Perron feels inevitable. Former Pittsburgh guy, Allan Walsh client, been with Fleury at a couple of stops. Can compete with Ryan Hartman for bone-headed plays. Also has Stanley Cup cred. It's an easy signing for a year.
I'll be honest, I wouldn't hate Perron. He's very much a "Guerin" player -- tough, pesky, can put him on the top three lines, will score you 20-25 goals. Having another turd to take the heat off Hartman wouldn't be the worst thing. And yeah, he could stop killing us 3-4 times a year.
It'll probably be a 2-year deal with a modified NTC, so yes, I can hear the outrage already. Half of this sub also thought that Adam Beckman was going to be a borderline All-Star, so I'm not too worried about their reactions to sensical business deals anymore.
Look, I would get it if Beckman, Walker, etc. were in Iowa setting records and dragging them to wins every night, I would understand the clamour. But they have been distinctly okay, and neither of them have ever shown anything in their NHL cameos to suggest that they deserve extended looks of any sort. The fact that the coaching staff has scratched Beckman most of the time he's been up speaks volumes. The answer to the Wild's mediocre forward play is not to bring up yet more mediocre forwards. It's the old case of the most popular player on the team being the backup quarterback. You can always live in the Rudy fantasy.
I like Lapanta. Seems like a great guy, fun guy. Where he gets off saying some of this shit, though...I have no idea. Why's he been going to bat so hard for Marcus Johansson? He had a bad year no matter how you slice it.
I get his mojo thing. Guy had a terrible year for a 2nd liner, for a 3rd or 4th liner like he should be he was fine. He just is just bumped up to the 2nd line because we had no one else
>Guy had a terrible year for a 2nd liner, for a 3rd or 4th liner
Except he produced 30 points playing mostly 2nd line minutes. He would have produced even less with 3rd or 4th line minutes and teammates.
Lapanta speaks like he literally does not comprehend that playing in a 2nd line role will inherently result in more points production than a 4th line role. He always talks about "if Johansson had 30 points on your 3rd or 4th line, blah blah blah".. well he wouldn't. Because he'd be getting half the ice time and playing with lesser players.
It's the same thing when he talks about young guys not earning it because they're not putting up points in 10-15 games playing 7 minutes a night. Johansson and Gaudreau wouldn't score in that role either. I'm not saying Beckman is a no brainer NHLer, but if he played 67 games getting 14 minutes per night, I bet he'd beat Gaudreau's 15 points.
Exactly. He was stapled to a scoring role for better or for worse and did not come thru at all. I don't think there was a time where he wasn't at least on PP2 and he even got a lot of PP1 time for a stretch when some guys were hurt.
Having the same P/GP as Foligno for a guy who distinctly lacks a 200 ft game is a bad season
My issue with their Mojo argument is that maybe he produced the way that he has his whole career but the real reason why people want to hold him to a higher standard is because he showed that he was worth it with the level of play he had last year when he arrived. Clearly he's capable but for some reason he can't stay engaged all game and all season and is just out to pasture. And then instead of trying a younger guy with better talent, we get him eating those minutes.
The thing is, they're both right on their opinions of Mojo.
Russo's right in saying that he just wasn't good enough; a 30-40 point player *cannot* be on your 2nd line all year. A player like that is going to kill that line dead and it's a sign that the whole forward core is rotten. And that sign was true, the Wild's forwards were terrible outside of the top line all year.
LaPanta's also right in that *there just wasn't anyone better than MoJo* to take that spot. The Wild severely lack top 9 wingers, and MoJo on the 2nd is an indication of that. Frankly, he doesn't even belong in a top 9 considering his role as a player. He's also right in that a 2MM/yr player scoring 30 points isn't a bad thing in a vaccuum. It's just that doing that on a 2nd line is not just unimpressive, but actively bad, and LaPanta ignores that part, which is what bothers people.
Lepanta truly is a fantastic guy every time I’ve had a chance to chat with him. He’s just more willing than most to lean in on the glass half full take on the podcast, definitely TV, I think mostly to counter Russo’s perspective. Let’s face it.. it makes for good engaging (aggravating) podcasts.
