step. Unless he would agree to a million or less I say let him go. So there could/should be 4-5 spots open for the final forward spots and this is where we desperately need a few of the prospects to step in and play somewhat significant roles at bargain basement salaries.

Coaches- Not a Dean hater but numbers don't lie. Under his leadership the Wild have not progressed but have instead showed a continuous habit of underperforming in the playoffs. I'd like BG to explore who might be available to replace Dean and if he finds the right guy then you thank Dean for his service and show him the door.

Overall at this juncture I do not have a whole lot of optimism looking forward to the next couple of years and I continue to fear that KK will get sick of the situation and bail when his contract is up. BG has 3 years left to prove to KK that something special is possible as soon as those Zach and Ryan contracts are off the books and lets hope somehow he makes that happen. I thought we might be headed for a bottoming out of sorts earlier this season and then we went on an impressive run that apparently was a mirage. Next year is so hard to gauge...I could see us flailing badly and missing the playoffs or I could see a repeat of this season. That's maddening. I am continuing to put trust in BG but my patience is wearing thin...very thin.

Great synopsis, Hornets.

Not a lot to add here...but I'll give it a shot.

I hope Gus comes back. Maybe Flower decides to retire? That would probably be best-case scenario. Go with the 2 Swedes. Hopefully one becomes the true Alpha. On a side note, if you're gonna name a 2023 team MVP, Gus would be a top 3 candidate. Incredible job. He'd get my vote, to be honest.

Staying on the back-end, I think your top 6 D guys are already on the roster: Spurg, Brodin, Middleton, Faber, Merrill, Goligoski. If you're moving Merrill/Goligoski, these are just going to be bit moves that won't move the needle much.

When it comes to the F/C discussion, this is where it really becomes interesting. Boldy is young. But his continued maturation should lead him to become a perennial 30-40 goal scorer. However, the past 2 years show he's clearly better when he's paired with another dynamic player (22 and Johansson). So, my priority would be to bring Johansson back.

I love Zucs. He was the best player on the ice in game 3, but largely unnoticeable besides that. He's been a damn good hockey player, a joy to watch. He didn't have a great 2nd half of the season. If he has any value, I would look to move him. I would've done it last year, too, fwiw. Maybe it would allow you to sign both Johansson and Nyquist??? Watching Thrill and Zucs together the past few years has been awesome. The innate chemistry they seemed to have is special. However, if Thrill is gonna captain this ship for the next 10 years, Zucs ain't gonna be his wing man much longer.

This team's best all-around player is EE. I'd center him with Thrill on the top line. Who knows about the other wing... But that player should be provided many opportunities to score goals. A second line of Johansson/Gaudreau/Boldy should be very dynamic. After that, figure it out.

I like Evason. It's a great story. The 'lifer' makes good... But, he's on the hot-seat. I don't know the league very well. I wouldn't be surprised if he was moved this off-season, to be honest. Much like last year with St. Louis, a good hockey team was going to be eliminated from the playoffs in the first round. What sucks even more is that the Wild was up 1-0 each series. One thing I know to be sure is that BG doesn't seem to be content to simply make the playoffs.

This squad will still be a playoff team next year. Thrill is a bonafide superstar. Boldy should continue to get better. Top end talent can 'float a boat'. But, until the Parise/Suter dead weight is gone, 'floating' is probably the upside. I don't worry too much about Thrill being unhappy. This isn't the NBA. And, I'm sure he's aware of the 'caponomics'. My greater concern is where does he spend his offseason???

[Angry Waters]

Trade Kaprizov for a player and 2 number 1s. Completely blown this up.

Didn't work last year, didn't work this year.

Really???

Yes. Maximum value.

What would Boldy fetch? He's only 22! EE is only 26. Trade him, too??? Why stop there? Why not, right!!!

[LwnmwrMan222]

Really???

Yes. Maximum value.

What would Boldy fetch? He's only 22! EE is only 26. Trade him, too??? Why stop there? Why not, right!!!

All options should be explored, yes

[Ask Not]

Yes. Maximum value.

