The Minnesota Wild caught the attention of the entire NHL on Monday when they signed right-handed defenseman Jared Spurgeon to a four-year, $20.75 million deal next season.
Spurgeon, 26, is currently earning $2,666,666 this season.
He will double his current salary when his new deal clicks in next season.
Left-handed Swede Jonas Brodin 22, is currently the second highest paid D-man on the Wild roster with a robust $4,166,666 AAV. Brodin signed a 6 year, $25 million contract extension last season.
But that will all change next season when Spurgeon's AAV will rise up considerably to $5,187,500 beginning in 2016-17. Spurgeon will jump over Brodin as Minnesota's second-highest paid D-man next to Ryan Suter.
Suddenly, the Minnesota Wild have over $21 million committed to just five or their six defenseman for 2016-17. This figure will increase dramatically once the Wild and youngster Matthew Dumba, 21, agree to a new contract extension when his entry level deal expires on July 1, 2016.
In his most awesome “30 Thoughts… column on Tuesday, my friend in hockey Elliotte Friedman wrote:
After signing Jared Spurgeon to a four-year, $20.75M contract, Wild GM Chuck Fletcher told reporters his defencemen could be used as trade bait to help the rest of the lineup.According to The Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Michael Russo, Fletcher “specifically brought up the … lack of depth at centre.…
Minnesota’s top four blueliners are at a cap number of $21M next season, and this kind of move was rumoured even before Spurgeon’s extension. It would not be a huge stunner to see Fletcher make a run at (Ryan) Johansen, as Columbus is looking for defence.
The 2016-17 Wild Blue Line As It's Presently Constructed:
Suter: $7,538,461 Spurgeon: $5,187,500 Brodin: $4,166,666 Scandella: $4,000,000 Dumba: RFA Prosser: $625,000
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Reilly: $825,000 (in minors) Olofsson: $795,000 (in minors) Folin: $725,000 (in minors)
Chuck Fletcher and Mike Yeo are in need of another veteran center iceman. Preferably, their ideal center would have high end skill, several years of successful years of service in the NHL and an affordable salary cap AAV.
It's well documented how badly the Wild need to add a play maker/finisher center.
The Wild feel like this is their year to make a legit run at the Stanley Cup Finals, however, they will have to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks, who have broken their hearts three years in a row in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Fletcher has skilled depth on D and will be able to attract a lot attention in the trade market.
“Our defense is the strength of our team,… Fletcher told the Star-Tribune.
“It gives us depth and may give us the opportunity to look at different options down the road.…
Righto, Chuck.
You will trade a defenseman for a center.
Gotcha.
But which D will you trade?
Suter and Spurgeon are lifers. Scandella isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Dumba is a highly respected prospect and will stay in Minneapolis after he signs a new extension. Reilly, Olofsson, and Folin seem to be mortal locks to stick and stay in the Twin Cities.
So, that leaves Brodin as the odd D-man out, right?
Makes sense to me.
You'll recall a few weeks back that Ryan Suter made a big stink about playing in a D pair with Brodin. This observer's eyebrows certainly were raised by Suter's prickly comments about his D corps mate.
Wild head coach Mike Yeo thought it a good idea to pair Suter with Brodin, who are both lefties. Suter and Brodin were forced to have to play on their offside which is something that Suter had a serious problem with.
"I guess they (Yeo) decided to change things up. I don't know what they're thinking," Suter told media.
"It's different, I need to play with a right-handed defenseman (Spurgeon) to give me more options in the neutral zone, offensively and even coming out of the D zone. It's not fair to put a guy on his offside. I don't know if it's just for practice today or what it is, they didn't say anything."
Suter then asked if he was in favor of the decision to play in games with Brodin as his partner. Suter didn't sugar-coat his response.
"No," Suter said. "I mean, we'll talk about it, we'll figure it out. Maybe for certain points we'll have to do this to play against certain guys, or in certain situations. I don't think it's going to be an end result, but he's the coach."
Suter should have stepped up to the microphones and said: “I, the great Suter, will only play with Jared Spurgeon as my set-up man. That is all….
I got a real vibe from Suter's comments that he is not a fan of Brodin's which led me to wonder if the young Swede would rather move on to another NHL team, one where the team leader respects his contributions.
Since the 2012-13 season Suter has spent more 5-on-5 ice-time with Brodin than any other defenseman on the Minnesota D corps.
