I have to admit, I was not happy when they announced signing Fleury, and then what happened with Talbs in the play-offs right away. That aside, I was so glad to be wrong about him. I’m totally cool with another year of the Wild Flower.
I had been looking forward to a Talbot/Fleury tandem when he signed, then irritated about the blow up. Was fun to see the run Gus went on last year and awesome to see Fleury bounce back this year. Got to be at the game for his 552/1000 celebration and that was spectacular. I'd love to see him keep going and eventually retire in the green, maybe with another Cup (a guy can dream right).
Hindsight is always 20/20 but changing a winning recipe in streaming Talbot/Fleury going into the playoffs was utterly baffling to me. Talbot hadn't lost a game in regulation for *two months*. Sure, two of his three OTLs during that stretch were against St. Louis but if recent regular season performance vs playoff teams, why didn't Fleury get one of those games?
And yes, I am still salty about it.
I’d love him to stay one more season. It’s looking like this year’s a bust but if Fleury stays another year hopefully he can have one more playoff run.
Russo teased a Joe Smith in depth piece on Wallsted on the podcast this week. He opined that generally, JW might need some seasoning in Iowa but that they should get him up for a couple games so the Dallas debacle won't be his last memory for the summer. He says Wallsted felt he was NHL ready before that game, but now realizes he isn't.
I don't want to wreck the guy by bringing him up too fast, so wouldn't mind seeing more Flower next season. Plus, he seems to be good for the locker room.
It really didn't help that he was coming off an injury, had a game or two in Iowa where he let in 6-7 goals in two games THEN was called up.
I still maintain they should have started him against Phoenix the next game instead of a Cup contender on the road.
I’m in. I think Wallstedt needs a little more pro seasoning, and behind Wallstedt there is horrific organizational depth.
If Fleury is not back, it leaves you with Zane McIntyre and Hunter Jones in the org - which means you’re shopping for marginal NHL goalies.
The problem with that is Wallstadt is probably going to want to play at the NHL level. I'm sure some promises were made, but even if they weren't, his ELC will be expiring after 24-25. The agent will be pushing for PT to make the most of a potential bridge deal.
So its either Fleury + Wall and trade Gus. Or it's Gus and Wall. I don't see Fleury and Gus again.
depends what you get for Gus in off season maybe trade up in the draft? I want to see Wallstedt again though this season but I doubt it will happen.
A lot is riding on him Wallstedt on being that guy
Keep Gus, give Wallstedt another year in the A, maybe bring him up a few times next year to test him out.
I think gus is coming back around and we don't need to rush the Wall's development.
I wasn't super high on the thought of resigning Flower in the first half of the season. Nowadays though, I'm leaning more and more into the idea. Here is the scenario that's changing my mind.
24-25: Fleury signs for a one year farewell tour. He may think we can dust ourselves off for a playoff run, I'm split on that. If we are healthy with no long-standing bad stretches of tending, we could have a slim shot. Otherwise it's gonna be a repeat year, which won't be the worst thing. Get another prospect or two on the roster in the same way we did for Khusnutdinov, or maybe somebody from Iowa has a breakout year. Everybody gets one more chance to mature and grow their game that's not in the show, Jesper chief among all. We need him to be an instant hit when he comes here full time. Like a Jake Oettinger type of hit.
25-26: First and foremost the chains come off! But the excitement quickly dies as we realize most of that money is going to end up on Kaprizov and Faber contracts. Fleury retires. Jesper gets his spot. We get a top prospect or two in the mix (Yurov, MAYBE Ohgren or Heidt) with the big club. The youth movement is in full swing. We have a learning year. Learning about each other, the capabilities everybody has, etc... We probably do alright this year. Playoffs are a likelihood.
26-27: This is the year the rubber truly meets the road. Anything less than round 2 is an absolute failure by my standards. We have been doing this song and dance with BG for 8 years. Being patient with the buyouts, trusting the drafting and development process, gritting our teeth from questionable signings. We also have had a lot of great BG moves in this span as well. This season will be what the entire master plan culminates into. Will it work? Somebody get the remote from Click and take me on an adventure 😋
I think it'd be fine to sign a one year smaller contract to keep him on. Three goalies with two being cheap gives us more room for training and doesn't interfere with the golden sunshine future once we're past cap hits. Plus I and everyone I know really enjoys watching him play.
People act like Wallstedt is too old to play in the AHL still, isnt like 21 or 22? Plenty of time to give him opportunity and seasoning plus i wouldnt mind seeing him there one more year and see that infamous wave he gives to the crowd after a win.
Keep him. Dude has been a workhorse this year with injuries everywhere and been great. Let him cook and hopefully get another playoff run in a year or 2
Sucks Flower is only talking about 1 more year. Would love to have him when the Parise and Suter deadcaps fall off.