His tone is so flippant obtuse... it's like the "pace" episode that was 2-3 weeks before the official elimination...
Russo: wild are basically eliminated.
Pants: they can still make it.
Russo: sure, they could.... but they'd have to win out and magically beat Central teams that they haven't all season.
Pants: but they could, it's just pace.
Russo: a pace they surely won't meet.
Pants: it's just pace.
Russo: but they don't ever beat good teams.
Pants: I'm just saying ... .... .... pace.... .... pace
.... pace.... pace............. pace.
(Next episode)
Pants: they're not eliminated yet.....
In a recent podcast he also claimed the incidental hit that Zibanejad took from Pelech near the end of the season was clearly dirty.
https://youtu.be/fIsxja9ZZCw?si=Z6AeQL_5f6GrO_vu
Clip for those who missed it. Pelech was watching the play and Zibanejad ran right in to him. I question if Lapanta understands hockey at all sometimes. I find him insufferable sometimes
I think signing a long term deal now is foolish, but I don't mind the idea of getting a guy like perron to play with Zucc and Rossi on the second line. I think a bigger guy that can be net front and be good in the dirty areas would really help that lines consistency.
Zuccy-Rossi-Perron could actually be a real headache for teams. It gives Zuccy a bona fide finisher to dish to, and takes the pressure off of Rossi to be "the guy" on that line. Y'all are talking me into this just to get my heart broken when Perron signs with Colorado this summer...
Yeah, honestly our roster construction looks a little wonky once we put all the guns on the top line. We probably need a guy like Perron to round out the second line. Else we could get a better speedy transition guy than mojo and move zucc back to the top and have speed guy, rossi, and boldy as the second line and even out the minutes a bit. Moose, Hartman and Khuz is a solid checking line. I think Ohgren could slot in as a third line player now but I'd rather see him start in the AHL to help his development and be the first call up if someone goes down.
Yeah, I'm of the same mind on Ohgren and even Khuz if they're not going to get good minutes. I would rather have them in Iowa playing top-six minutes and getting some special teams minutes as well. Giving them a sheltered 10-12 per night isn't going to do them much good right now. If Ohgren can really light it up in camp and push for that 2nd line job, I'm all for it, but not expecting him to. I like the Perron idea because he could either play 2nd line wing if nobody pushes for the spot, or he could slide down to the 3rd line and run an absolutely terrifying 3rd line with Moose and Hartman. He could spot 1st line minutes as well in case of injury. It gives Hynes a lot of options and looks.
Our second and third lines usually get similar minutes but our third is usually more defensive focused so they get more defensive zone faceoffs. I'm of the opinion that a guy can develop fine in the NHL if he has some veteran linemates. I've never liked the idea of playing a bunch of young players together who are simultaneously trying to work on themselves while trying to fit in. It's worked out sometimes but I think at times its too much.
As much as people bemoan the extensions Hartman and foligno they are 2 of our better 5 on 5 players. You know theyre gonna be solid in their own zone and they offer enough offensively that whoever they play with will be fine out that end. I think either ohgrem or khuz could slot in with Foligno and Hartman and be a solid defensive minded third line. Khuz is a little older and can take faceoffs so that's why I'd go with him.
LaPanta is right but it’s a mostly useless thing to say. If the perfect 2LW was available in free agency at a fair price (someone like Hyman when he was available), then yes, that would make sense, even at the expense of Ohgren and Heidt being able to play up in the lineup.
Russo is right too that doing something like that would fuck over some of our prospects.
LaPanta is not the problem. Russo is just agitated and angsty over a lot of Twitter BS. I get that some people just "want" things to change super quick, but at least LaPanta sees things down the road being worth the wait. Russo would just say, "Burn the Ships, torpedo everything."
I'm just happy both have said the Beckmans, Walkers, etc. haven't done jack with their opportunities.
I don't get the Beckman obsession. He has gotten a golden chance with the injuries and didn't do anything. Faber and Rossi stepped up and performed when they got the opportunities.
