John Madden, for one. He was the top PK'er in terms of TOI/game last year while providing great leadership and some clutch scoring. He was a UFA until January and I believe he was skating with the Wild some because he couldn't get a contract.
Or keep Eric Nystrom. He was under contract for two years and isn't doing too bad right now.
I'll give you Madden, but Nystrom is absolute fantasy land. Nystrom is not on this team because he was drastically outplayed by Powe and others. Even Gillies outplayed Nystrom. His success with Dallas could never have been replicated here.
Even with Madden, he couldn't find an NHL job to start the season. It's not just Minnesota who didn't think he had enough in the tank to make it this year.
I'll give you Madden, but Nystrom is absolute fantasy land. Nystrom is not on this team because he was drastically outplayed by Powe and others. Even Gillies outplayed Nystrom. His success with Dallas could never have been replicated here.
Even with Madden, he couldn't find an NHL job to start the season. It's not just Minnesota who didn't think he had enough in the tank to make it this year.
Everyone else's scouts being ****** doesn't excuse our poor decisions.
When players started to drop like flies I was wondering why we weren't signing Madden to a one yer deal. Dude was a stand up guy who contributed both on the ice and in the locker room.
With Nystrom on this team, do we still pick up Johnson? Probably not.
I thought it was a little hasty getting rid of him like we did, but I didn't watch/listen to any of the preseason games, so his release could've been justifiably deserved.
I was a lonely Nystrom fanboy the entire time he was here and was excited to see what he was going to do under Yeo, so I don't say this lightly: odds are pretty good that Nystrom would be about as effective on the ice as Ortmeyer and Peters on this team.
I actually liked Nystrom the whole time he was here too. He always put his all into it, was gritty, did was he was supposed to, etc etc. Dude was just snakebit like no ones business...
"I am assuming that, at least as of right now, they [Zach Parise & Ryan Suter] are a package deal. They certainly seem to have set it up that way, themselves."
A USA Olympic team official:
"Despite all of the talk, Suter and Parise are not close friends at all, really. It's not like they spend time together in the offseasons, or their families hang out.
"My sense of what they shared when the team was together is a vision of how the game should be played, how they play their game given their talents and ability and how teams should play.
I think that is what a lot of this hot stove, rumor-mill stuff is about: They know the kind of hockey they want to play, and they want to play it together, on a team they will help lead. Now, whether that desire ultimately rules the day is something that will be seen, in time."
-----------
Could it be that both sign in Minnesota?
Parise is from MIN and Suter is from the neighboring state of WI.
Suter's wife is from Minneapolis -- they were married at the Lafayette Golf Club, a short canoe ride throw away from Parise's new mansion also on Lake Minnetonka).
Suter played for current MIN majority owner, Craig Leipold, who, like the Suter clan, is originally from Wisconsin.
Suter's agent is a college teammate of MIN Wild major shareholder, Phil Falcone -- they remain very good friends.
MIN acquired Tom Gilbert likely because of his ties to both Parise and Suter (giving MIN the pre-July 1 inside track on communication).
At least one of the reasons is Parise plays with Zid and Sykora. Both of whom hated playing here and left on pretty ugly terms. I've no doubt they're both freely passing on their dislike of the organization.
I doubt either one of them come. I'd like to be wrong.
Parise lives a few houses down from my step-grandparents on Lake Minnetonka. They are also members of Lafayette club, where he got married. Thought that was interesting.
its better to assume both are gonna go somewhere else, not that i like to be that guy but its just truth when it comes to getting a high profile free agent to sign here, especially both of them.
but i do think we are one of the teams suter would consider, and hey maybe if parise gets his cup he'll want to come too.
its better to assume both are gonna go somewhere else, not that i like to be that guy but its just truth when it comes to getting a high profile free agent to sign here, especially both of them.
but i do think we are one of the teams suter would consider, and hey maybe if parise gets his cup he'll want to come too.