From the end of November when Suter made his anti-Brodin comments to the 2012 season, in 2,600+ minutes TOI of 5-on-5 play while partners Suter and Brodin played together, the Wild had outscored their opponents 83-73 and had attempted 49% of the shot attempts that were taken during that time. In 2,100 minutes of hockey when Suter had been paired with any other defender the Wild had a 96-83 goals edge and are a 51% Corsi team. The Wild were a smidge better from a possession standpoint and they scored more when Suter was not paired with Brodin. However, the Wild also gave up more goals.
The Wild currently have four right-handed shots on their defense: Jared Spurgeon, Matt Dumba, Nate Prosser and Christian Folin. Suter, Brodin, and Scandella are the lefties. Trading Brodin would open up a roster spot for the left-handed Reilly to play in the NHL.
For Suter to think ill of Brodin as his partner is one thing. To actually verbalize those thoughts and not back off of them while on the record is another thing all together.
Let's talk about Chuck Fletcher and his recent history of aggressive trades at the NHL trade deadline.
Which Buffalo Sabres fan will ever forget 2013, when Fletcher and then Buffalo GM Darcy Regier teamed up for the Jason Pominville trade? In 2014, Fletcher acquired top six forward Matt Moulson.
In 2014, Fletcher Fletcher snagged Vezina nominated goalie Devan Dubnyk from the Arizona Coyotes to help sandbag the otherwise leaky Minnesota net. Fletcher also added former Sabres power forward Chris Stewart and Sean Bergenheim.
Here's my recommendation for Fletcher.
Buffalo will deliver him a 20+ goal scoring center iceman in exchange for Jonas Brodin in the event that Columbus opts to trade Ryan Johansen to an Eastern Conference team instead of having to face him in the West.
His name is Tyler Ennis.
Ennis scored 20 goals for the Sabres last season which is remarkable considering his team was the worst offensive team in the history of the NHL. Ennis has scored 20 goals on three different occasions in Buffalo.
Ennis has the type of speed that can kill opponents. He loves to hold the puck and drive it wide on his opponents through the neutral and o-zones. He has the ability to drop his shoulder to drive the far post. He has no problem going to the greasy areas in front of the enemy net. plays a respectable brand of defense which allows him to create turnovers that he turns into odd-man rushes for himself and his line mates. Ennis is a double threat in that he is a finisher and a disher.
In 365 games played in Buffalo, Ennis has scored 92 goals and has assisted on 130 goals. He has 23 career power play goals. Many of Ennis' goals were assisted on by Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville, his former Buffalo line mates. And vice versa. Ennis developed uncanny chemistry playing with Vanek and Pominville 5-on-5 and PP over the years in Buffalo. Ennis would certainly reprise his role as puck distributor to the stars in the Twin Cities.
What's more, Ennis' best friend is Jared Spurgeon.
The two grew up in Edmonton. They practically lived at one another's house growing up. They played on the same travel team which their fathers coached for years. They work out and skate together in Edmonton during the off season. Their parents still remain friends to this day.
So, why trade Tyler Ennis if you are Tim Murray?
Because Ennis has the most marketability from a top six forward perspective right now. Matt Moulson and Brian Gionta have struggled this season. Could they, on a stand alone trade basis, fetch Murray a top four D like Brodin? No. Also, Jamie McGinn, Ryan O'Reilly, Samson Reinhart, Jack Eichel, and Evander Kane are Buffalo top six forwards who are off limits.
Could I see Tim Murray trading Ennis to Minnesota, or another team, in exchange for the top four, left sot veteran D that has elided him for the past seven months? The answer is “Yes…, because a top six forward of Ennis' ilk and pedigree, plus a draft pick, is the asking price for a top four, left-shot, veteran D-man like Jonas Brodin or Cam Fowler of the Anaheim Ducks.
Ennis will earn $4.6 million this season and three more. Ennis' contract and Brodin's deal more or less eliminate one another. The 2016-16 NHL salart cap is supposed to increase $3 million U.S. From $71.4 million to $74.4 million.
Tim Murray and Chuck Fletcher are great friends dating back to their days working together in the Anaheim Ducks organization. They have a history of making smart, win-win trades with one another.
Brodin, 25, has it all: size at 6'4" 215 lbs., a great first pass, sees the ice well, is an excellent skater, has excellent core strength, high end skill, and a left-handed shot that is hard and accurate.
He is a solid defender who can play in all situations. With additional TOI on PP, he can boost his point totals into the 30s or 40s. He averages 21 minutes TOI per game, has 13 hits and 35 blocks this season. I've always respected Brodin's game. He is steady, smart and is a very good athlete.
Maybe they swing another trade in the very near future.
The NHL trade freeze will thaw out on December 27.