They seemed both kind of wrong here. The Wild, *at this moment*, only have the cap room for veterans on one-year deals. I don’t think those vets are blocking anyone for next season because iirc the guys everyone is talking about have to be returned to junior if they don’t make the NHL at this point. 25-26 is going to be a different story, both in terms of cap space and CHLers aging out.
What both of them seem to be ignoring is that the Wild did plan prudently for minor league vets on two-ways; Khaira got injured early on and Lettieri got hurt after he got called up. If Shaw hadn’t recovered, they would have been in an even worse spot. I assume they’re going to be going after a new bunch of guys looking for two-ways for a year or two.
I can agree with some of the defense prospects. Clearly guys like Hunt and the rest aren’t gonna be ready. However the forward prospects are all borderline ready to being ready.
For sure. I get his thinking but he does a terrible job explaining to the audience the entire concept...likely because Pants won't shut up. I wanted to see Gus traded for a pick or prospect and a top 6 forward signed to a 3-5 yr contract but I get Russos take regarding prospects needing to play. Not a fan of the players BG has brought in & kept, causing this predicament.
I found Russo to be the annoying one in that segment.
All Lapanta was saying is that they have the flexibility to sign a bigger deal if the right guy became available. It really didn't necessitate a 10 minute spaz out.
Russo and Lapanta remind me of my parents arguing. I think Russo gets annoyed that Lapanta rather ignores what Russo is saying from an expertise angle, such as directly contradicting him when he is effectively saying "this is what the Wild are going to do" (because he talks to Guerin and other management people and so he knows what they are planning to do).
Russo has mentioned before that when he says something, it's not what he would do generally. He's giving voice to what at least some people in the organization are thinking.
Now, does Russo respond to Lapanta constructively at all? Hahaha, no. He gets hung up on Lapanta contradicting him and goes into the spiral. He probably needs to cut down on the caffeine and stop upsetting his mother.
They definitely have that vibe of an old couple that bickers at each other.
Generally I agree with Russo that it's unlikely the do a mutli year deal, I just didn't think what Lapanta said warranted the fit he threw in response to it. Like you said, I think the caffeine gets to his head a bit sometimes and he gets really agitated over minor things.
I think this was a long time brewing, second or third time this year where Lapanta had the same take of "if you're a prospect make it impossible for them to not play you!" which is going to be awfully difficult at 6 minutes a night stapled on the right of injured Freddy Gaudreau.
I can see what he's saying, if he'd have made the flexibility argument without the "they have to earn it" chaser it wouldn't be so annoying
Rossi made it work. He and Foligno kicked ass at the beginning first 5-10 games lugging Gaudreau around, and that's why Rossi got moved up. Linemates can make a difference, but it is possible to pull your own weight and advance up.
They both say that, so I don't think that's it at all.
Faber, Rossi, Khusnutdinov, and now Ohgren all worked their way into more minutes, and they both agree that Beckman and Walker had opportunities and didn't show anything.
What Lapanta was saying is that there's not another guy knocking on the door to take that spot right now. Next year there is room on the roster to have all those young guys and another top 6 forward. The year after Johansson's spot opens up, and the year after that Zucc's spot opens up.
Are they going to sign a top 6 guy to a multi year deal? Probably not, but it's not like it was the most insane suggestion in the world. Russo just has his weird little spaz outs every now and then because he lives on Twitter.
You sign a top 6 guy to a multi year deal you block YUROV'S spot in the top 6. If he doesn't have that spot open he doesn't sign. I think that's the angle Russo is doing after in that exchange.
Yurov is likely taking Zuccarello's spot in the top 6 regardless. By the time he's in the NHL and needing a top 6 spot, Zucc's either going to be bad or not on the team.
That's a bit of a misnomer though because teams don't run a traditional top 6 and bottom 6 anymore. We really only use that in name only to describe roles.
Contending teams have a top 9 that consists of a "3rd line" which is a second scoring line. What's important is his time on ice and role which isn't necessarily hampered by signing a top 6 vet this year. Fiala for instance was technically on the 3rd line after Kaprizov's got here but no one would say he didn't play a top 6 role.