Really? I don't see Suter considering us at all. He's looking for a contender with proven players. I don't see him looking at us until Parise signs. And that is a huge if.
Originally I was optimistic... The Wild were one of the best teams in the league until Mid December, we showed promise, we had a lot of awesome prospects in the pipeline and both Suter & Parise had lots of ties to Minnesota (more so than most)
But as the Wild collapsed into a laughing stock, as the Preds & Devils both went on into playoff runs, (Preds not as great as the Devils run obviously) and as more articles come out I have completely given up on the idea of either player coming to Minnesota...
Dont get me wrong, Id be stoked if they did but it aint going to happen... We're a joke of a franchise.. Im not saying that to be a jerk but its true.. When you compare us to the Likes of the Red Wings & the Rangers, etc, etc all these established teams that will also be in the running for these guys, to think that 2 highly sought after, extremely talented players are going to want to come play for a team with ugly jerseys, & horrible name, a rookie coach, who havent made the playoffs in over 4 years and are counting on a wave of prospects to right the ship, it just sounds asinine to even entertain the idea that these professional athletes would come here because they grew up in the area and have wife's that live in Minnesota..
The Wild are known for being terrible & boring and we have our fair share of players that basically went running for the hills as fast as they could... We have no appeal, we're not established & quite frankly if it wasnt for the fact that the team is in a hockey mecca like Minnesota we'd just be another lame, struggling expansion team... We like to carry a certain pride because of our hockey culture but in actuality we have no real reason to think of ourselves as being any better than a place like Columbus...
If this were 2 seasons down the road and at least 3 or 4 of our top 6 prospects have turned out to be gems and we made the playoffs the last 2 seasons and made it at least to the 2nd round once I'd say ya, we probably have a fighting chance. But I think there's too many negatives & question marks surrounding the Minnesota Wild for 2 highly regarded players to even consider us right now...
I hope to god Im wrong, but I decided Im not even going to consider either Parise or Suter an option right now...
We'll get some middling FA or two and Fletch will probably make some trade and we'll be marginally better than last year...
Again, I hope Im wrong but I agree with Jarick on everything.. Until this team does something amazing, Im not expecting them to be anything more than filler on the good teams schedules... Im sick of HOPING for the best just to end another season disapointed... Ive cut down my expectations, I dont expect a cup right now, I just want to make the damn playoffs and we cant even accomplish that... Over half the teams in the league can at least do that but yet we cant.. We watch players leave saying how much they hate us and we think top FA's are all of a sudden going to come here because we have a couple good prospects!? its not going to happen....
sorry for the long rant but Im stuck at work and had time to kill....
Originally I was optimistic... The Wild were one of the best teams in the league until Mid December, we showed promise, we had a lot of awesome prospects in the pipeline and both Suter & Parise had lots of ties to Minnesota (more so than most)
But as the Wild collapsed into a laughing stock, as the Preds & Devils both went on into playoff runs, (Preds not as great as the Devils run obviously) and as more articles come out I have completely given up on the idea of either player coming to Minnesota...
Dont get me wrong, Id be stoked if they did but it aint going to happen... We're a joke of a franchise.. Im not saying that to be a jerk but its true.. When you compare us to the Likes of the Red Wings & the Rangers, etc, etc all these established teams that will also be in the running for these guys, to think that 2 highly sought after, extremely talented players are going to want to come play for a team with ugly jerseys, & horrible name, a rookie coach, who havent made the playoffs in over 4 years and are counting on a wave of prospects to right the ship, it just sounds asinine to even entertain the idea that these professional athletes would come here because they grew up in the area and have wife's that live in Minnesota..
The Wild are known for being terrible & boring and we have our fair share of players that basically went running for the hills as fast as they could... We have no appeal, we're not established & quite frankly if it wasnt for the fact that the team is in a hockey mecca like Minnesota we'd just be another lame, struggling expansion team... We like to carry a certain pride because of our hockey culture but in actuality we have no real reason to think of ourselves as being any better than a place like Columbus...
