Tony Dean: If Chuck Fletcher is Shopping Mikko Koivu it is a Tricky Deal to get Done If Chuck Fletcher is Shopping Mikko Koivu it is a Tricky Deal to get Done

I don't see anybody taking on that contract unless they throw in a sweetner. Not only is the cap hit huge and his skills are on the decline he has one of those contracts where he is gets more money then the cap hit itself. His cap hit I believe it 6.7 but he get paid 7 plus next year 5 plus the year after and 9 plus the last year of that contract. That's a mighty tough pill to swallow

I don't see anybody taking on that contract unless they throw in a sweetner. Not only is the cap hit huge and his skills are on the decline he has one of those contracts where he is gets more money then the cap hit itself. His cap hit I believe it 6.7 but he get paid 7 plus next year 5 plus the year after and 9 plus the last year of that contract. That's a mighty tough pill to swallow
- Vukota

Koivu was very good this year though during the regular season. He stayed healthy and played big minutes limiting opponents in the offensive zone and generating really good possession numbers. He also bring a ton of leadership and experience.

Not saying all 32 teams are in on him but certainly he could be moved to team looking for a size/skill center and leader.

Koivu was very good this year though during the regular season. He stayed healthy and played big minutes limiting opponents in the offensive zone and generating really good possession numbers. He also bring a ton of leadership and experience.

Not saying all 32 teams are in on him but certainly he could be moved to team looking for a size/skill center and leader.
- Tony Dean

Fair enough but that cap hit is huge and unless the Wild are taking some salary back I don't see it happening but then again stranger things have happened

Fair enough but that cap hit is huge and unless the Wild are taking some salary back I don't see it happening but then again stranger things have happened
- Vukota

No way deal gets done without salary coming back but I am just saying it is very possible he gets moved this summer and will mean a lot to the locker room here beyond his performance on the ice.

No way deal gets done without salary coming back but I am just saying it is very possible he gets moved this summer and will mean a lot to the locker room here beyond his performance on the ice.
- Tony Dean

Gotcha

Not that I watched all of the Wilds games, but when I did I noticed he was rarely ever lined up with scoring wingers.
Yet, in past seasons he still produced, despite being put into a defensive role.
Looking at his seasonal stats, last season was his first "off year".
If he was paired with at least Parise, or Parise, & Pominville more often in a more offensive role, he gets back to 60-70 points, while still proving 2 way play.

As a Jets fan, I can't stand Koivu. Seriously, he's the worst.

That said, I'd love to have him playing in a Jets sweater.

Likely won't happen because of a) Wild and Jets are in the same division and b) that contract is a female dog.

Am as diehard of a Wild fan as it gets and I've come up with two very important conclusions of being a diehard Wild fan.
1. It's impossible to be a diehard Wild fan and be logical as it is with any other fanbase.
2. I dislike diehard Wild fans and any diehard fan that's more arrogant. Initially I thought that was just about everybody and it still could be, but Wild fans are pretty arrogant. Not as much as other professional sports in the Twin Cities, but as they improve their success, it's getting worse.
3. I know I said two, but the 3rd is free. The rhetoric that you can't be logical and a diehard fan is pretty much on the mark. Diehard fans over analyze the statistics of players on their beloved squads and will do anything to make you believe that they are as good as they say, but in the end, will defend them at all costs even when statistical evidence is would indicate differently than their opinion.


Mikko Koivu has stemmed emotions over the course of the past few seasons. Some good, some bad. I think the Koivu faithful are on par with my 3rd above statement. He's a guy that clearly isn't going to score 30 goals. Easy stat to look at is shots. When he had back to back 20 goal seasons, he was shooting the puck over 200 times per season. The shots have decreased dramatically and therefore, the goals have as well. Don't tell me about Corsi stats because they'll talk about puck possession, face off wins, blah, blah, blah. He's a #1 center (2nd center for those keeping track of Granlund, but for all intents and purposes, he's paid to be #1) for the Wild and he needs to increase his scoring production. He keeps the opposition from scoring, but his +/- is usually pretty close to even. That said, the Wild need more of one or the other and the latter would suggest he's an overpaid 3rd line shutdown center. We can't have that on the 3rd line.