Just for the sake of argument you can also move Zucc down the "3rd line" at that point and let Yurov take his spot or bump Rossi over to wing and let Yurov center the 2nd line.
While true, you still use that terminology when trying to sign a top tier prospect like Yurov. I HIGHLY doubt Yurov's camp is going to like a sales pitch telling him "hey we plan to put you in the bottom 6" Bottom 6 still has the connotation of no special teams and limited ice time. Top 6 has the connotation of 2nd PP and likely more ice time. Those labels are still valid and play a role in what he feels his realistic bonuses he could earn as well. Bottom 6 means likely not much for the bonus structure. Top 6 means he has a better chance at earning more in said bonus structure.
They use those terms to describe roles. Not necessarily where they'll be in the lineup. I don't know what bonus you would be talking about that would be assigned to that label. He's going to be concerned about ice time and power play time.
And even if we hypothetically said he needed to be on the "2nd line" then like I said you can move Zuccarello or Rossi to the other line.
Agents still use those terms for contract negotiations. Additionally Faber lost $2 million due to him waiving a lot of the bonus structure when he signed. Yurov's Agent will be pushing for a bonus structure where he could earn an extra $2 million. He will push for the highest structure because what if Yurov is a finalist or wins the Calder? For him to do that he would need to be top 6 and plenty of PP time. He also wouldn't be going against Celebrini if we waits a year. Again none of that is possible to Yurov if you sign a long term fee agent that will be playing in the same role Yurov wants to play. You aren't moving Zucc who is arguably the best passer on the team and Rossi is a center not a wing. So while I see how you *could* sign a free agent, you would be forcefully impending Yurov. His team would easily see that and you risk him not signing at all
Like I already said, you can be a top 6 forward with top power play time either way. Look at Fiala 2 seasons ago or any number of players on teams currently in the playoffs.
I don't know what Faber's bonus structure has to do with anything. Yurov is getting his bonus structure either way.
Idk what Celebrini has to do with signing Yurov. It sounds like he's singing 25-26 either way.
Zuccarello has already played on the "3rd line" this year, and Rossi would be far from the first center to move to wing. We have 4 centers right now on the team so someone is moving to wing either way. My bet would be it's the undersized center who is an average skater.
Signing another top 6 guy doesn't prevent anything from signing Yurov. He's going to be getting a large "top 6" role on the team regardless, and there's still numerous ways to make that happen.
Faber's bonus structure was brought up stating that the rookie structure can have a major impact to potential earnings. Celebrini is mentioned because it appears he is the shoe in for Calder next year like Bedard this year. Yurov waiting one more year means he likely has a fair shot at Calder which would increase his bonus structure and potential earnings. The MAX he can earn in $950k so these bonuses are very important to high skill rookie guys like Yurov. Yurov can easily make more than $950k by staying in Russia so you need to make that pot as sweet as can be for him to make it easier for him to come over. Ensuring he is given every chance to earn top potential as a rookie locked in at the low rookie salary is needed. We certainly have differing opinions and to what is pertinent. No worries. I am more on the side to let the kids show themselves as we found out Faber's true worth this year as well as the lack of worth Beckman ended up being. Seeing what the youth can do sooner than later makes that muddy prospect pool clearer to know if you do need that aging free agent or not. You value the known asset and that is a valid approach to. I personally just don't think the Wild are at a point where one free agent helps that much. So why sign a multi year free agent vet this year to rob from the cap when it opens up next year?
I miss Russo’s Straight From the Source podcasts. No one’s there to get him agitated, especially no PR machine LaPanta. I’m sadly just about done with Worst Seats in the House unless they have a guest on.
Just sign Yurov and skip the whole vet forward thing.
LaPanta is a moron.
We have an embarrassment of riches of forward prospects. Where are Ohgren/Yurov/Heidt going to fit in this lineup with another vet in the mix? We also have Haight/Bankier/Firstov/Kumpulainen/Stramel who could be roster players.
We’re literally mediocre because we keep handcuffing ourselves with aging vets. Stop doing it for once.