If this were 2 seasons down the road and at least 3 or 4 of our top 6 prospects have turned out to be gems and we made the playoffs the last 2 seasons and made it at least to the 2nd round once I'd say ya, we probably have a fighting chance. But I think there's too many negatives & question marks surrounding the Minnesota Wild for 2 highly regarded players to even consider us right now...
I hope to god Im wrong, but I decided Im not even going to consider either Parise or Suter an option right now...
We'll get some middling FA or two and Fletch will probably make some trade and we'll be marginally better than last year...
Again, I hope Im wrong but I agree with Jarick on everything.. Until this team does something amazing, Im not expecting them to be anything more than filler on the good teams schedules... Im sick of HOPING for the best just to end another season disapointed... Ive cut down my expectations, I dont expect a cup right now, I just want to make the damn playoffs and we cant even accomplish that... Over half the teams in the league can at least do that but yet we cant.. We watch players leave saying how much they hate us and we think top FA's are all of a sudden going to come here because we have a couple good prospects!? its not going to happen....
sorry for the long rant but Im stuck at work and had time to kill....
I don't think we are a joke franchise any more, I think GMCF has started to turn that around. We got Matt Cullen who was pursued by 15 teams and we got havlat. Two big name free agents. Also Russo has said that gabo wanted the deal riser gave him but GMCF declined. You could say we let gabby walk.
I don't think we have a big shot at suter but parise I do. Also if parise wins the cup might give him more incentive to sign
I really do hope youre right... I hate to be so negative but Im just so sick of being optimistic when it comes to Minnesota sports, especially hockey... I just dont even have much respect for our team & I dont get the feeling that we're a very respected team around the league... I mean I really dont know for sure but it seems to me that playing the "You guys are from the area & have wifes from here & homes near here angle" isnt going to compete with the "we're a storied franchise from the O6 era that has made the playoffs every year for the last 20 years and are one of the most respected teams in the world who win a cup at least once every 5 years for as long as youve been alive" argument that a team like the Wings could throw at them is going to get them to sign with us...
I just fail to see our appeal... It just seems that all we can pitch is hope & hearsay... Again, I hope that Im eating my words come July but either way I'd rather not expect them & be pleasantly surprised if they actually do sign as opposed to thinking we have a chance just to watch them sign with Detroit while we have another season of mediocrity & failure... Im just sick of getting my hopes up with this team...
again, sorry im so negative right now but having to work on a national holiday for absolutely no reason doesnt make me sunshine & rainbows. haha
^ Play in front of his family and hometown. Lead them to the Stanley Cup and become a legend?
Parise is doing 90% of that right now... I guarantee you his family is going to be at every Stanley Cup game and he's going to be a legend in New Jersey, especially if he wins the cup.. The Devils are on the verge of their 4th cup in 20 years.. That's something no Minnesota hockey team has done once in their existence... And the way we look wont ever happen in our existence.
The only thing missing in your statement about him is the "hometown" and Im sure he couldnt care less about that right now. He's currently living the dream. Why would he be feeling that its not good enough because its not in Minnesota? hell, if he wins the cup, he'll bring it to Minnesota.. Good enough. and we'll all be stoked that a Minnesota Boy captained a Stanley Cup winning team & he brought the cup to Minnesota for us to see since we never managed to win our own...
I know as Minnesota sports fans we are conditioned to always lose, and be highly negative - always have been always will be.
Let's not forget our team got rocked by serious injuries and had ZERO depth in which to fill from. Things are looking beter on that end. Hell. Even Zucker was an improvement at the end and he's not even in our top 5 prospects.
I would reasonably say we are top three running in teams. We are at the bottom of those three, but that is still a very decent chance. There are 30 teams, so even if we don't get one or both, it's not the end of the world.
I would like them to come here though. Both. But seriously: If we even had Parise last year, we very well would have made it into at least the first round with all the injuries.
Let's not forget we were #1 in the league into December. They did earn that.
