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Leipold: This Is Not A Rebuild!

April 24, 2018, 1:05 PM ET [9 Comments]
Dan Wallace
Minnesota Wild Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Wild owner Craig Leipold, addressed the media yesterday in regards to how and when the decision was to move in a different direction from Chuck Fletcher.

According to the Athletic's, Michael Russo, two weeks ago Leipold was set to move forward with a 2-year contract extension for Fletcher to remain the Wild GM. So what changed in the two weeks since, excluding the playoff series with the Jets, because Leipold clearly indicated that had no impact on his decision.

Leipold made it clear that the Jets series was an uphill battle for the Wild given the injuries to Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, and for him to have based his decision on that was not fair to Chuck or the team.

So what was it that triggered the change of direction for the Wild owner? Once again according to Michael Russo of the Athletic, it was discussions he had with those close to him within the organization. Russo stopped short of naming names, but one can surmise that those conversations may have involved some players on the team.

When listening to the comments from the various players, those in particular with the longest tenure, all said basically the same thing. They each felt for Chuck, and that he was a great guy, and that he gave them an opportunity here. They each stopped short of saying that he did a great job of giving the Wild the best opportunity to win.

There was one player whose remarks were far different, than the others, and that was Eric Staal. Staal, took the road that hockey is a business and that in all of pro sports changes occur and people get fired or let go, it's part of the game.

Craig Leipold went on to say that this will not be a rebuild. The team that is in place now is a good team, just not a great team. He feels that in his words "a different set of eyes" that have no ties to the players on the team would be better for moving the Wild forward.

That is for sure something that is necessary, but Leipold went on to say that at this time the coaching staff will remain in place. Now he did leave that door ajar, by saying that the new GM may have a different idea on that. But for now Boudreau and his staff are in place, and Bruce would be consulted with during the interview process, but will not be a part of it.

To me the only way "a new set of eyes" can work would be to clean house on the coaching staff as well. That way there is a true new set of eyes running the show, with no preset notions as to what any player has done in the past good or bad, a true clean slate.

It has been apparent that the leadership within the team has been a huge issue, not taking away anything from the work ethic of Mikko Koivu, Ryan Suter, and Zach Parise, nor their talent. Those three work hard shift in and shift out, but being a leader is not about what a player does individually. It is all about the impact that individual has on his teammates, and how he puts them above himself and raises the level of everyone.

So if this is not a rebuild, then how can the new GM make the necessary tweaks to the roster in order to make this team a Stanley Cup contender?

The only way that happens is if the new GM is willing to part with players that have value and can return value. To me that excludes Suter and Parise mainly due to their significant contracts both in amount and term left, not to mention both will be coming off injuries. Koivu would fall into the same category as his play tailed off significantly this season combined with 2 more years over $5 million per and he does not fit the mold.

That leaves Eric Staal and Jared Spurgeon as the prime players to move, along with Jason Zucker and or Matt Dumba, but both of them are RFAs coming off career years, which creates it's own set of issues for the new GM.

Charlie Coyle, Jonas Brodin, and Nino Niederreiter offer the Wild trade options as well, but Coyle is coming off an injury plagued down year, same with Nino, so the market may not be as great to move either of them. Coyle and Brodin's contracts are very cap friendly, while Nino's new deal, signed last summer makes him a bit less attractive.

Either way this should be an interesting Summer for the Wild, and for sure the team will have a new look come September when training camp opens.

The new Wild GM, whoever that may be will have a daunting task to make this into a Stanley Cup team, especially without a rebuild.

Follow me on Twitter @dwallace17

Either way this
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