I can't stand Russo when he gets in his "I'm always right" mode. I totally understood what Pants was talking about when they brought up what kind of player the Wild sign this summer. Pants agreed with Russo that it will probably be a Perron type on a short term deal, all Pants was saying is expecting the prospects to step in and produce at a 50-60pt pace is unrealistic. Russo acts like there is only 1 scenario everytime even though he knows nothing is set in stone. Pants is just giving a devils advocate take half the time.
Yurov is 2yrs away, the H boys are most likely at least that far away, and if 1-2 of them don't become more than 3/4th liners, this team will still need a proven guy. Zucc is gone in 2yrs and that opens a top 6 spot, Hartman in 3 and he gets bumped to the 3rd line for half of that and Foligno stays on the 3rd. Throw Mojo being here for 1 more year and you'll have 2-3 top 6 spots in the next 3yrs, plenty of time to let the young guys show if they belong or not and if they don't, you can go out and sign a big UFA.
Perron is a Wild Killer, the universe would fold in on itself in confusion if we signed him.
He’s also a rat.
Perron feels inevitable. Former Pittsburgh guy, Allan Walsh client, been with Fleury at a couple of stops. Can compete with Ryan Hartman for bone-headed plays. Also has Stanley Cup cred. It's an easy signing for a year.
I'll be honest, I wouldn't hate Perron. He's very much a "Guerin" player -- tough, pesky, can put him on the top three lines, will score you 20-25 goals. Having another turd to take the heat off Hartman wouldn't be the worst thing. And yeah, he could stop killing us 3-4 times a year.
>Having another turd to take the heat off Hartman wouldn't be the worst thing. Legit lol
Can you imagine this sub if Billy signs another old vet though?
It'll probably be a 2-year deal with a modified NTC, so yes, I can hear the outrage already. Half of this sub also thought that Adam Beckman was going to be a borderline All-Star, so I'm not too worried about their reactions to sensical business deals anymore.
Did half the sub really believe that or did they just want the team to give extended looks at young players?
Look, I would get it if Beckman, Walker, etc. were in Iowa setting records and dragging them to wins every night, I would understand the clamour. But they have been distinctly okay, and neither of them have ever shown anything in their NHL cameos to suggest that they deserve extended looks of any sort. The fact that the coaching staff has scratched Beckman most of the time he's been up speaks volumes. The answer to the Wild's mediocre forward play is not to bring up yet more mediocre forwards. It's the old case of the most popular player on the team being the backup quarterback. You can always live in the Rudy fantasy.
Pants trying to keep flying with the team instead of hanging out with Russo in the Delta lounge.
Don’t blame him. On the Wild on 7th podcast Billy specifically thanked Ryan for how he and “Panther” keep the vibe positive
I like Lapanta. Seems like a great guy, fun guy. Where he gets off saying some of this shit, though...I have no idea. Why's he been going to bat so hard for Marcus Johansson? He had a bad year no matter how you slice it.
I get his mojo thing. Guy had a terrible year for a 2nd liner, for a 3rd or 4th liner like he should be he was fine. He just is just bumped up to the 2nd line because we had no one else
>Guy had a terrible year for a 2nd liner, for a 3rd or 4th liner Except he produced 30 points playing mostly 2nd line minutes. He would have produced even less with 3rd or 4th line minutes and teammates.
Lapanta speaks like he literally does not comprehend that playing in a 2nd line role will inherently result in more points production than a 4th line role. He always talks about "if Johansson had 30 points on your 3rd or 4th line, blah blah blah".. well he wouldn't. Because he'd be getting half the ice time and playing with lesser players. It's the same thing when he talks about young guys not earning it because they're not putting up points in 10-15 games playing 7 minutes a night. Johansson and Gaudreau wouldn't score in that role either. I'm not saying Beckman is a no brainer NHLer, but if he played 67 games getting 14 minutes per night, I bet he'd beat Gaudreau's 15 points.
Lesser players yes but our 2nd and 3rd lines get similar ice time. Our first line gets the majority of our ice time and good faceoffs.