The second school of thought is that he needs to go now. Here's where diehard and logic argue. I like Koivu, but understand the Wild faithful would like more. However, let's analyze the let's trade him now logic.

1. Who is in a position cap wise to make that move? Yes, I understand salary, but if Fletcher is taking back cash, my question is how much for how long? Could you parlay Koivu and other parts for Malkin? Do we have enough to make a trade w/o selling the farm and that contract is longer/greater than Koivu's. About half of the league probably can't afford him even if they're sending salary back. See #2.

2. What type of player are you hoping to get for him? A more offensive oriented forward (center)? If so, what else are the Wild going to include in that trade because Koivu doesn't get that done by himself. See Malkin example. My point is, Koivu isn't going to command a top 6 guy by himself and the top half of the league probably can't afford him and the bottom half that can afford him probably doesn't send back RFA players or prospects.

3. Trade him for depth? Getting 3rd and 4th line guys is risky because veterans playing that role are what they are. You know typically what you're going to get. Will arguably an overpaid, 3rd line center warrant something that you can improve at? This is the issue in my opinion. Do you want a guy that scores 30+ goals and is a -15? If this is your school of thought, how do the Wild benefit from this?

Let's have the discussion. What does Koivu get you and does it improve the team? His contract is not what's hurting the team in my opinion. They're ok on cap space and it's not like they can go out and get top 6 UFA's for cheap. So again, where does he go and what's the return? Let's start with conversations and see who budges first, the logic or the diehard?

When both Friedman and Ek have steam on this, you know something is in the works... still don't know why Koivu would agree to move though? One move I could see making sense in the short term for the Wild is trading Koivu and perhaps 2nd to Carolina for Eric Staal. Staal only has 1 year left on his deal but at a hefty 9 mil. Carolina gets a good center back at half the cost, and a 2nd rounder. The Wild in the short term get a large contract, but long term get Koivu's off the books and Staal would probably be a 70 point guy with Parise. But once again I can't see Koivu agreeing to go anywhere. And certainly not to Montreal, who has their own cap issues and who's centers are on par with the Wild's.

When both Friedman and Ek have steam on this, you know something is in the works... still don't know why Koivu would agree to move though? One move I could see making sense in the short term for the Wild is trading Koivu and perhaps 2nd to Carolina for Eric Staal. Staal only has 1 year left on his deal but at a hefty 9 mil. Carolina gets a good center back at half the cost, and a 2nd rounder. The Wild in the short term get a large contract, but long term get Koivu's off the books and Staal would probably be a 70 point guy with Parise. But once again I can't see Koivu agreeing to go anywhere. And certainly not to Montreal, who has their own cap issues and who's centers are on par with the Wild's.
- mnhockeyguy

Time for Fletcher to put in his big boy pants and deal with Koivu whether that means staying here or shipping him out. The entire organization has spent last 3 yrs dancing around him. I don't care if he stays or he goes honestly, I just cringe at the idea of yet another season of avoidance with regard to roles of Koivu, Pominville, Suter, and others that don't fit their skill sets and current outputs!

Time for Fletcher to put in his big boy pants and deal with Koivu whether that means staying here or shipping him out. The entire organization has spent last 3 yrs dancing around him. I don't care if he stays or he goes honestly, I just cringe at the idea of yet another season of avoidance with regard to roles of Koivu, Pominville, Suter, and others that don't fit their skill sets and current outputs!
- Tony Dean

Completely agree with this! However I would say that even keeping Koivu in a 3rd line role will severely hamper the teams ability to improve. That cap hit is an anchor for the measly offensive output. I think we will see Suter and Pominville off of the top PP unti this coming season. For one thing they need to try to keep Suter fresher as he ages. Same goes for Pominville.

I am in the "Koivu must go" crowd. I wouldn't mind keeping him on the team, but his 6.75 a year is way to much in my opinion. If he was playing for less then 4 a year, I wouldn't be so anti-Koivu. He is listed as a top center, but yet struggles to click with any top wingers Fletcher throws his way. Hopefully we get a return on him though, don't think it it will happen.