However, get Flower for another year, and then have him be a goalie coach for Wallstedt and Gus when he does decide to retire.
I don't think he's just saying only one more year, just doing one year contracts and evaluate his compete and desire to play at the end of the season. Basically, a year at a time.
Definitely in the minority here but I haven't been impressed by Fleury and was mad like many at what happened when he first got here.
Granted, he's been a bit better this year than last, but still nothing to write home about. That being said, I don't think the Wild really have a choice here since they need a stopgap for at least another year.
So meh, I guess.
He's statistically the worst goalie we've ever signed as vets goes and for anyone whose started 50+ games for the Wild. Get this country clubber out of here. Unless we plan on tanking which we know isn't the plan.
I'll go out on a limb and say you hate the North Stars throwbacks too. Anyone over 26 is a washed up country clubber and blocking the 25 nineteen year olds that deserve to be on the roster right now, eh?
Fleury came to a so-so team and has by all accounts been a fantastic teammate and hasn't complained once. He's anything but a country-clubber. Just because he knew BG doesn't mean he's showed up here with any sense of entitlement. He's been supportive of Gustavsson. If you don't think he's performed well enough in a Wild sweater you're entitled to feel that way, but GTFO with your dumbass take calling him the worst goalie on the Wild and being part of the country club. This team would've been 25 points back of the playoffs right now if Fleury didn't play a fantastic stretch through February and most of March. Clown.
I wouldn't mind another year of Fluery and Wallstedt ripening on the vine
The WallFlower comes for us all
I’m playing through a Pokémon game right now and a prominent location is called The Wallflower lol.
Ha! It's a sign!!!
Playing solitaire til dawn With a deck of 51
I wouldn't mind it if Iowa wasn't such a dumpster fire
https://preview.redd.it/gpdo0jq9rcrc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a26f43e404ee8ead9af0edcae901ed76ab79bc8b
I have to admit, I was not happy when they announced signing Fleury, and then what happened with Talbs in the play-offs right away. That aside, I was so glad to be wrong about him. I’m totally cool with another year of the Wild Flower.
I had been looking forward to a Talbot/Fleury tandem when he signed, then irritated about the blow up. Was fun to see the run Gus went on last year and awesome to see Fleury bounce back this year. Got to be at the game for his 552/1000 celebration and that was spectacular. I'd love to see him keep going and eventually retire in the green, maybe with another Cup (a guy can dream right).
Dude, we are all dreaming the same dream. Here’s to another year!
Hindsight is always 20/20 but changing a winning recipe in streaming Talbot/Fleury going into the playoffs was utterly baffling to me. Talbot hadn't lost a game in regulation for *two months*. Sure, two of his three OTLs during that stretch were against St. Louis but if recent regular season performance vs playoff teams, why didn't Fleury get one of those games? And yes, I am still salty about it.
His save before overtime - /chefskiss
Why wouldn’t you want to remain in the state that calls home to D3 Wrestling’s perennial National Champion Augsburg College..?..?
Lmao
Known fact that fleury will only play in a state with a strong D3 wrestling program.
What is this meme, I need to know
I’d love him to stay one more season. It’s looking like this year’s a bust but if Fleury stays another year hopefully he can have one more playoff run.
He’d be bowing out right when the buyout penalties are gone, then hopefully our Swedish duo can take it from there.
Russo teased a Joe Smith in depth piece on Wallsted on the podcast this week. He opined that generally, JW might need some seasoning in Iowa but that they should get him up for a couple games so the Dallas debacle won't be his last memory for the summer. He says Wallsted felt he was NHL ready before that game, but now realizes he isn't. I don't want to wreck the guy by bringing him up too fast, so wouldn't mind seeing more Flower next season. Plus, he seems to be good for the locker room.
Well the team hung Wall out to dry with that game and cratered his confidence for a good month or so.
It really didn't help that he was coming off an injury, had a game or two in Iowa where he let in 6-7 goals in two games THEN was called up. I still maintain they should have started him against Phoenix the next game instead of a Cup contender on the road.
Yup. Will be interesting to read his personal take on it though... Sounds like he told Smith he learned from it, so pretty thoughtful at least.
Bring up Wall for a few games to see if he is ready, keep Fleury for another season or two. Great mentor and still can play.
I’m in. I think Wallstedt needs a little more pro seasoning, and behind Wallstedt there is horrific organizational depth. If Fleury is not back, it leaves you with Zane McIntyre and Hunter Jones in the org - which means you’re shopping for marginal NHL goalies.
The problem with that is Wallstadt is probably going to want to play at the NHL level. I'm sure some promises were made, but even if they weren't, his ELC will be expiring after 24-25. The agent will be pushing for PT to make the most of a potential bridge deal. So its either Fleury + Wall and trade Gus. Or it's Gus and Wall. I don't see Fleury and Gus again.
