WildHBcommunity:Minnesota Wild GM Fletcher has to Pay'em or Trade'em Young Core Forwards
Mikael Granlund
signed a 3 year / $2.70 million contract with the Minnesota Wild, including a $270,000 signing bonus, and an annual average salary of $900,000.
CONTRACT:3 yr(s) / $2,700,000 SIGNING BONUS $270,000 AVERAGE SALARY $900,000 GUARANTEED:$2,700,000 FREE AGENT:2015 / Restricted
Known affectionately as "Finnish Jesus" here in the State of Hockey, Mikael Granlund is a wizard with the puck on his stick. After a rookie season that created doubts as to whether Granlund’s huge hype internationally would translate to the NHL, the young Finn center reinforced for Minnesota Wild fans and the rest of the hockey world his special talents.
Granlund returned to the Wild after a summer of working out in Finland with the country’s NHL royalty. Granlund went on to have a breakout season in the NHL and representing his home country in the Sochi Olympics. With the Finnish team shorthanded at center due to injuries (Both Koivu brothers, Filppula, and Barkov) it was Granlund that was tasked with centering legend Teemu Selanne in his international hockey farewell tour.
Selanne did not disappoint in Sochi as he was selected the most valuable player but it was a poignant changing of the guard for Finnish hockey as their superstar was riding into the sunset while Granlund had burst into the limelight on the world stage.
Pay’em or Trade’em
Granlund is about as untouchable as a young NHL player gets these days. This young Finn was widely regarded as the best player not playing in the NHL before his arrival to North America and now he looks to be a good bet to be the face of the franchise here in Minnesota for the long haul!
Pay’em!
Charlie Coyle
signed a 3 year / $2.70 million contract with the Minnesota Wild, including a $270,000 signing bonus, and an annual average salary of $900,000.
CONTRACT:3 yr(s) / $2,700,000 SIGNING BONUS $270,000 AVERAGE SALARY $900,000 GUARANTEED:$2,700,000 FREE AGENT:2015 / Restricted
The fans here in Minnesota fell in love nearly immediately with the big bodied, strong, hardworking, soft-spoken, power forward from Weymouth Mass Charlie Coyle. After a huge draft day trade of fan favorite defenseman Brent Burns to San Jose, Wild fans were introduced to Coyle who has become the focal point of that return. Coyle left Boston University during his freshman season to join Zack Phillips the player the Wild selected with the 28th pick in the 2011 NHL draft also acquired in the Burns trade.
Coyle and Phillips combined to lead Saint John of the QMJHL to a Memorial Cup before both turned professional last year. Coyle scored 15 goals and 38 points in just 23 regular season games for the Sea Dogs and 15 goals and 24 points in 17 playoff games. Coyle made the Wild roster after the lock out ended last year using his size and strength to translate his game to the NHL. Coyle looked farther along than his young Wild prospect peers to include all-world top prospect Granlund.
Coyle hit a bit of a wall in his sophomore season but his work ethic, attitude, and effort helped him to breakthrough his struggles during the final month of the regular season and his momentum carried over to a strong playoff performance. Coyle is only just scratching the surface of his potential but I think it is fair to wonder what his development ceiling and role have in store.
Pay’em or Trade’em
I have alluded to Coyle possibly being part of a major blockbuster deal but I only mention him being involved or possibly available because I am not sure if he profiles to become a 20+ goal scorer going forward. Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher and his staff will have to make a strong decisive projection on him and others in the young core but I say
Pay’em!
Nino Niederreiter
signed a 3 year / $2.70 million contract with the Minnesota Wild, including a $270,000 signing bonus, and an annual average salary of $900,000.
CONTRACT:3 yr(s) / $2,700,000 SIGNING BONUS $270,000 AVERAGE SALARY $900,000 GUARANTEED:$2,700,000 FREE AGENT:2014 / Restricted
When it was announced that Fletcher had traded Wild fan favorite (Especially With the Ladies) Cal Clutterbuck to the New York Islanders it came as no surprise because it was almost for gone that the energy winger would be moved. The wonderment came from the return for sending the Wild’s annual hits leader to Long Island which was a Swiss kid name Nino “El Nino: Niederreiter. I immediately Googled this kid and it was nothing but highlight reel goals from a smooth big bodied 20 year old both internationally and for Bridgeport of the AHL.
The second thing that happened for me was to wonder how Fletcher adds a sky is the limit former 5th overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft for an entertaining 3rd line grinder type and a 3rd round pick. What was the catch right? Nino had been trapped on the Islanders 4th line with two highly regarded but twilight of their career veterans before getting buried down the depth chart. There was rumblings about attitude and effort from Nino as he was not invited to training camp or called up by a struggling Islanders squad.
From the moment Nino arrived in the State of Hockey he has been nothing but humble and hardworking. Honestly getting my first glimpses of him in the Xcel during prospect camp and then training camp I was thrown off a bit by his game because he was so complimentary with the puck instead of the running and gunning style I had seen over and over in his YouTube highlight collection.
Pay’em or Trade’em
Nino’s contract is up making him a Restricted Free Agent this summer so the decision is upon Fletcher and his staff. Nino showed during his first season with the Wild he has top tier talent and the potential to become one of the most well rounded two way forwards in the league. Nino admitted that he was doing everything in his power to make this team and earn his role and ice time. That meant being deployed by Wild Head Coach Mike Yeo often in a defensive role with less offensively talented linemates.
Nino has just scratched the surface of his abilities and having a player so offensively gifted buy in and sacrifice in a defensive role like he did should only solidify his future in the State of Hockey for the next decade
Pay’ Em!