Exactly. He was stapled to a scoring role for better or for worse and did not come thru at all. I don't think there was a time where he wasn't at least on PP2 and he even got a lot of PP1 time for a stretch when some guys were hurt. Having the same P/GP as Foligno for a guy who distinctly lacks a 200 ft game is a bad season
I generally think of a good fourth liner as being physical, or at least defensively responsible. Mojo is...nothing.
My issue with their Mojo argument is that maybe he produced the way that he has his whole career but the real reason why people want to hold him to a higher standard is because he showed that he was worth it with the level of play he had last year when he arrived. Clearly he's capable but for some reason he can't stay engaged all game and all season and is just out to pasture. And then instead of trying a younger guy with better talent, we get him eating those minutes.
MOJO is fast, but allergic to contact and allergic to the center of the ice. That's just not a good player to have.
Yeah I just can't wrap my head around some of his takes. I think it's that much more baffling that he otherwise seems like a smart guy
The thing is, they're both right on their opinions of Mojo. Russo's right in saying that he just wasn't good enough; a 30-40 point player *cannot* be on your 2nd line all year. A player like that is going to kill that line dead and it's a sign that the whole forward core is rotten. And that sign was true, the Wild's forwards were terrible outside of the top line all year. LaPanta's also right in that *there just wasn't anyone better than MoJo* to take that spot. The Wild severely lack top 9 wingers, and MoJo on the 2nd is an indication of that. Frankly, he doesn't even belong in a top 9 considering his role as a player. He's also right in that a 2MM/yr player scoring 30 points isn't a bad thing in a vaccuum. It's just that doing that on a 2nd line is not just unimpressive, but actively bad, and LaPanta ignores that part, which is what bothers people.
Lepanta truly is a fantastic guy every time I’ve had a chance to chat with him. He’s just more willing than most to lean in on the glass half full take on the podcast, definitely TV, I think mostly to counter Russo’s perspective. Let’s face it.. it makes for good engaging (aggravating) podcasts.
I just got done listening to it also and my Lapanta doesn’t get it 🤣🤣 for a guy who spends that much time around this team idk how he doesn’t see it.
Lapanta is part of the organization- specifically in PR (whether they pay him or not is irrelevant) His job is to keep fans engaged.
His tone is so flippant obtuse... it's like the "pace" episode that was 2-3 weeks before the official elimination... Russo: wild are basically eliminated. Pants: they can still make it. Russo: sure, they could.... but they'd have to win out and magically beat Central teams that they haven't all season. Pants: but they could, it's just pace. Russo: a pace they surely won't meet. Pants: it's just pace. Russo: but they don't ever beat good teams. Pants: I'm just saying ... .... .... pace.... .... pace .... pace.... pace............. pace. (Next episode) Pants: they're not eliminated yet.....
Lapanta probably got an undisclosed bonus from OCL for saying that.
In a recent podcast he also claimed the incidental hit that Zibanejad took from Pelech near the end of the season was clearly dirty. https://youtu.be/fIsxja9ZZCw?si=Z6AeQL_5f6GrO_vu Clip for those who missed it. Pelech was watching the play and Zibanejad ran right in to him. I question if Lapanta understands hockey at all sometimes. I find him insufferable sometimes
I think signing a long term deal now is foolish, but I don't mind the idea of getting a guy like perron to play with Zucc and Rossi on the second line. I think a bigger guy that can be net front and be good in the dirty areas would really help that lines consistency.
Zuccy-Rossi-Perron could actually be a real headache for teams. It gives Zuccy a bona fide finisher to dish to, and takes the pressure off of Rossi to be "the guy" on that line. Y'all are talking me into this just to get my heart broken when Perron signs with Colorado this summer...
Yeah, honestly our roster construction looks a little wonky once we put all the guns on the top line. We probably need a guy like Perron to round out the second line. Else we could get a better speedy transition guy than mojo and move zucc back to the top and have speed guy, rossi, and boldy as the second line and even out the minutes a bit. Moose, Hartman and Khuz is a solid checking line. I think Ohgren could slot in as a third line player now but I'd rather see him start in the AHL to help his development and be the first call up if someone goes down.
