wild/nhl

Some will not like this including Russo, but CC has never gotten over the first-timer feeling the past two seasons. Go take a look at the stats. It will be interesting to see if Cullen pulls a disappearing act this year as well. Fletch should operate inder the assumption that PMB and Lats won't be back, or if the are thy contribute very little, and try to pull off a trade for a 1st or 2nd liner - just dreaming.

Going all out and paying big money for a top forward would be a waste of time. This team already has guys who know how to put the puck in the net, guys like Koivu, Setoguchi and Heatley. Each of those guys should be good for 25-30 goals per season, maybe more. Yet they aren't scoring at that pace. Why? Because they either spend too much of their shifts trying to get the puck out of their defensive end, or the rush up the ice never gets started because of poor passing. Instead of looking for what will likely be a rental forward, look instead for defensemen that are responsible with the puck in their own zone and can pass or carry the puck up the ice. On the Wild, the only D man I see doing that on a consistent basis is Spurgeon. Falk is improving in that area too, but we need more of that kind of player.

I agree with Uffda to a point. I think another big reason those scorers haven't scored as much as we'd hoped is because of the lack of power play goals. And we seem to be missing that power play QB that most great power plays have. Zids was supposed to be that guy and he has fallen off terribly. Nashville has 2 of them with Suter and Weber. We probably won't get Suter in a trade this year, but he is a UFA and as Russo points out, we can't see Nashville giving huge contracts to Web, Rinne AND Suter (no forwards). CC is on pace for 20 goals which is an improvement over his high. I will say that I think there might be something to his body getting worn down from the hits. I think his forechecking is very important to this team although it doesn't always have to involve a hit. Don't want to change his game too much, but maybe he needs to pick and choose his hits a little more wisely. And for the love of God, Cal, hit the net with your shot!

I agree that there is no way the Preds can afford Rinne, Weber and Suter all at the same time. Rinne has his big contract, and I'd be shocked if the Preds let Weber go, so Suter is the odd man out. I'd feel comfortable with the Wild signing him for up to about $5.5 mil a year. If the Wild wants a top scorer, they might want to look at Jeff Carter in Columbus, who rumor says is on the trading block. The Jackets are mucho desperate, so you might be able to pick him up in a deal heavy with prospects. If push came to shove, though, I'd still choose a defenseman who can move the puck over a forward right now. We have forwards coming up next year, with Granlund probably playing with the Wild. Let's get him and Setoguchi some defensemen that can feed them the puck for an actual offensive line rush instead of a dump off a stationary player.

After looking a little closer at Carter, I'd have to drop him from consideration. To get him, you also have to pick up the remaining 9 years of his 10 year contract, and I honestly wouldn't offer anyone a contract of that length short of Gretzky in his prime. Especially in today's NHL, where season and career-ending concussions can take down anyone, even Crosby, I just wouldn't want to commit nearly a decade to a guy that could end up like PMB or Latendresse.

It would be nice to make the play-offs this year with, basically, this group. The proper step forward for the team. They don't have to go deep in the play-offs, although that would be nice too, just keep the ball rolling in the right direction.

I think management would love to see the team take that next step and make it to the playoffs for the first time in a while, but they aren't going to mortgage the future to do so. If they make a trade, I think it will be for someone they can see being here for at least 3-4 years. If we get some of the walking wounded back, we may be able to sneak into the playoffs this year with the crowd we already have. It's also going to require some players that have underachieved to play up to the level they are capable of.

Unless this team can show real promise with their young core and unless the veterans, Cullen, Heatley, and Koivu in particular, can provide some stability and consistent goal scoring, a market like MN isn't going to be on the top of any blue chip free agent's list. Why would any of them come to MN vs. New York, Boston, Montreal, or LA? Those markets are much bigger and these guys want to live under the bright lights not the cold winters of MN. This (MN) is a rabid hockey hotbed but the pros don't care about that.

Jakemano, CC was on pace to score 20 at this time in both the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons. He scored 3 after January the first year, 5 after January the second. So until he doesn't, and plays a consistent 2nd half, he's not a 20 goal scorer. Just another player who fades in the second half. Until he changes, he can be nothing more in my view.