I just don't know how they get completely destroyed by the lowly Edmonton oilers last night and still make the playoffs. I think the Wild lose in blow out like fashion again tonite and miss the playoffs.

As it is if they do still get in they'll be destroyed by either Chicago or Anaheim. This team has been an embarrassment for the past month after looking like a pretty good team for the first 2/3's of the season....
- MnGump

You're all over the place. Curb your emotions my friend. This sport will drive you crazy if you don't.

arent you the one who predicted the wild would steamroll the oil last night.
- wingz4life

Yes he was, and it was epic. Instant classic.

I just don't know how they get completely destroyed by the lowly Edmonton oilers last night and still make the playoffs. I think the Wild lose in blow out like fashion again tonite and miss the playoffs.

As it is if they do still get in they'll be destroyed by either Chicago or Anaheim. This team has been an embarrassment for the past month after looking like a pretty good team for the first 2/3's of the season....
- MnGump

Thank God, I was afraid you were going to predict another win
(frank) this team.... lose and go get a real coach. I'm done with Yeo



Unless we win tonight

Regardless of whether they make playoffs tonight or not, the simple fact is the Wild spent 200 million dollars, and basically have the same results they had last season. A team that pieced together enough wins to look good for the first 30ish games of the season, but fell apart as the season continued.

Off season will be interesting for the Wild. A fringe playoff team with several holes opening up, and not much cap space to fill them, let alone improve into being a contender.

Regardless of whether they make playoffs tonight or not, the simple fact is the Wild spent 200 million dollars, and basically have the same results they had last season. A team that pieced together enough wins to look good for the first 30ish games of the season, but fell apart as the season continued.

Off season will be interesting for the Wild. A fringe playoff team with a lot several holes opening up, and not much cap space to fill them, let alone improve into being a contender.
- Antilles

I very much agree with you. Fletch is going to have his hands full and will have several difficult decisions to make.
-Has Yeo shown enough in 2 years, that you feel confident moving forward?
-Do you use a buyout on Heatley. Sure, the effort and skating isn't there, but teams still paid a lot of attention to him, freeing up his linemates.
-Do you re-sign Cullen and/or Backstrom? If not, who do you replace them with?
-What can you get in a trade for Clutterbuck, or is he too re-signed?
-How to replace half of your defense with little cap room?

And to all the nitwits laughing about the Parise/Suter signings... funny how you now show up when the Wild are on the verge of missing the playoffs, but nowhere to be seen when they were leading or competing for NW crown. Show me a Wild fan that disagrees with Leipold going out and getting these players, please.

I was wondering myself if Yeo could be in trouble if the Wild don't make the playoffs. Just a month ago you were sitting pretty at 20 - 10 - 2. Now it comes down to this.

I think Fletcher has done a great job stocking the system with terrific young talent while also bringing in Parise and Suter. Unlike many high-priced free agents Parise and Suter have both lived up to expectations. However at the end of the day the results are what matter most and Minnesota has to make the playoffs.

I could see Fletcher also getting canned if they don't make it. He's hired two head coaches, Todd Richards and Yeo. Should he get the chance to hire a third if Yeo is let go? Leipold has put a lot of money into the team and I could understand why he'd be upset if Minnesota missed out.
- Glen Miller

If Yeo isn't the right coach for this team I would think they would already know that and he should be gone regardless of whether they are in or not.

If they were truly awful this year and not even close to a playoff spot, I could see them questioning whether Yeo was a capable coach and then I would think Fletcher would be in trouble.

But I don't think that's where this organization is at. Fletcher inherited a mess when he came in here. It was always going to take time to work out of it. I think he's done a good job here and he's got things going in the right direction.

I don't know if Yeo is ultimately the guy that takes this team to the next level. But I think they have to let it play out at least one more year.

I just can't imagine that Yeo being fired or keeping his job could come down to a single point in the standings. Imagine this - Yeo keeps his job if Wild win in a shootout but loses his job if Columbus wins in a shootout and the Wild lose in a shootout. My God, that would be silly.

