I've been kinda a ghost on here lately. I am just interested in the rest of your thoughts on what we have seen this off-season and where things are going IYO.

For starters, obviously the Wild have cap problems, yet Guerin went after Eichel fairly hard. How was that cap number going to work?
My thoughts are that Bill was hoping Sabres would take Dumba and Fiala, but knowing the Sabres have always been asking for young roster guys and top notch prospects, so I suspect he had something else in mind.

The buyouts, was that completely moronic? IMO Sutes should have stayed. Just tell him to shut his mouth and cooperate with the changes. Goligoski is fine but really seems like a waste of money.

The prospects?
I think Billys preference is to push them back 1 more year as that's when cap crunch really starts. I do believe if one really beats the door down then Billy will elevate them. Likely Beckman.
My opinion on top prospects
1. Rossi- extremely talented really being held down for cap reasons. The AHL will allow him better opportunities to develop, but he would already be the 2nd best center on the Wild.
2. Boldy- seemed a bit tentative. I think he meshes well with Rossi, but that's kind Boldy's M.O. he changes his game to fit his linemates. Either way I think he gets his footings in the AHL then Wild promote him once he had given them no choice.
3. Beckman- Kid can shoot but he really needs to get stronger on the puck. Sending him to the AHL was probably a good move for him.

4. Addison- will be first guy up of affected by injury.

5. Many other good prospects, but still at least a year off.
The guys I'm watching:
1. Carson Lambos
2. Jesper Wallstedt
3. Khusnutdinov
4. O'rourke
5. Firstov
6. So many more.

Buyouts:
The Suter buyout was dumb. It costs as much or more to replace him in the lineup.
The Parise buyout (understandable at least) should have been held off one more year. He's not worse than any of the guys GMBG brought in, they have the cap, and it would have saved a year of dead cap on the backend. It also takes away any chance to move his cap if he LTIRs.

Prospects:
Boldy is the only prospect that looked ready to be in the NHL. He needs to gain the NHL confidence not more skills time in the AHL.
Rossi needs a lot of work. If what we saw in the camps is his game he's a winger not a center.
Beckman is really raw. He can shoot and that is about it. AHL time is what he needs.
Addison looked good in a man advantage and bad at 5v5. Sheltered PP specialist is what he is currently.
Dunhaime is getting a look now, but I don't think he'll stick. He looked in over his head whenever he was playing with/against other NHL players.
Lizotte is the the d-man prospect that impressed me the most. He's my first callup out of camp.

Roster:
Kulikov is the only offseason signing I've been impressed with so far. To be fair I haven't seen enough of Goligoski to really have an opinion yet. The guys brought in to be the 6D have been terrible.
I'm not sure how it's possible but Fiala somehow has worse linemates than he did last season.
I see Foligno regressing from last year. Greenway adds some goals but loses a bunch of assists.
The PP is going to be a work in progress all season.
If JEE sticks with Kaprizov he'll have a 60p season. Lots of dirty goals, and 2nd assists.
Spurgeon has the most to prove of anyone on the team. He lost his longtime security blanket and needs to show he can be a top-pair d-man without an elite babysitter as his partner.

Unless Kaprizov drags the Wild kicking and screaming into the Playoffs, I have MN as a seller by the TDL with the current roster.

I don't agree with everything you are saying but a lot of it.

If you are talking about Rossi before his last two preseason games I agree with your assessment, but in the last two games he found his game and looked fairly good.

Kulikov I agree with you there. Merrill and Benn have not impressed. Goligoski I think is what most people think he is, better offensively then Suter but worse defensively. It will be interesting to see how he and Spurgeon mesh.

I think people will be in for a rude awaking if they thing Goligoski is better offensively than Suter. Goligoski has only topped 40p twice in his career, and the last time was 8 years ago. Suter was pushing 50p most every year in MN.

Even the last 2 games I thought Rossi looked like a wing. He made some plays in open ice, but that was about it. He showed flashes of skills in lots of different areas that if he improves on them will turn him into a fine NHL player, but nothing elite/special about him.

Bjugstad has been a nice surprise so far. He looks much more engaged so far this year.

Merrill has been awful. That 6D spot is going to be a burden all year for MN if they plan on using a combo of Benn/Merrill to fill it.

Kaprizov needs to find his shot, assists are nice and all, but he needs to be a goal scorer.

Fiala has been the best player for MN though the first 3 games. Get him something to work with 5v5.

Hartman is not a good center.

Talbot has looked shaky in 2 of his 3 starts.

The whole 4th line has been a nice surprise, though I guess I expected Sturm to be solid.
Talbot has been a bit shaky, hoping that is the result of little playing time in preseason games.
Hartman is probably a wing but Foligno is a man possessed right now so that covers up the deficiencys in the line. Greenway has been a passenger this far.
Total agreement on Merrill, and like you said Benn doesn't offer a better option. Not sure what Wild can do there.
Kaprizov looks to me like he is not in to form yet, but he looks to be getting closer.
Fiala has been good. I think Foligno has been the best forward, but Fiala is a solid pick also honorable mention to Ek.

The last couple games the team I was expecting the Wild to be for the season showed up.

This team is so much better without Spurgeon in the lineup.

With Spurgeon:
21 games, 71 gf, 66 ga, 3.38 gf/g, 3.14 ga/g, record 12-8-1, 25 points, 97.6p pace
Without Spurgeon:
14 games, 57 gf, 40 ga, 4.07 gf/g, 2.86 ga/g, record 10-2-2, 22 points, 128.9p pace

Too bad Boldy was injured to start the year. He'd be in the Calder talks if he had been healthy. He looks like the real deal and a steal for Fenton that draft.

Most definitely. What a breath of fresh air he's been for Fiala. It's amazing that most combinations with Fiala felt like oil and water but with Boldy, it's a perfect compliment.

Boldy has skill. Evereyone else GMBG has put with Fiala is a blackhole in the o-zone. I still say Boldy should have gotten a chance to play last season. It could have been the difference in the Playoffs with Fiala/Boldy instead of Fiala/MarJo.

I think I know what has been sitting wrong with me about this year's team. It didn't click until Boldy/Fiala became a thing. This team is a TOR clone. 2 scoring lines of with 2 high end players and a random guy they are dragging along for fun. Weak d-corps. Average-ish goalies. MN has the GREEf line, but TOR has actual top-6 centers, so it's a decent trade-off.

They've just outscored their problems most games. When games get the Playoff feel of hard checking, tight play, and quality teams they are exposed: COL, STL, VGK, NSH, Jets.

Exactly!!!

This team looks like a best of the rest. Not a team that is dangerous at all for the playoffs. Getting Dumba back will help some. Not enough to make a difference though.

After all was said and done for trades I like the new roster better than I liked the one before the trades started.

I'm bummed about losing Kahk, but I like the d-man they got for him. I think it's the Scandella clone d-man that will do well with Spurgeon.
MAF is a huge upgrade in net.
Of Jost/Sturm I'd rather have Sturm, and don't like Jost's contract next year either.
Deslauries is an upgrade for the 4th line.
I didn't like Rask for nothing. He's the only center depth the team had and injuries happen.
I'd rather have McBain over the 2nd, but it was a good return for a guy that wasn't going to sign.