What would Boldy fetch? He's only 22! EE is only 26. Trade him, too??? Why stop there? Why not, right!!!

All options should be explored, yes

Should the Caps have traded Ovi in his first three years?? Is it time for Edmonton to dump McDavid and Draisaitl? I bet Boston fans are so pissed they still have Pastrnak after 8 years of not winning the cup.

[LwnmwrMan222]

What would Boldy fetch? He's only 22! EE is only 26. Trade him, too??? Why stop there? Why not, right!!!

All options should be explored, yes

Should the Caps have traded Ovi in his first three years?? Is it time for Edmonton to dump McDavid and Draisaitl? I bet Boston fans are so pissed they still have Pastrnak after 8 years of not winning the cup.

Yep, if someone called them and offered an unbelievable deal, move on it. No one should be off the table.

[Ask Not]

The salary cap situation for the next two years should make year three the focus. I'd trade Zucc this year if you can get anything useful for him. The NHL is largely a rich stars and everyone else league. Guerin might be able to find someone at a reasonable price who is waiting for Kap to elevate him in place of Zucc.

They likely aren't going to be able to get a center for Kap in the next two years, so continue to grow and develop the talent pool for a big trade at that time. Johannson played for $1.1M this year. He'd likely take 2 years at $2M per.

I'd try to trade both Merrill and Goligoski to clear salary and bring in a $4M blue liner that either has more size than the other D-men or can play the point on the power play. Also, it's time to start making room for the skilled kids like Beckman and/or Walker, etc. I like Dewar, Duhaime and company, but they'll always be bottom 6 and largely replaceable.

Kap/Hartman/FA -- $14.7M
Johansson/Erickson Ek/Boldy - $14.5M
Foligno/Rossi/Gaudreau - $6M
Others - $4M

Spurg / FA - $11.6M
Brodin / Faber - $7M
Middleton / Lambos - 3.3

Fluery / Gus - $6M

Salaries: $67.1
Parise and Suter: $14.7M
Total cost: $81.8M
Salary Cap: $83.5M

[mnbob70]

Work out a deal with Johansson.

2 years 4 million. I got that guess right.

[DMB]

Work out a deal with Johansson.

2 years 4 million. I got that guess right.

That was quick. Gus next.

[Justin Kase]

[media][/media]

Work out a deal with Johansson.

2 years 4 million. I got that guess right.

Just saw that, nice!!!

[Ask Not]

1 of us said he'd take 2 years at $2M per.
*gratehockeymind

[Sellingguy]

this team is forever fucked by praise and sutter. And once they are done being fucked by that deal they will do it again with what ever local player is 75% done with their career.

[Hornets]

this team is forever fucked by praise and sutter. And once they are done being fucked by that deal they will do it again with what ever local player is 75% done with their career.

The Parise/Suter move was too drastic and was a mistake by Guerin. I haven't come out and blasted it before but it was just plain TOO drastic. If the move only required one or two years of buyouts then I could be on board with it....FOUR years was TOO drastic. Also, I do still have faith that Guerin can eventually lead us to a run to the cup but if he were a true leader he could have handled Zach and Ryan better where it didn't have to come down to the DRASTIC move. The hope and assumption is that after TWO MORE SEASONS we'll have lots of cap space and our promising prospects will be ready to shine. Well, maybe we will have more money but as we've seen in years past there is no guarantee that those prospects will pan out....we just do not know and the failure of Rossi so far proves that point.

I don't think this is going to work out in the end....Guerin made a devastating mistake. It was too drastic.

[Ask Not]

this team is forever fucked by praise and sutter. And once they are done being fucked by that deal they will do it again with what ever local player is 75% done with their career.