I'm of the opinion that Granlund is FANTASTICALLY overrated. I've been a die-hard Wild fan since 2003 (age 19). The biggest problem that the Willd have is that they don't have a true #1 center. Sure, they (I say they because I'm not a member of the team) have Koivu and Granlund, but they're such different players. Koivu is too old and slow now with no offensive output, and Granlund is too small, slow and fragile. It's so predictable and depressing. They need some new blood at center!

The Wild have all this opportunity but they're squandering it. What happens four or five years down the road? Parise and Suter will be officially old (35). What happens when we (the Wild) haven't gotten past the second round of the playoffs? At some point we have to deal with this (FLAWED) roster honestly.

The Wild have all this opportunity but they're squandering it. What happens four or five years down the road? Parise and Suter will be officially old (35). What happens when we (the Wild) haven't gotten past the second round of the playoffs? At some point we have to deal with this (FLAWED) roster honestly.
- Isojoki

Agreed

I am in the "Koivu must go" crowd. I wouldn't mind keeping him on the team, but his 6.75 a year is way to much in my opinion. If he was playing for less then 4 a year, I wouldn't be so anti-Koivu. He is listed as a top center, but yet struggles to click with any top wingers Fletcher throws his way. Hopefully we get a return on him though, don't think it it will happen.
- Tweaterben

I truly believe he struggles because of his lack of desire to shoot. As his playmaking ability diminishes, he really needs to put more pucks on net.

Koivu and Olofsson for Couture? Why not

Koivu and Olofsson for Couture? Why not
- Rollin4Lines

Koivu, Vanek and a 1st for Ovechkin and a 2nd...

I don't understand how in the same post koivu is mentioned as overpaid and under producing yet a line later is mentioned in a package for Malkin? Wtf.

I don't understand how in the same post koivu is mentioned as overpaid and under producing yet a line later is mentioned in a package for Malkin? Wtf.
- Isles_since_6

Think deeply and you will find your answer sir

If the Wild were to trade Koivu I don't think they are getting back a better top line center in the deal. On a team that is already thin at center, trading him is going to weaken them even further. Currently, if you count Coyle as a center, the Wild have two centermen under contract and one of them is Koivu. I just don't see how trading Koivu is going to make the team better.

If the Wild were to trade Koivu I don't think they are getting back a better top line center in the deal. On a team that is already thin at center, trading him is going to weaken them even further. Currently, if you count Coyle as a center, the Wild have two centermen under contract and one of them is Koivu. I just don't see how trading Koivu is going to make the team better.
- Chinaski

Exactly. Wild biggest weakness is the pivot position. Yes it's well established that
Koivu is over paid. But he's still the best all around centerman they've got! Wild have nothing to gain by trying to move him. They cannot fill their most needed position by moving Mikko and as you stated would only weaken the team down the middle which is already thin as you also pointed out!


Fletch is going to have to move someone far more valuable in order to get this team closer to being true contenders. I know it sounds crazy, but I think teams would be very interested in Zucker. Make him the center piece packaged with Spurgeon , Coyle or maybe a top prospect in order to bring in something closer to a 1st line center.

Fletch is going to have to move someone far more valuable in order to get this team closer to being true contenders. I know it sounds crazy, but I think teams would be very interested in Zucker. Make him the center piece packaged with Spurgeon , Coyle or maybe a top prospect in order to bring in something closer to a 1st line center.
- MnGump

This is where I wonder about the value of the Wild's defensemen around the league. Everyone assumes Spurgeon will be dealt and I can certainly see that happening. But in a one-for-one deal does Spurgeon bring back significantly less on the trade market even though he's not necessarily a significantly worse defenseman compared to Scandella, Brodin, Dumba? I don't know. But if that was the case, would it be worth keeping Spurgeon and adding one of those other defensemen in a package deal if that lands the Wild a quality centerman? I think it would be.

Yay! I'll be Chi is pleased!