I can't agree that they were in contention last year. My opinion, they overachieved in the early part of the season and injuries exposed their lack of depth. I don't think that shows a coaching deficiency with Yeo.

I'd be willing to put a little more blame on the team's performance this year on Yeo, but I just don't think making radical changes based on this year is the way to go. I really think they had pressure from above to make the playoffs this year and that affected some of his decisions. I'm not sure we would have seen all the same decisions this year or the same results had they not had that pressure.
- Chinaski

Logic would dictate that yes, they did have a ton of pressure on them to make the post season, but the mere fact that a team like Columbus with no where near the talent or prospects the Wild have are playing the best hockey in the league right now is more than enough evidence that Yeo is not the right man for the job. You didn't see Columbus making multimillion dollar moves to acquire the two top FA's in the league. Look at LA since their coaching change, they went from one of the worst teams in the league last season to SC champs mostly due to placing the right coach on their bench.

Thank God, I was afraid you were going to predict another win
(frank) this team.... lose and go get a real coach. I'm done with Yeo



Unless we win tonight
- SotaPopinski

So if the Wild win, you're OK with Yeo?

So if the Wild win, you're OK with Yeo?
- Chinaski

Sarcasm, sorry.
Honestly, I was ecstatic with his hiring and have had his back up until the end of this season. While I'm willing to give him another season to prove himself, I understand why Leipold may consider firing him. He's the type of coach that seems to be more concerned about sticking up for his guys and being their buddy than the kind of coach that demands accountability and respect, no matter how big of a Richard he may come across as in doing so.
Would like to have seen what Richards could have done with a roster loaded with talent for once.

So if the Wild win, you're OK with Yeo?
- Chinaski

The Wild should send out a big thank you to the Oilers for the beating last night.

Logic would dictate that yes, they did have a ton of pressure on them to make the post season, but the mere fact that a team like Columbus with no where near the talent or prospects the Wild have are playing the best hockey in the league right now is more than enough evidence that Yeo is not the right man for the job. You didn't see Columbus making multimillion dollar moves to acquire the two top FA's in the league. Look at LA since their coaching change, they went from one of the worst teams in the league last season to SC champs mostly due to placing the right coach on their bench.
- MnGump

C'mon. Yeo's a bad coach because Columbus is winning with inferior talent and largely due to a monster year from their goalie (at least from what I've heard and read)? If Backstrom had Bobrovsky's numbers and the Wild were in the playoffs last week, would Yeo be a good coach?

I'm not saying you can't have the opinion that Yeo isn't the right coach for this team. I just haven't heard a convincing argument that he's the wrong guy and I'm OK with giving him more time. I guess that's because I always expected it to take longer than last year and this year for this team to get turned around and be consistently better.

And by the way, whose been better for this team this year than those multimillion dollar free agents? No one. And it's not even close. The last thing that is wrong with the Minnesota Wild is Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.

Sarcasm, sorry.
Honestly, I was ecstatic with his hiring and have had his back up until the end of this season. While I'm willing to give him another season to prove himself, I understand why Leipold may consider firing him. He's the type of coach that seems to be more concerned about sticking up for his guys and being their buddy than the kind of coach that demands accountability and respect, no matter how big of a Richard he may come across as in doing so.
Would like to have seen what Richards could have done with a roster loaded with talent for once.
- SotaPopinski

I don't think Richards was given a fair shot here. I would have liked to see them give Richards more time. I just don't think Richards would have had much different results to date than Yeo has.

But I think Richards lost his job here because they thought he couldn't command the respect from the players in the tough times and they thought Yeo definitely could. I don't know if that's the case.

I am interested to see what Columbus does in the off-season with Richards. They have some good young players, multiple first round picks, a reputable talent evaluator in their new GM, and a solid hockey guy in JD. If they keep Richards as the coach that will be quite an endorsement for him.

I don't think Richards was given a fair shot here. I would have liked to see them give Richards more time. I just don't think Richards would have had much different results to date than Yeo has.

