The Wild have placed beleaguered defenseman, Kyle Quincey on waivers. His days were definitely numbered in Minnesota, and that decision was hastened with his play the past two games.
Quincey has been a turnover machine and lately he has worn out the ice on his way to the penalty box. Ironically it looks as if his Wild tenure, at least at the NHL level came to an end when he took 14 minutes in penalties in the 3rd period Monday night.
In related news, former Wild defenseman, Nate Prosser was also placed on waivers by the Blues. It is believed that Chuck Fletcher will put a claim in for Prosser. If Prosser does make it through to the Wild, he would be a welcomed addition for sure, but merely a band-aid on a gaping hole.
Chuck Fletcher has tried to build a team based on paper. That is clearly evident with the moves that he has made from the trade deadline debacle last season to the Scandella deal during the Summer. The game is played on the ice and the Wild are far too easy to play against.
Teams that win have an identity. The Wild have a solid roster of players that can compete usually with any team on any given night. But in the end they have little consistency, and no sustainability. Most of all the Wild are a team without any identity whatsoever.
In addition to their missing identity is their lack of leadership, which has been a huge issue for years. So when things go south for the team, the Wild typically must play themselves out of it, rather than someone or a group of someones stepping up in the room and laying down the law, peer to peer.
The word that comes to mind for me is comfortable. The Wild players are far too comfortable in their current situation and the fans pay the price, agonizing over a team that plays very good one night then looks disinterested the next.
A shakeup is necessary in the State of Hockey, guys need to start feeling the heat. The comfort level must be taken away, this is professional hockey in The State of Hockey!
No time for complacency, period!
In other Wild news Zach Parise was back on the ice for the first time following his back surgery. He reported no pain, but no timetable has been set for his return.