Hmmm Fletcher could have signed the young 6'5" colburne who was coming off a great campaign to probablt close to the same deal and then brought in Beodker or someone else younger than Stewart! These two signings are garbage. Staal's might have been okay if it was a 2 year 2.5 mil deal. Or better yet they should have traded Dumba like Edmonton wanted and got RNH.
- mnhockeyguy

For once I agree with you....

For once I agree with you....
- MnGump

Maybe the sky is falling after all?

Maybe the sky is falling after all?
- mnhockeyguy

3.5 for a solid vetern 3rd line center isn't a bad signing, plus signing stweart at 1.1 not bad either would you rather watch porter not score for another year. even if it's not the players we may want bottom line is the wild got better today.. you can never have enough depth and who's to say fletch is done i still think he'll make a trade due to the expansion draft looming he will moving a Dman at some point

3.5 for a solid vetern 3rd line center isn't a bad signing, plus signing stweart at 1.1 not bad either would you rather watch porter not score for another year. even if it's not the players we may want bottom line is the wild got better today.. you can never have enough depth and who's to say fletch is done i still think he'll make a trade due to the expansion draft looming he will moving a Dman at some point
- gopherwildfan

Except they signed him to be the top line center not a 3rd line center. If they were content to let Koivu stay there than they would have went out and signed a guy like Weise to play on the lower lines.

- MnGump

Colborne just signed with the Avs 2 years at 2.5 per. This is what Fletcher needed to do and in typical Fletcher fashion he bombed.

Colborne just signed with the Avs 2 years at 2.5 per. This is what Fletcher needed to do and in typical Fletcher fashion he bombed.
- mnhockeyguy

Yep. again agree.. I can't get excited about Stahl either... yeah, If he was signed as the actual 3rd line center that would be great, but he doesn't represent the absence in scoring and most certainly won't fill the point void left by the Vanek buyout.

Colborne just signed with the Avs 2 years at 2.5 per. This is what Fletcher needed to do and in typical Fletcher fashion he bombed.
- mnhockeyguy

Not saying I know what took place, but just because a guy signs with one team for a certain dollar amount and term it doesn't always mean any team could have signed him for that.

Darren Dreger ‏@DarrenDreger 13m13 minutes ago
Told Colborne had other options for more money, but sees his opportunity with the Avalanche as his best fit.

I wonder if Fletch has another deal he is working on? I would like to see Granlund, Zucker and Brodin sent to Ottawa for Mike Hoffman and a 2nd, who could play C. Lineup would look something like this then....

Parise - Hoffman - Coyle
Niedereiter - Haula - Pominville
Staal - Koivu - Stewart
? - ? - ?

I'm willing to give Staal a chance, and maybe he is not done yet, maybe he needed a change of scenery. I like getting Stewart back, high energy guy and good in the locker room. I would like to see some more moves for a top six winger, but we will see

Not saying I know what took place, but just because a guy signs with one team for a certain dollar amount and term it doesn't always mean any team could have signed him for that.
- Chinaski

By best fit he probably means he was promised big minutes. Boy the Avs did some good stuff today. The Wild are losing ground in the central when you look at what the teams, minus STL, did this off season.

Except they signed him to be the top line center not a 3rd line center. If they were content to let Koivu stay there than they would have went out and signed a guy like Weise to play on the lower lines.
- mnhockeyguy

they didn't just pay 3.5 for a first line center they payed for a third line center.. don't you think if they thought he was a first line center he would have gotten more towards the price he was asking?? example okposo, buffalo thinks he's a first line wing so he got 6 mill.. conversly wild thinks staal is a 3rd line center second at best so he got 3.5..

Oh okay! LOL... Not sure what color the sky is in your world, but I defy you to find one person who knows anything about NHL hockey to agree with you! Brodin's contract is as good as it gets. Perfect term and salary@ $4.1 million for 6 years for a kid who isn't even in his prime yet and has had one off season following a pretty significant head injury...

Clayton Stoner makes $3.5 million a year for crying out loud....
- MnGump

You mad bro?

3.5 for a solid vetern 3rd line center isn't a bad signing, plus signing stweart at 1.1 not bad either would you rather watch porter not score for another year. even if it's not the players we may want bottom line is the wild got better today.. you can never have enough depth and who's to say fletch is done i still think he'll make a trade due to the expansion draft looming he will moving a Dman at some point
- gopherwildfan

Well I guess someone is optimistic today! Not exactly sure how they got "better" today. Signing Stahl is almost the equivalent to bringing Heatley back minus the face off ability and cap hit. If anything this team got worse. Stahl and Stewart combined will not accumulate half the point total Vanek did last season. They combined for a grand total of 62 points last season. Vanek alone had 41 and he sucked for half the season. Stewart was a huge disappointment in the first go round and I could be crazy but I don't think he was much better in Anaheim. He's a play when he wants to play guy and those moments seem to be few and far between.