But I think Richards lost his job here because they thought he couldn't command the respect from the players in the tough times and they thought Yeo definitely could. I don't know if that's the case.

I am interested to see what Columbus does in the off-season with Richards. They have some good young players, multiple first round picks, a reputable talent evaluator in their new GM, and a solid hockey guy in JD. If they keep Richards as the coach that will be quite an endorsement for him.
- Chinaski

Richards didn't get along with Koivu, and for some odd reason, this organization is head over heels for the guy. Don't get me wrong, I would put Koivu in the top 10 best centers in the league, but not even close to being the kind of talent that should be allowed to dictate who should or should not be coaching him. Crosby, Ovechkin, Tavares, etc. maybe... Koivu, hell no.

I have a life outside of hockeybuzz, and the internet for that matter. unlike some others on here.
- wingz4life

Only when I'm working. You actually go on this site when you're not working?

Still waiting for Suter to ask for a trade next year if they don't make the playoffs. Signed Nashville.

A Columbus and Colorado win tonight and Nashville gets the #2 pick.

A Columbus and Colorado win tonight and Nashville gets the #2 pick.
- dgutzman

Their play certainly looked like they were trying for the 1st.

Their play certainly looked like they were trying for the 1st.
- whipper334

Well, the Preds and Calgary are in the same boat this year. Injuries have depleted the teams.

But with a high draft picks, plus Forsberg next year, and over $20 million in cap space, we have ample opportunity to retool the team. And we have strong young talent.

Well, the Preds and Calgary are in the same boat this year. Injuries have depleted the teams.

But with a high draft picks, plus Forsberg next year, and over $20 million in cap space, we have ample opportunity to retool the team. And we have strong young talent.
- dgutzman

I agree. But we have a little young talent, not a lot. This is a very important draft for us with having 3 1st rounders.

That was a hell of a performance last night.
- Ben37

arent you the one who predicted the wild would steamroll the oil last night.
- wingz4life

Given the circumstances, previous 29 meetings along with all the stats for Backstrom, didn't think it was really going out on a limb predicting the Wild would win. Not to mention Yeo's comments about treating the last 3 games as "must win" games. Yeah seems fairly evident they should have followed through with relative ease.

Regardless of whether they make playoffs tonight or not, the simple fact is the Wild spent 200 million dollars, and basically have the same results they had last season. A team that pieced together enough wins to look good for the first 30ish games of the season, but fell apart as the season continued.

Off season will be interesting for the Wild. A fringe playoff team with several holes opening up, and not much cap space to fill them, let alone improve into being a contender.
- Antilles

Plenty of cap space. Backstroms 6 mill, gone, Cullen 3.5 mill, gone, Bouchard 4.5 mill gone, Heatley will most likely be an amnisty buy out, that's another 7.5 mill, gone. That's roughly over $20 million in cap space freed up, take away about $13 mill for next years new cap ceiling and that leaves them about 6 or 7 million of space for next years team.

I have a life outside of hockeybuzz, and the internet for that matter. unlike some others on here.
- wingz4life

Congratulations.

Cullen 3.5 mill, gone
- MnGump

Still a hole at #2 center. I think they try to re-sign Cullen around the same number.

Plenty of cap space. Backstroms 6 mill, gone, Cullen 3.5 mill, gone, Bouchard 4.5 mill gone, Heatley will most likely be an amnisty buy out, that's another 7.5 mill, gone. That's roughly over $20 million in cap space freed up, take away about $13 mill for next years new cap ceiling and that leaves them about 6 or 7 million of space for next years team.
- MnGump

You would need to sign a starting goalie to replace Backstrom, first line winger to replace Heatley, second line center to replace Cullen, and point producing winger to replace Bouchard.

How exactly do you expect to fill those holes with 6 or 7 million in cap space? Or do you plan on just relying on a 29-year old career back up in net, and expect Granlund, Coyle, and Zucker who combined for 26 points to make up for everything you are losing AND improve the team to the point of you guys being contenders?