**Minnesota Wild Summer 2024, Training Camps, and Exhibition Season**

[Tomdog]

Looked it up for you. 

Keith Christiansen.

Roger Godin.

John Mayasich.

Lou Nanne.

Chuck Pillsbury.

Lance Pitlick.

Glen Sonmor.

Butch Williams.

[Alexandron]

4 hours ago, Tomdog said:

Looked it up for you. 

Keith Christiansen.

Roger Godin.

John Mayasich.

Lou Nanne.

Chuck Pillsbury.

Lance Pitlick.

Glen Sonmor.

Butch Williams.

Thank you . 8 more people from Minnesota. It seems not a lot from a State of Hockey. Wish to see at least 20. Or at least Matt Cullen too. He is really merit that honor.

[Tomdog]

I think Matt was a heck of a hockey player, and probably one of the best journeyman out there, but not HOF. 
Would the average hockey fan from a city that Matt never played for know who he was or how he played? I doubt it. And that is one of my criteria for HOF. 

[CreaseAndAssist]

On 8/2/2024 at 9:01 AM, J0e Th0rnton said:

Oh probably. Nurse looked amazing at the time though. fast skater, physical and considered good defensively, minute muncher and finally started showing offensive game. Looked like a true #1 Dman

 

Faber, well

 Faber has a red flag flying over him IMO. A player with no history of exceptional offensive production comes out of nowhere and puts up 47 pts with 16 of those being on the powerplay in only his his first NHL season. A rookie. This is typically not the norm, and the question is, is this repeatable. I will say Faber, whose offensive numbers were minimal throughout his entire playing career, had a very nice final year in the NCAA when he scored at a fairly impressive rate of .71 pts per game. So, while there is risk associated with Faber there is also some indicators that suggest last year's output was perhaps not an outlier. That said, I don't think Faber is an elite offensive defensemen whatsoever, 60 pts and north of 60 is sure not where I have him projected. Rather, if he can sustain last years' production which is 50/50 at best IMO, he is a 50 pt D Man

 

I've seen a LOT of players come out their first season on fire, where everyone goes 'wow, where did this guy come from"  and then sputter. 

 

And let me say, I hope my fears are unfounded and he is good for you guys for years. I like the Wild and specifically draft some Wild players every year in fantasy. But I think once he is off PP1 once Buium ascends, folks will start to grumble about paying him that much if his production drops

 

Yea, that red flag of a breakout offensive season...such a terrible thing for this organization.  (yawn)  

 

No one said he's going to be one of the top scoring offensive defenseman in the league.  Who here, or honestly anywhere said Brock Faber was going to be or is an elite offensive defenseman?  The Wild were probably surprised he produced as much as he did, but he was used in all situations and for the most part handled the minutes pretty well.  

 

The Wild don't need your hopes, concerns...or anything.  They have enough issues of their own to worry about.  But right now, Brock Faber isn't one of them.  Having watched Faber play since high school, all he's done is rise to the occasion and demonstrate uncommon maturity for usually being the young player on his respective teams.  I think he'll stay motivated and continue to get better; and while it may not mean a big leap in points but I think he'll be steady player for years to come.  

 

Buium and he will be a great tandem someday.  Perhaps in a season or two.  

 

 

[CreaseAndAssist]

On 8/6/2024 at 7:52 PM, IllaZilla said:

The Athletic had an interesting poll on how fans rate their front offices. 
 

The Wild came in 24 out of 32. 

 

The Billy Goats had a hard time trying to spin the money thrown at older players and bottom 6 guys...and it sounds like Billy could be on the hot seat if the team doesn't just 'get good' once cap hell ends.  

[bbgarnett]

Not sure how others feel but I thought Matt Boldy played well with Brock Nelson at the World Championships and he is a a UFA after this season so maybe the wild try and Bring Nelson home. Now I am one to never be like he's one of us and hate when we use that mantra but in this case I think it might be a good signing on a 3 year deal for the right money obviously. He is 33 so 3 years might be good with a team optios maybe for another year or so .

 

Edited August 12 by bbgarnett

[Alexandron]

On 8/10/2024 at 9:12 PM, Tomdog said:

I think Matt was a heck of a hockey player, and probably one of the best journeyman out there, but not HOF. 
Would the average hockey fan from a city that Matt never played for know who he was or how he played? I doubt it. And that is one of my criteria for HOF. 

