Chuck Fletcher has come under his share of criticism throughout his tenure as Wild GM, some deserved and some just because it comes with the position.
Being the General Manager of any professional sports team comes with it's share of pressure from the fanatics that support the team, as well as the owners that sign the checks.
So as a fan we all want our team to compete for a championship each and every year, but that is not reality. But what we all should really ask for is that our team and the front office personnel always have a plan to do what is best for the organization moving forward to give them the very best opportunity to be in place that they can compete for a title.
As the professional sports leagues expand the probability of winning championships becomes that much more difficult. Now the NHL has 31 teams with 31 different fan bases that all want their team to win the Stanley Cup. So we don't have to math wizards to figure out that if every team was to win once it would take a minimum of 31 years of course.
So we look at some teams that have some rich history that have not won Lord Stanley's chalice in quite a long while. Toronto has not won since 1967, a 50 year span, Philadelphia who won two Cups in their first 8 seasons now has gone 42 years without winning another. The Rangers went 54 years between Cup wins from 1940 to 1994, and have not won in the 23 years since.
These three franchises are three of the richest in the league, and they have done their share of spending trying to buy their way to that elusive title. They each came up empty, and the interesting part is that a lot of those years we know there was no salary cap to level the playing field, not to mention the fact that during much of those years there were fewer teams than there are today.
There are no guarantees in life and the Stanley Cup and the NHL are no different. We read and talk about teams on paper and who should be good and who should struggle, but none of us really knows how the cards will play out with injuries, slumps, trades, and chemistry.
On paper the Wild look like a contender and there is no reason to believe that they won't be a top team in the Western Conference, but nothing is a forgone conclusion.
Chuck Fletcher is said to be on the hot seat for sure this season, as his team has made the playoffs five straight seasons, but has yet to advance beyond the 2nd round and getting bounced in the first round in three of the five years.
Of course his seat is hot, but the one thing you have to admit is that Fletcher does not sit idly by while others storm past his Wild. He makes moves, some of course are bold and some more subtle, but he is very active and has a plan for success.
It is clear that Wild owner, Craig Leipold, is in this to bring a Stanley Cup to the State of Hockey. He is committed and Chuck Fletcher is committed as well. They are doing what it takes to build the right team that gives them the best chance to win.
As fans of the Wild, that is all that you can ask for. Commitment to compete to win. No one remembers who comes in second. Both Leipold and Fletcher know that better than anyone.
I bet if you surveyed NHL fans and asked them to name the six teams that have made the playoffs in each of the last five seasons, you wouldn't hear too many other than the hardcore, that know the Wild are one of the six.
That is largely due to the fact that their stay in the dance has been short lived in each of those five seasons.
We in the State of Hockey, want so bad to have a winner, and the Wild are poised to be that team, but it takes a special quality to go the distance.
Craig Leipold is determined to deliver the Cup to Minnesota, and Chuck Fletcher is doing his part to put the pieces together.