The continued absence of a goal scoring center/forward is going to continue to haunt this franchise until it is properly addressed.

edit_ sorry typo 62 points not 26

I wonder if Fletch has another deal he is working on? I would like to see Granlund, Zucker and Brodin sent to Ottawa for Mike Hoffman and a 2nd, who could play C. Lineup would look something like this then....

Parise - Hoffman - Coyle
Niedereiter - Haula - Pominville
Staal - Koivu - Stewart
? - ? - ?
- Gusrichards

yes please, hoffman.. but i think it would take dumba which im fine with

You mad bro?
- Tweaterben

Not clinically no. Simply trying to make sense of your statement.

they didn't just pay 3.5 for a first line center they payed for a third line center.. don't you think if they thought he was a first line center he would have gotten more towards the price he was asking?? example okposo, buffalo thinks he's a first line wing so he got 6 mill.. conversly wild thinks staal is a 3rd line center second at best so he got 3.5..
- gopherwildfan

Except that the articles about his signing have clearly stated that he signed here because he was promised big minutes. He's not playing 3rd line minutes. They'll put him with Parise and Coyle because Koivu and Parise have zero chemistry. Koivu will be paired with Granlund and probably Zucker on the 2/3rd line with the Haula Nino-Pommer line intact.

Countless rumors but most notably TSN guys. Could be a piece in play for Barrie from Colorado. The team still needs to improve its D.
- MaximumBone

Again, apparent how?

Not clinically no. Simply trying to make sense of your statement.
- MnGump

Watch his game, you'll figure it out

I'm willing to give Staal a chance, and maybe he is not done yet, maybe he needed a change of scenery. I like getting Stewart back, high energy guy and good in the locker room. I would like to see some more moves for a top six winger, but we will see
- sullytool

I'm mostly underwhelmed with Staal and Stewart but I think they're OK signings under the market circumstances and haven't compromised the cap situation. I would have liked to see Staal with one less year.

Russo did tweet out earlier he wouldn't be surprised if the Wild landed Cullen. I'm not sold that Staal will work out at center and I don't think the Wild are either. I could see Cullen being an insurance plan for that if Pittsburgh can't fit him in.

Staal could still be moved to the wing if he doesn't pan out at center. If they had Cullen in the mix, he could play center or wing as well. So can Coyle and Granlund.

Well I guess someone is optimistic today! Not exactly sure how they got "better" today. Signing Stahl is almost the equivalent to bringing Heatley back minus the face off ability and cap hit. If anything this team got worse. Stahl and Stewart combined will not accumulate half the point total Vanek did last season. Those combined for a grand total of 26 points last season. Vanek alone had 41 and he sucked for half the season. Stewart was a huge disappointment in the first go round and I could be crazy but I don't think he was much better in Anaheim. He's a play when he wants to play guy and those moments seem to be few and far between.

The continued absence of a goal scoring center/forward is going to continue to haunt this franchise until it is properly addressed.
- MnGump

fletch obviously isn't done, we signed a 3rd and 4th liner which are better than guys we had last year.. nobody thinks this replaces vanek, unless your mnhockeyguy than you think staal is being brought in to be a first liner we still have to move D that is where we wil get the scorer.. i hope its hoffman..

Boy the Avs did some good stuff today.
- mnhockeyguy

Really? Colborne, Wiercioch, Tyutin. What am I missing?

I'm mostly underwhelmed with Staal and Stewart but I think they're OK signings under the market circumstances and haven't compromised the cap situation. I would have liked to see Staal with one less year.

Russo did tweet out earlier he wouldn't be surprised if the Wild landed Cullen. I'm not sold that Staal will work out at center and I don't think the Wild are either. I could see Cullen being an insurance plan for that if Pittsburgh can't fit him in.

Staal could still be moved to the wing if he doesn't pan out at center. If they had Cullen in the mix, he could play center or wing as well. So can Coyle and Granlund.
- Chinaski

So basically its the same hodge podge at center that they've been dealing with for years. The only reason it makes sense to sign Staal in the first place is to play him at center. And didn't Russo merely tweet that he wouldn't be surprised if the Wild brought back Cullen because they resigned Stewart? I took it to be a joke more than a serious statement...

Really? Colborne, Wiercioch, Tyutin. What am I missing?
- Chinaski

the 6'5" 20 goal scorer Colborne. And Wiercioch was hurt last season, but he's no slouch. Tyutin is a depth defense signing.

Completely agree with tweater, decent moves. Sure it would have been great to get Stepan or RNH, but who knows what the cost would have been.
Fletch still needs to address #1C by next season at the latest, but I'm curious to see what the same group can do under BB, plus the recent additions.