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Stuck in Purgatory

Created by: CN10
Team: 2019-20 Minnesota Wild
Initial Creation Date: Jul. 26, 2019
Published: Aug. 12, 2019
Salary Cap Mode: Basic
Description
Minnesota is kind of stuck in purgatory as they are neither terrible enough to sell off their roster and re-build from scratch, but also not good enough to challenge for a cup. They also seemed to have a GM without any sense of a long term plan as he appeared to be starting a rebuild at the trade deadline moving out a few previously core pieces in Granlund, Coyle, and Niederreiter only to turn around and use the cap space to sign Zuccarello in a "win now" style UFA acquisition. Looking over their roster, I think this year is likely going to be the cross roads where they kick-off a rebuild/re-tool by shipping out Spurgeon & Koivu (if they want to chase a cup), and others (if the right deal can be found); especially if they are trending towards missing the playoffs again, which given the strength of the central division I think is this is likely.

My plan if I were GM would be to go into the year mostly with what has been put in place, and if the chance of playoffs looks slim (which I think will be the case) fast track a re-build by moving out not just pending UFA's but also perhaps a player with term at the deadline (Staal, Foligno, Brodin). The goal should be not only accumulating additional of picks in the 2020 draft which pundits indicate is a deep year, but also targeting young NHL ready players as the team will still likely have veterans like Suter, Parise, Dumba, Zucker, and Zuccarello in place given the term left on those deals.

RFA's
Eriksson-Ek: I would take a Jarnkrok/Sissons approach like Nashville has been doing for some of their depth pieces and sign this guy long term. He has pretty solid advanced stats so I would bet the offense comes and he can be the 3C or maybe 2C locked into a great deal by the time the team has re-tooled to be a cup contender. Offer 6 x $2.333M.
Fiala: I would bridge Fiala as his scoring pace fell off after coming to the Wild. See if he can't fit in better over a full season but otherwise he could also be made available as part of the re-tool to bring in another young player who may be a better fit. 2 x $3M
Belpedio: Sign for a year at league minimum NHL level but more guaranteed AHL money. 1 x 700k / 175k.
Warner: Sign for a year at league minimum NHL level but more guaranteed AHL money. 1 x 700k / 125k.

UFA's
Could bring back Pominville or Vanek for a year and then sell them at the deadline if Donato and Kunin aren't ready for the full NHL season based on their training camp performance. I expect they won't go down this road though as they brought in Hartman for the same reason (to have a RHS for the third line if their own young players aren't ready).

Lineup to Begin
I think they start the year rotating young players in and out of the lineup based on performance, or with one of the youngsters in the AHL (Donato or Kunin), and keep Foligno anchoring the PK and 4th line.

F
Zucker - Staal - Zuccarello
Parise - Koivu - Donato
Fiala - Eriksson Ek - Kunin
Greenway - Rask - Foligno
x- Hartman, Brown
D
Suter - Spurgeon
Brodin - Dumba
Seeler - Pateryn
x- Hunt

