wild/nhl

Say goodbye to the playoffs. Not like we would stand a chance against the likes of Dallas, Anaheim, San Jose, or Vancouver anyways.

It's ridiculous to think we can't make the playoffs with Koivu out for a few weeks. The Wild actually has a good record against every one of those teams you mentioned except for Dallas. Koivu hasn't exactly been lighting the lamp much this year; in fact, that "first line" hasn't been all that great, other than Brunette. I hope Fletcher doesn't make a deal for a center because of this, because a rent-a-center will likely cost way too much and still end up leaving at the end of the year. Make do with the guys we've got, call up some guys from the Aeros, and keep working like you have all this season. This is NOT last year's team, and the changes are all positive.

Forget the playoffs now. This loss is huge. It makes their lack of quality depth very apparent! It was a nice run....but I think you can kiss it goodbye now.

If the Wild didn't have bad luck they'd have no luck at all. Except for that freaky goal Clutter scored against Detroit! Still a fun team to watch this last half, win or lose that shouldn't change.

This SHOULD NOT be the end of the line for the Wild. If they truly have the character they've shown lately they should still be able to pull it off. Of course Mikko is a huge presence and does a ton for this team but the other guys should rally around him and pick it up in his absence given that it's only a few weeks.

Trading for a center is a must. Even if Koivu was healthy the Wild's lack of depth at center has hampered this team for seasons. We have depth at defense and teams are selling for defense. Package Antti and Schultz for a proven center and future draft pick. The Wild organization is defense heavy, including in the minor league system. Schultz is a good defender, but has a minimal value to a Wild team trying to implement an offense that requires the defensivemen to be a key part of the offense.

There is no good reason to trade for a center at this time of the year. It's like trying to buy a snowblower at Home Depot in the middle of a snowstorm....not much selection, and the price is way too high. Koivu has not been a scoring machine this season, so where exactly does his absence hurt the team so much that they supposedly can't make the playoffs? I was far more worried when the Wild was running out of healthy goaltenders! They've had pretty good luck when they've brought guys up from Houston, where guys like Stoner and Spurgeon are now apparently permanent fixtures on the Wild because of their strong play. Bring up Robbie Earl, who plays with intensity every single night, and who is leading the Aeros in scoring right now. Shuffle some of the guys around to accomodate the changes, and let's see what they can do. Do NOT mortgage the future by making bad trades for overpaid, underperforming players that will leave as soon as the season is over.

Who says the trade involving some of the Wild's current members has to be for a rental player? If you have cogs in the machine that do not help that machine run smooth, than why not try to improve in other areas such as center? Schultz is good at what he does, but a stay at home defensemen does not work in the offensive system the wild are trying to play. I've played enough hockey in my life time to know that a trade isn't always that bad if it can inprove your team now and for the future. Not just a rent a player.

Schultz is a good stay at home defenseman, and you need some of those, especially in the system that Richards wants to play. While Burns and Zidlicky race up the ice to take advantage of the forecheck, (when one actually accidentally happens), guys like Schultz and Zanon need to stay at home. One of the biggest reasons the team has improved so much over last year is the big improvement in defense, not because they can suddenly score, which they can't. When you have a team that is at the very bottom of the league in scoring, you have to limit the number of goals the opposition can get, and you do that with good defense.