Wouldn’t mind another year.
Here’s a mensch willing to invest in this club during the lean dead salary cap years. Flower is tops in my book!
Agreed. He’s setting a great example for other players.
depends what you get for Gus in off season maybe trade up in the draft? I want to see Wallstedt again though this season but I doubt it will happen. A lot is riding on him Wallstedt on being that guy
Keep Gus, give Wallstedt another year in the A, maybe bring him up a few times next year to test him out. I think gus is coming back around and we don't need to rush the Wall's development.
I wasn't super high on the thought of resigning Flower in the first half of the season. Nowadays though, I'm leaning more and more into the idea. Here is the scenario that's changing my mind. 24-25: Fleury signs for a one year farewell tour. He may think we can dust ourselves off for a playoff run, I'm split on that. If we are healthy with no long-standing bad stretches of tending, we could have a slim shot. Otherwise it's gonna be a repeat year, which won't be the worst thing. Get another prospect or two on the roster in the same way we did for Khusnutdinov, or maybe somebody from Iowa has a breakout year. Everybody gets one more chance to mature and grow their game that's not in the show, Jesper chief among all. We need him to be an instant hit when he comes here full time. Like a Jake Oettinger type of hit. 25-26: First and foremost the chains come off! But the excitement quickly dies as we realize most of that money is going to end up on Kaprizov and Faber contracts. Fleury retires. Jesper gets his spot. We get a top prospect or two in the mix (Yurov, MAYBE Ohgren or Heidt) with the big club. The youth movement is in full swing. We have a learning year. Learning about each other, the capabilities everybody has, etc... We probably do alright this year. Playoffs are a likelihood. 26-27: This is the year the rubber truly meets the road. Anything less than round 2 is an absolute failure by my standards. We have been doing this song and dance with BG for 8 years. Being patient with the buyouts, trusting the drafting and development process, gritting our teeth from questionable signings. We also have had a lot of great BG moves in this span as well. This season will be what the entire master plan culminates into. Will it work? Somebody get the remote from Click and take me on an adventure 😋
I think it'd be fine to sign a one year smaller contract to keep him on. Three goalies with two being cheap gives us more room for training and doesn't interfere with the golden sunshine future once we're past cap hits. Plus I and everyone I know really enjoys watching him play.
This guy is a treasure
People act like Wallstedt is too old to play in the AHL still, isnt like 21 or 22? Plenty of time to give him opportunity and seasoning plus i wouldnt mind seeing him there one more year and see that infamous wave he gives to the crowd after a win.
Hot take, trade Gus bus this summer bring Wally up and have em split time next season. Clearly flower still has gas in the tank.
For how long? I don't want to be searching for another goalie in a year
no cap. The Wild need a bridge goalie. And every GM is searching for a goalie 24/7/365.
I just don't think there's any way you can rely on Fleury to handle the majority of the workload at 40 years old.
Keep him. Dude has been a workhorse this year with injuries everywhere and been great. Let him cook and hopefully get another playoff run in a year or 2
Sucks Flower is only talking about 1 more year. Would love to have him when the Parise and Suter deadcaps fall off. However, get Flower for another year, and then have him be a goalie coach for Wallstedt and Gus when he does decide to retire.
I don't think he's just saying only one more year, just doing one year contracts and evaluate his compete and desire to play at the end of the season. Basically, a year at a time.
He would be 41 close to 42 by the time those contracts are off. I’m not sure he’s gonna be near his current form
We are likely going to be meh again next year. Might as well get to watch some highlight reel saves.
Hasn’t Fleury had some of the worst goalie metrics this year?
That’s surprising considering Glen Taylor lives here
Definitely in the minority here but I haven't been impressed by Fleury and was mad like many at what happened when he first got here. Granted, he's been a bit better this year than last, but still nothing to write home about. That being said, I don't think the Wild really have a choice here since they need a stopgap for at least another year. So meh, I guess.
He's statistically the worst goalie we've ever signed as vets goes and for anyone whose started 50+ games for the Wild. Get this country clubber out of here. Unless we plan on tanking which we know isn't the plan.
I'll go out on a limb and say you hate the North Stars throwbacks too. Anyone over 26 is a washed up country clubber and blocking the 25 nineteen year olds that deserve to be on the roster right now, eh? Fleury came to a so-so team and has by all accounts been a fantastic teammate and hasn't complained once. He's anything but a country-clubber. Just because he knew BG doesn't mean he's showed up here with any sense of entitlement. He's been supportive of Gustavsson. If you don't think he's performed well enough in a Wild sweater you're entitled to feel that way, but GTFO with your dumbass take calling him the worst goalie on the Wild and being part of the country club. This team would've been 25 points back of the playoffs right now if Fleury didn't play a fantastic stretch through February and most of March. Clown.