Jason Zucker
signed a 3 year / $2.32 million contract with the Minnesota Wild, including a $250,000 signing bonus, and an annual average salary of $771,667.
CONTRACT:3 yr(s) / $2,315,000 SIGNING BONUS $250,000 AVERAGE SALARY $771,667 GUARANTEED:$2,315,000 FREE AGENT:2014 / Restricted
When Fletcher arrived in Minnesota he was on the verge of losing the 1st ever player drafted by the franchise and their only true superstar caliber forward Marian Gaborik with no return in unrestricted free agency. Beyond the loss of production and talent with Gaborik leaving for New York, it was the speed, goal scoring, and electrifying aggressiveness that Wild fans missed most. Plenty of different players in the Wild’s history had develop fan followings and admiration but none had created the excitement or captured their imaginations until Jason Zucker burst onto the scene.
Zucker a California kid who grew up in Nevada before traveling cross country to chase his hockey dream is a unique personality and talent as a hockey player. Zucker attended the University of Denver which at the time was a member of the WCHA allowing Minnesota hockey fans to get a very good preview of the speedy winger against the Golden Gophers. Zucker has scored goals and entertained crowds at every level of hockey in America in his young career which has created a very unique relationship with the Team of 18,000 here in Minnesota.
Zucker has been an interesting player to watch progress in his hockey career with the Wild organization because he is a polarizing figure form the front office on down to the fan base. Yeo and his coaching staff have called into question Zucker’s ability to play in the defensive zone which has become a stumbling block for him in his development. Zucker has said all the right things and handled the criticism as well as can be expected but I have to wonder if this relationship is not trending towards becoming contentious at best.
Pay’em or Trade’em
Zucker has lit the lamp in all of his hockey career stops to include a signature overtime goal his rookie season versus the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013 to give the Wild their only victory of that series but I have this gut feeling his future will be outside of this organization.
Zucker is a Restricted Free Agent this summer and he is also recovery from season ending surgery but I think he is the MOST likely of this young core of forwards to be moved to address needs in a package deal
Trade’em!
Erik Haula
signed a 2 year / $1.80 million contract with the Minnesota Wild, including a $180,000 signing bonus, and an annual average salary of $900,000.
CONTRACT:2 yr(s) / $1,800,000 SIGNING BONUS $180,000 AVERAGE SALARY $900,000 GUARANTEED:$1,800,000 FREE AGENT:2015 / Restricted
Maybe the greatest surprise to those outside of Minnesota is that Erik Haula’s talent comes as no surprise to Wild fans and hockey people here in the State of Hockey. Yes Haula was the least famous or heralded Finn forward on the Wild’s NHL roster but he has built quite a legacy of production and success during his young hockey career here in Minnesota.
Haula left his native of Finland to play highschool hockey in Minnesota about an hour and a half from the Excel Energy Center at famed hockey factory Shattuck St Mary’s along with another former Wild draft pick Alexander Fallstrom from Sweden. In the 2009 NHL Draft the Wild selected the more highly regard winger Fallstrom in the 4th round but Assistant General Manager Brent Flahr and his scouts must have seen something in the film that caused them to take a 7th round flier on the less know Haula.
Haula went on to become a star at the University of Minnesota leading the Gophers in scoring his sophomore and juniors season in addition to proving he was the team’s most valuable and complete player despite both of those squads being loaded with NHL talent top of the draft selected players. Haula turned professional this year checking in at the Wild’s AHL affiliate Iowa where he was again the best player on the ice scoring 14 goals and 27 points in just 31 games before a promotion to Saint Paul.
Pay’em or Trade’em
In Haula the Wild has a player that does just about everything well which has forced them to keep him in the lineup and provide him with a significant role and increased ice time despite a bunch of coach speak about him being brought along slowly. Haula is penciled in as the opening game 3rd line center for the Wild next year but he provided glimpses of being ready and capable of centering a line in the Top 6 forwards.
Haula will become a Restricted Free Agent next summer but he will be an interesting player to keep an eye on because teams surely saw what Wild fans saw during the stretch run. If a blockbuster deal presents itself with Haula as the centerpiece for a proven NHL commodity in return I say
Trade’em!
Justin Fontaine
signed a 1 year / $600k contract with the Minnesota Wild, including an annual average salary of $600,000.
CONTRACT:1 yr(s) / $600,000 SIGNING BONUS - AVERAGE SALARY $600,000 GUARANTEED:$600,000 FREE AGENT:2014 / Restricted
This former University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldog winger has lit the lamp and been successful in each of his hockey career stops thus far despite garnering very little attention for doing so. Justin Fontaine is a Canadian native that played his NCAA hockey north of the Twin Cities in Duluth and sign with the Wild as a free agent after completing his college career with a National Championship in 2011.
Fontaine then went on to light the lamp in Houston of the AHL for 39 goals and 111points in 2 seasons without being called up to a Wild squad that was starved for scoring. Fontaine surely would have made his NHL debut sooner if it were not for a social media incident on Twitter that had him use a gay slur that caused him to be disciplined by the organization.
Pay’em or Trade’em
Fontaine is an undersized winger who has very good puck skills but lacks a complete overall game. Fontaine scored 13 goals and 21 points in 66 NHL games this year with the Wild playing on a just about every line and in a number of different roles. Currently Fontaine is a Restricted Free Agent this summer so Fletcher will make a decision on his Wild future very soon. Fontaine should be retained on a very reasonable contract and his versatility could be very helpful for the Wild going forward but if a team comes calling and a package is put together I say
Trade’Em!
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Just My Take,
Tony Dean
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