Dan Wallace: Dumba Scratched Again, Foligno Out

Season over…. Time to blow it up

Wow Gump, when did you become the board naysayer. Usually you have at least a little bit of faith. I don't think they are as bad as you are thinking. Did you expect them to be a Cup contender this year. I know I didn't, still don't and pretty much won't at the end of the season either. But they don't need to be blown up completely either. A few moves and they should be improved...like addition by subtraction in trading away Dumba and Greenway. The kiddos down in Iowa seem to be figuring it out. Look how the Wild got better when Boldy was paired up with Fiala last year. Is not the same thing possible when they bring Walker back up? Or even Rossi...or dare I say it Beckman?

Yeah, they are Cup contenders this year, but I think they have the ability to plan into the 2nd round this year. Should Hartman be back centering Zucc and KK, yeah I think so. The Steel idea has run it course. Hartman has played 1/2 the games that Steel has, but has 2/3 the points. I think there is going to be a very surprising (and good) addition to the roster very soon.

Rebuild for sure, The Wild are in what I call NHL hell, It simply means that they will probably make the playoffs but will not make an impact and making the playoffs means you are far to good to compete for a lottery pick. The evidence is right there in front of Guerin, Rebuild or you are just treading water.

Rebuild for sure, The Wild are in what I call NHL hell, It simply means that they will probably make the playoffs but will not make an impact and making the playoffs means you are far to good to compete for a lottery pick. The evidence is right there in front of Guerin, Rebuild or you are just treading water.
- Shady1962

Shady brings up a very good point. A "good" team wins a decent amount of games and makes the playoffs. That type of success usually keeps the fans pleased to have a winning team. Problem is, they are not quite good enough to make a deep playoff run. Then there's the other side. Teams that are not winning. Greater opportunity for a lottery pick and to build your team. While I believe the Wild have more grit and could be a better team, does BG play it safe or go for it? Talk seems to indicate going for it. As players get older that window closes faster. Time will tell.

The "tear it all down and rebuild" doesn't guarantee that a team will become a contender. Arizona has been doing that for the better part of 2 decades. Buffalo has also been terrible for longer than the idea of a rebuild is. For all those that want a rebuild, are ya'll fine with trading Kaprizov today? He is the only one on the roster right now that would bring back the necessary picks and prospects to start a full rebuild. And therein lies the problem...you get picks and prospects. Nothing is a "for sure" thing. Wild could completely tank the rest of this season, they are still not getting Bedard.

I would rather have a team that is competitive day in and day out, that just needs to figure how to get that extra piece to become a contender....then sit through 6, 7, 8 years of horse-spit play, with the idea that it might become a contender. Are the Wild contenders right now, no. Are they better than average, yes. I prefer to follow a team that usually does pretty darn good, though tends to falter at the wrong time. It's why I am a Minnesota sports fan...they all lose in the 1st Rd of the playoffs. But there are a lot of teams that are worse off, have been for years and will continue to be so.

Not too mention in a full rebuild Kaprizov likely won't be around when it is time to make a run.

Doing a full rebuild might be a better idea if you didn't have multiple teams doing it every year.

Wow Gump, when did you become the board naysayer. Usually you have at least a little bit of faith. I don't think they are as bad as you are thinking. Did you expect them to be a Cup contender this year. I know I didn't, still don't and pretty much won't at the end of the season either. But they don't need to be blown up completely either. A few moves and they should be improved...like addition by subtraction in trading away Dumba and Greenway. The kiddos down in Iowa seem to be figuring it out. Look how the Wild got better when Boldy was paired up with Fiala last year. Is not the same thing possible when they bring Walker back up? Or even Rossi...or dare I say it Beckman?

Yeah, they are Cup contenders this year, but I think they have the ability to plan into the 2nd round this year. Should Hartman be back centering Zucc and KK, yeah I think so. The Steel idea has run it course. Hartman has played 1/2 the games that Steel has, but has 2/3 the points. I think there is going to be a very surprising (and good) addition to the roster very soon.
- Gusrichards

Yeah, just tired of mediocre hockey. Took so damn long to get Kaprisov here and now they can’t afford to surround him with difference makers and by the time they can he’ll be gone or past his prime…