The Parise/Suter move was too drastic and was a mistake by Guerin. I haven't come out and blasted it before but it was just plain TOO drastic. If the move only required one or two years of buyouts then I could be on board with it....FOUR years was TOO drastic. Also, I do still have faith that Guerin can eventually lead us to a run to the cup but if he were a true leader he could have handled Zach and Ryan better where it didn't have to come down to the DRASTIC move. The hope and assumption is that after TWO MORE SEASONS we'll have lots of cap space and our promising prospects will be ready to shine. Well, maybe we will have more money but as we've seen in years past there is no guarantee that those prospects will pan out....we just do not know and the failure of Rossi so far proves that point.

I don't think this is going to work out in the end....Guerin made a devastating mistake. It was too drastic.

Gentlemen- the long-term IR and retirement rules for players on long-term contracts were enacted After they were signed. Those subsequent rule changes for which contracts weren't grandfathered in are why they're in this situation.

Had they traded the players and then the the players retired the salary cap implications would have been crippling. That wasn't the case when they were signed.

[Hornets]

this team is forever fucked by praise and sutter. And once they are done being fucked by that deal they will do it again with what ever local player is 75% done with their career.

The Parise/Suter move was too drastic and was a mistake by Guerin. I haven't come out and blasted it before but it was just plain TOO drastic. If the move only required one or two years of buyouts then I could be on board with it....FOUR years was TOO drastic. Also, I do still have faith that Guerin can eventually lead us to a run to the cup but if he were a true leader he could have handled Zach and Ryan better where it didn't have to come down to the DRASTIC move. The hope and assumption is that after TWO MORE SEASONS we'll have lots of cap space and our promising prospects will be ready to shine. Well, maybe we will have more money but as we've seen in years past there is no guarantee that those prospects will pan out....we just do not know and the failure of Rossi so far proves that point.

I don't think this is going to work out in the end....Guerin made a devastating mistake. It was too drastic.

Gentlemen- the long-term IR and retirement rules for players on long-term contracts were enacted After they were signed. Without those subsequent rule changes for which contracts weren't grandfathered in are why they're in this situation.

Had they traded the players and then the the players retired the salary cap implications would have been crippling. That wasn't the case when they were signed.

Both Zach and Ryan had productive seasons and especially Suter seems likely to keep playing for the remainder of his contract. Zach probably would like to keep playing and if he is ok with the vets minimum someone will sign him, probably the Islanders again. It was as much the inability of management to set things straight with the two and avoid the supposedly necessary move. Don't know why I keep getting upset about this....it's a done deal and wishing it hadn't happened won't change a thing.

[DMB]

The Parise/Suter move was too drastic and was a mistake by Guerin. I haven't come out and blasted it before but it was just plain TOO drastic. If the move only required one or two years of buyouts then I could be on board with it....FOUR years was TOO drastic. Also, I do still have faith that Guerin can eventually lead us to a run to the cup but if he were a true leader he could have handled Zach and Ryan better where it didn't have to come down to the DRASTIC move. The hope and assumption is that after TWO MORE SEASONS we'll have lots of cap space and our promising prospects will be ready to shine. Well, maybe we will have more money but as we've seen in years past there is no guarantee that those prospects will pan out....we just do not know and the failure of Rossi so far proves that point.

I don't think this is going to work out in the end....Guerin made a devastating mistake. It was too drastic.

Gentlemen- the long-term IR and retirement rules for players on long-term contracts were enacted After they were signed. Without those subsequent rule changes for which contracts weren't grandfathered in are why they're in this situation.

Had they traded the players and then the the players retired the salary cap implications would have been crippling. That wasn't the case when they were signed.

Both Zach and Ryan had productive seasons and especially Suter seems likely to keep playing for the remainder of his contract. Zach probably would like to keep playing and if he is ok with the vets minimum someone will sign him, probably the Islanders again. It was as much the inability of management to set things straight with the two and avoid the supposedly necessary move. Don't know why I keep getting upset about this....it's a done deal and wishing it hadn't happened won't change a thing.

Why did Guerin want to get rid of them so bad? I read there were problems in locker room-especially with Suter.

[Big Head]

Any chance of Marat Khusnutdinov coming over next year?

[mnbob70]

1 of us said he'd take 2 years at $2M per.
*gratehockeymind

Even more impressive call.