Dan Wallace: Smoke and Mirrors

Who to blame? Fletcher, Boudreau or both? I think the onus lies with Chucky. His bent over backwards attempt to save essentially one player in Matt Dumba in my minds eye is what caused this squad to take 1 step forward and a few leaps backward.

Dumba has done some nice things this season most recently yes... but as I've pointed out in previous blogs, he WILL eventually do something detrimental to the team that will cost them a game or most likely "games".

Not only did the loss of Scandella set this defense back a bunch, the loss of a bonafide 2nd or 3rd line center in Haula and along with another budding forward prospect in Alex Tuch is even more hard to swallow looking down the middle of this current offense.

The one position this team has been weakest at for years and now even weaker after the off season. Cullen's return has amounted to nothing more than a body filling the 4th line center position. He's done very little in the way of contributing to this teams winning games. Outside of a few isolated moments over a handful of games he's been a ghost. Well, a ghost who tends to mail it in and turn pucks over.

All in all I deem this last off season as Chuck Fletchers worst to date. The accuisitions of Enis and Foligno have again amounted to basically filling holes with bodies. Niether one are difference makers by any stretch. If Ennis were really actually talented enough, he would have at least a dozen goals by now with the opportunities he's blown.

Amen Gump on what you said about Ennis. His time has already been played out in the NHL. I understand the trade of Scandella to have someone take Pominville off the Wild's hands, but they should have asked for Kane instead of Ennis. That probably would have lessened the bad showing by Foligno so far. I wonder if CF was thinking he was getting Nick Foligno. I'm holding out hope that Dumba playing with Suter continues to make his game grow even better.

As for Haula, I really believe that Koivu should be the 3rd line C for the rest of his career (maybe even 4th line his last year, but too much $ to put him there). I think if they expect JEE to be a top C for this team, they need to be playing him with skill players right NOW. This terrible start to the season is probably why Cullen has been a no-show on the ice so far. I am betting he was thinking this team was going to be a top team, but now that he has actually seen them on a day to day basis, he is playing himself into a trade back to the Pens.

I honestly (looking through rose colored glasses) think they are not that far off. Parise should be back within a months time. Then I would like to see this roster run out on the ice night after night.

Parise - Staal - Nino
Zucker - Jee - Granlund
Foligno - Koivu - Coyle
Winnik - Cullen - Stewart

Although, I guess I would like to see Kunin in the Foligno spot, and Foligno dropped down to the 4th line. Then with Spurgeon back, these pairings...

Suter - Dumba
Brodin - Spurgeon
Prosser - Murphy

You can send Reilly back to Iowa to continue working on his game, and park Olofsson in the pressbox, or dump him so way in a trade.

Amen Gump on what you said about Ennis. His time has already been played out in the NHL. I understand the trade of Scandella to have someone take Pominville off the Wild's hands, but they should have asked for Kane instead of Ennis. That probably would have lessened the bad showing by Foligno so far. I wonder if CF was thinking he was getting Nick Foligno. I'm holding out hope that Dumba playing with Suter continues to make his game grow even better.

As for Haula, I really believe that Koivu should be the 3rd line C for the rest of his career (maybe even 4th line his last year, but too much $ to put him there). I think if they expect JEE to be a top C for this team, they need to be playing him with skill players right NOW. This terrible start to the season is probably why Cullen has been a no-show on the ice so far. I am betting he was thinking this team was going to be a top team, but now that he has actually seen them on a day to day basis, he is playing himself into a trade back to the Pens.

I honestly (looking through rose colored glasses) think they are not that far off. Parise should be back within a months time. Then I would like to see this roster run out on the ice night after night.

Parise - Staal - Nino
Zucker - Jee - Granlund
Foligno - Koivu - Coyle
Winnik - Cullen - Stewart

Although, I guess I would like to see Kunin in the Foligno spot, and Foligno dropped down to the 4th line. Then with Spurgeon back, these pairings...

Suter - Dumba
Brodin - Spurgeon
Prosser - Murphy

You can send Reilly back to Iowa to continue working on his game, and park Olofsson in the pressbox, or dump him so way in a trade.
- Gusrichards

Agreed on pretty much everything. Have not been impressed AT ALL with either Reilly or Olofsson. Murphy needs some polishing as well, but I guess I'd take my chances with him over the others.

Thinking about the wasted money/cap space Fletcher has blown over the past 5 years or so makes me sick to my stomach. The only player contract i'll give him a pass on is the Pominville deal. Based on his career numbers and first season with the Wild, the deal made plenty of sense at the time. Originally I wasn't that upset about the Koivu deal, but since getting handed a gift of money from FLetch, Koivu has absolutely stunk it up on the ice. He doesn't even looke interested half the time. Granted he's getting long in the tooth, the drop off in overall production both offensively/defensively and at the dot is very depressing.

How's that saying go Gump.....great minds think alike!

And I agree on the Koivu contract. That was something that CF should have waited until mid-season to hand out. Now the Wild are tied to a 3rd/4th line C for 2.5 years at a ridiculous pricetag. Since they are stuck with that, might as well get the kids up and playing, just to make the cap work.