Normally, I agree with most of what you say Dan, but I have to disagree with you in your assessment of the Wild roster. They are still VERY left handed heavy on all the forwards, with Kunin and now Hartman the only right handed forwards (with the idea that Mayhew does not make the roster). I haven't read the Athletic article from Russo yet, but when seeing the headline of BB saying the roster "is like a Rubik's cube"...well, that just scares me. I think BB is a great coach, but he has been given a mess to work with. I am fine with the Zuccarello signing, though I would have preferred 4 years, and no NMC on it. But I understand that need to overpay to get FAs to come here right now.
I am just very disappointed that Fenton was not able to figure something out in getting someone like Nylander or Kapanen. Zaitsev was traded away, and I think he would have been more than decent with Brodin. I'm not hearing anything in the fact that he is trying to work a deal with Vegas to bring in Nikita Gusev. Both Zucker and Spurgeon were EXCELLENT assets to use to bring in possible great players in the making. I was on board to give Fenton a year or so to show us what kind of GM he was going to be, but he is really just starting to look like a "Yes" man for Leipold. I bold GM would have said yes to Leo, than just start doing the actual correct things to improve the team. Sadly, I don't see that coming.
Even the Iowa Wild is being ripped apart. There was 1 player that I was hoping the Baby Wild would keep, Cal O'Reilly, as he seems to be a great mentor in the AHL now. But he decided to leave on a AHL contract (his past contracts have been 2-way, with the chance to get up to the NHL). To me as an involved fan, I see that as O'Reilly not wanting back with the Baby Wild. He's been around quite a while, so maybe he is seeing that the organization is not being run very well, and got out while the getting was good. Really starting to make me nervous that the Wild are going to become the T-Wolves of the NHL.
On another note, I thought Brad Hand was already signed to a 2 year deal at $700k per? |