I don't think the fans love is a significant criteria for HOF. I think the most important are the longevity of the player's performance in NHL (not everyone capable to play well in NHL for a long period of time; 20 years, for example); his play's importance/influence for the overall team's performance; his production (goals; assists); or GAA and amounts of wins for the goalie; wins in Stanley Cups; World Championships; Olympic games; different trophies during his professional career. And maybe something else too...

[CreaseAndAssist]

Brock Nelson can be absolutely dominant; but he's also notorious for being a bit streaky, sound like Matt Boldy?!?!  He's been a pretty solid 1st round pick for the Islanders.  While I wouldn't mind seeing him come back, the truth is...he's past his prime.  And unless that deal is comensurate with "past his prime" (i.e. less money) then I wouldn't take him back.  

[Alexandron]

Minnesota Wild Announces Roster for Fourth Annual Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase hosted by the St. Louis Blues. Total 3 teams will participate in this showcase which includes Blues team in addition to the Wild and Blackhawks teams:

https://www.nhl.com/wild/news/minnesota-wild-announces-roster-for-fourth-annual-tom-kurvers-prospect-showcase-081324

 

Here will be our roster there:

https://media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/t_document/prd/idu75klhkyx4s7ggpn5c.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

[Alexandron]

Just read an interesting detailed new article by Tony Abbott at hockeywilderness.com. " Is Danila Yurov better prospect than Marco Rossi?" An interesting view, but I still think , time will show who really is better when Yurov will play in the Wild team. I am more concerned about Rossi. First season here he had 1 assist in 19 NHL games, then he didn't want to go back to AHL and was sitting on the bench and watched 5 more NHL games until he was moved back to Iowa. Then after that, he had a personal professional training with different coaches entire summer before he showed us his 40 points last season (21 goals; 19 assists). I think,  that intentional intensive personal training for entire summer helped him to become a real NHLer. Without that he would be a real AHLer like we have seen out of him before.

[bbgarnett]

https://www.startribune.com/neal-wild-wanted-laine-laine-did-not-want-wild/601135775

[Alexandron]

4 hours ago, bbgarnett said:

https://www.startribune.com/neal-wild-wanted-laine-laine-did-not-want-wild/601135775

Thanks for posting. I am glad we didn't sign him ,especially , if he didn't want to play in our team. It is a huge concern if player have got previously an NHL's player assistance program. We have seen that in other teams. When team needs that player during the crucial period of the season or playoffs season, the player was not available because he entered into that specific program. It is developing an idiotic situation for the entire team. We have seen that in Columbus, Colorado, Washington... In my personal opinion, those players should be disqualified from NHL for restoring their mental problem. NHL sport needs professional warriors but not the players with mental weakness.

[IllaZilla]

I didn't want Laine because the guy doesn't know what the defensive end of the rink looks like. But to bag on him because he sought help for whatever was affecting him is a bit harsh. It's easy for us to sit here and say "They're getting millions to play a kids game. Suck it up." But we don't know what is going on in their lives. We don't know what their medical situation is. At least players now days have the ability to seek help instead of just being given a tube of smelling salts and being told "Get back out there"...

[Alexandron]

On 9/3/2024 at 7:29 AM, IllaZilla said:

I didn't want Laine because the guy doesn't know what the defensive end of the rink looks like. But to bag on him because he sought help for whatever was affecting him is a bit harsh. It's easy for us to sit here and say "They're getting millions to play a kids game. Suck it up." But we don't know what is going on in their lives. We don't know what their medical situation is. At least players now days have the ability to seek help instead of just being given a tube of smelling salts and being told "Get back out there"...

I understand very well your point, still, in my opinion, NHL hockey sport is not a kids game but a cruel professional business involving enormous amounts of millions of dollars. I still didn't want Laine here even if he had a good defensive ability too. Many media mentioned before that he had some real mental problems. Why do we need a psych person in our team? If the person is taking some psych medications, then what we can expect out of his play? Missing attention, missing focus, missing games, prone to more mistakes.... I understand and support a hockey player with real physical injuries, who needs a time to restore his physical status for the game, but not a player with mental problems who is taking a special neurological medication or addicted to drugs.  That part is always hard to restore completely, especially in such a cruel sport as NHL professional hockey.