PP1
Parise - Staal - Zucker
Dumba - Zuccarello

PP2
Fiala - Koivu - Kunin
Suter - Spurgeon

PK1
Rask - Foligno
Suter - Spurgeon

PK2
Eriksson Ek - Kunin
Brodin - Dumba

Trades As They Fall Out of the Race
Tampa has the assets to get Spurgeon near the deadline thanks to their trade with Vancouver. Return based on Muzzin trade (first, Grundstrom, unsigned prospect). I think the Wild will look for a RH shot forward AHL'er on the cusp of making the big league coming back (Raddysh or Stephens) with a first round pick (especially since they will retain money). Other parts will need to be included to make the money work. Additional teams that could consider him include: Vegas, Dallas, Winnipeg.
Perhaps Koivu would waive his NMC to go to Montreal to play for the same team his brother did and get them into the playoffs. There's also a large number of Finnish players on the roster as well as a few other younger forwards that would benefit from his leadership and a dark horse playoff run as a wild card (which I think Montreal could be this season). Other teams that may be interested include: Florida, Carolina, Winnipeg.
Zucker has been rumoured to be on the move for months now. That may change with a new GM, but perhaps the player would prefer to move to a team that wants him and is less dysfunctional. I expect Zucker would waive his NTC to join a team that will contend for the cup over the course of his contract and he is perhaps Minnesota's best trade chip of their players with term on their deals. I have him heading to Calgary as was rumoured at last deadline this season. Other teams that would likely target him: Colorado, San Jose, Pittsburgh.
I think they would need to keep Staal for the 2020 season if they move Koivu. They could trade Staal to a cup contender for his last season (Carolina perhaps to retire where he began) after re-signing Koivu in the 2020 UFA period, or at the 2021 deadline if they are again out of the playoff race.
My expectation is that they may swap Foligno for the last year of Backes deal plus a pick at the draft (and either buy him out if they are going for playoffs or play him on the fourth line of his hometown team if they commit to a re-tool).
I expect they would wait to move Brodin until the 2021 deadline once Kylington shows he's ready for second pairing minutes.
Free Agent Signings
RFAYEARSCAP HIT
6$2,333,333
2$3,000,000
1$700,000
1$700,000
Trades
1.
MIN
  1. Raddysh, Taylor
  2. Rutta, Jan
  3. 2020 1st round pick (TBL)
Additional Details:
Minnesota gets a good return for their #2/3D at the deadline. Return is based on the Muzzin deal from last year's deadline which was a first + Grundstrom + unsigned prospect. Yes Muzzin had two years of term, but in this case Minnesota is not getting the additional prospect, is sending a late pick back and is retaining salary. Raddysh and Grundstrom had similar draft positions and AHL performance last year. Minnesota could elect to trade for Stephens instead and Tampa may be more willing to move him as they have Verhaegue and Barre-Boulet at center, but I like Raddysh more as a target for Minnesota to make a heavy scoring line in the future alongside Greenway.
TBL
  1. Spurgeon, Jared ($2,593,750 retained)
  2. 2020 7th round pick (MIN)
Additional Details:
Tampa adds a top pairing defender for their chase for another cup. Adds $2.6M to the cap (which is why they send back Rutta's $1.3M) to fit this trade in.
2.
MIN
  1. 2020 2nd round pick (MTL)
  2. 2020 4th round pick (MTL)
Additional Details:
Demoting Weise and Alzner gives Montreal cap space of about $6.2M based on Aug 8th's projected cap space of $4M including these players. Add $2.2M for these demotions gives them the ability to add Koivu at the deadline to push their way into the playoffs and mentor Kotkaniemi for a few months and into a wild card birth playoff run (which based on the upsets we saw last season could be a few rounds even).
MTL
  1. Koivu, Mikko
Additional Details:
Koivu waives to go to his brother's old stomping grounds and help them win a wild card birth. Montreal spends similar draft currency as the Johansson trade last year due to the fact they have a ton of picks and see the value bringing in a leader like Koivu to mentor their young group in their quest to be this year's dark horse in the playoffs and go for a good run.
3.
MIN
  1. Frolík, Michael
  2. Kylington, Oliver
  3. 2020 2nd round pick (CGY)
  4. 2021 2nd round pick (CGY)
Additional Details:
Minnesota moves out another core player to pickup a defender they hope will be able to supplant Brodin, followed by Suter as he continues to develop. They also obtain a couple early round picks to ideally replace Zucker's role (top 6 forward) by the time they are ready to challenge for the cup again.
CGY
  1. Zucker, Jason
Additional Details:
Minnesota moves Zucker at this year's deadline for a modification of last year's 2019 1st + Frolik = Zucker rumour. Based the return on the Skinner trade (prospect, 2nd, 3rd, 6th) only this time the 6th is the rest of Frolik's contract, and due to the term left on Zucker's deal, the return is a bit better in terms of pick & prospect quality.
4.
MIN
  1. Backes, David
  2. 2020 3rd round pick (BOS)
  3. 2021 4th round pick (BOS)
Additional Details:
Trade completed at the 2020 draft. Wild acquire picks to take on Backes cap hit for his last year and let him finish his career on his hometown team.
BOS
  1. Foligno, Marcus
Additional Details:
Trade completed at the 2020 draft. Boston gets a younger player to play Backes role (veteran big bodied winger who PK's) and saves $3.125M in cap space.
Buyouts
Retained Salary Transactions
DraftRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Round 5Round 6Round 7
2020
Logo of the MIN
Logo of the TBL
Logo of the MIN
Logo of the MTL
Logo of the CGY
Logo of the BOS
Logo of the MIN
Logo of the MTL
Logo of the MIN
Logo of the MIN
2021
Logo of the MIN
Logo of the MIN
Logo of the CGY
Logo of the MIN
Logo of the MIN
Logo of the BOS
Logo of the MIN
Logo of the MIN
Logo of the MIN
2022
Logo of the MIN
Logo of the MIN
Logo of the MIN
Logo of the MIN
Logo of the MIN
Logo of the MIN
Logo of the MIN
ROSTER SIZESALARY CAPCAP HITOVERAGES TooltipBONUSESCAP SPACE
23$81,500,000$67,799,007$0$1,182,500$13,700,993

Roster

Left WingCentreRight Wing
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$3,000,000$3,000,000
RW, LW
UFA - 2
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$1,625,000$1,625,000
C
M-NTC
UFA - 2
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$6,000,000$6,000,000
RW, LW
NMC
UFA - 5
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$7,538,462$7,538,462
LW
NMC
UFA - 6
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$2,333,333$2,333,333
C
UFA - 2
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$1,900,000$1,900,000
LW, C, RW
UFA - 2
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$916,666$916,666 (Performance Bonus$500,000$500K)
LW, RW
UFA - 1
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$925,000$925,000 (Performance Bonus$600,000$600K)
RW, C
RFA - 1
Logo of the Calgary Flames
$4,300,000$4,300,000
LW, RW
M-NTC
UFA - 1
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$1,900,000$1,900,000
C, RW
UFA - 2
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$2,000,000$2,000,000
C
UFA - 3
Logo of the Boston Bruins
$4,500,000$4,500,000
C, RW
M-NTC
UFA - 2
Left DefenseRight DefenseGoaltender
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$7,538,462$7,538,462
LD
NMC
UFA - 6
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$6,000,000$6,000,000
RD
UFA - 4
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$2,166,667$2,166,667
G
M-NTC
UFA - 2
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$4,166,667$4,166,667
LD
UFA - 2
Logo of the Tampa Bay Lightning
$1,300,000$1,300,000
LD/RD
UFA - 1
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$785,000$785,000
G
UFA - 3
Logo of the Calgary Flames
$730,833$730,833 (Performance Bonus$82,500$82K)
LD/RD
UFA - 1
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$2,250,000$2,250,000
RD
UFA - 2
ScratchesInjured Reserve (IR)Long Term IR (LTIR)
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$700,000$700,000
LD/RD
UFA - 2
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$687,500$687,500
RW
UFA - 1
Logo of the Minnesota Wild
$725,000$725,000
LD/RD
UFA - 2

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Aug. 12, 2019 at 2:47 p.m.
#1
Biased Opinion
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Joined: Mar. 2019
Posts: 2,683
Likes: 1,969
Does this ACGM come in a pamphlet version?
 
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