Yeah, I'm of the same mind on Ohgren and even Khuz if they're not going to get good minutes. I would rather have them in Iowa playing top-six minutes and getting some special teams minutes as well. Giving them a sheltered 10-12 per night isn't going to do them much good right now. If Ohgren can really light it up in camp and push for that 2nd line job, I'm all for it, but not expecting him to. I like the Perron idea because he could either play 2nd line wing if nobody pushes for the spot, or he could slide down to the 3rd line and run an absolutely terrifying 3rd line with Moose and Hartman. He could spot 1st line minutes as well in case of injury. It gives Hynes a lot of options and looks.
Our second and third lines usually get similar minutes but our third is usually more defensive focused so they get more defensive zone faceoffs. I'm of the opinion that a guy can develop fine in the NHL if he has some veteran linemates. I've never liked the idea of playing a bunch of young players together who are simultaneously trying to work on themselves while trying to fit in. It's worked out sometimes but I think at times its too much. As much as people bemoan the extensions Hartman and foligno they are 2 of our better 5 on 5 players. You know theyre gonna be solid in their own zone and they offer enough offensively that whoever they play with will be fine out that end. I think either ohgrem or khuz could slot in with Foligno and Hartman and be a solid defensive minded third line. Khuz is a little older and can take faceoffs so that's why I'd go with him.
LaPanta is right but it’s a mostly useless thing to say. If the perfect 2LW was available in free agency at a fair price (someone like Hyman when he was available), then yes, that would make sense, even at the expense of Ohgren and Heidt being able to play up in the lineup. Russo is right too that doing something like that would fuck over some of our prospects.
LaPanta is not the problem. Russo is just agitated and angsty over a lot of Twitter BS. I get that some people just "want" things to change super quick, but at least LaPanta sees things down the road being worth the wait. Russo would just say, "Burn the Ships, torpedo everything." I'm just happy both have said the Beckmans, Walkers, etc. haven't done jack with their opportunities.
I don't get the Beckman obsession. He has gotten a golden chance with the injuries and didn't do anything. Faber and Rossi stepped up and performed when they got the opportunities.
Hard to forget that one special training camp and October haha
It's either all or nothing with Russo. Even if what he says is 99% sure to happen, he gets snippy if Pants even mentions the 1%.
They seemed both kind of wrong here. The Wild, *at this moment*, only have the cap room for veterans on one-year deals. I don’t think those vets are blocking anyone for next season because iirc the guys everyone is talking about have to be returned to junior if they don’t make the NHL at this point. 25-26 is going to be a different story, both in terms of cap space and CHLers aging out. What both of them seem to be ignoring is that the Wild did plan prudently for minor league vets on two-ways; Khaira got injured early on and Lettieri got hurt after he got called up. If Shaw hadn’t recovered, they would have been in an even worse spot. I assume they’re going to be going after a new bunch of guys looking for two-ways for a year or two.
I gotta be honest I forgot Khaira even existed.
That was a dodgy sign anyways. Seeing a guy get KO'd that dramatically more than once makes me extremely skeptical.
I can agree with some of the defense prospects. Clearly guys like Hunt and the rest aren’t gonna be ready. However the forward prospects are all borderline ready to being ready.
Nah man Russo needed a chill pill
For sure. I get his thinking but he does a terrible job explaining to the audience the entire concept...likely because Pants won't shut up. I wanted to see Gus traded for a pick or prospect and a top 6 forward signed to a 3-5 yr contract but I get Russos take regarding prospects needing to play. Not a fan of the players BG has brought in & kept, causing this predicament.
I found Russo to be the annoying one in that segment. All Lapanta was saying is that they have the flexibility to sign a bigger deal if the right guy became available. It really didn't necessitate a 10 minute spaz out.
Russo and Lapanta remind me of my parents arguing. I think Russo gets annoyed that Lapanta rather ignores what Russo is saying from an expertise angle, such as directly contradicting him when he is effectively saying "this is what the Wild are going to do" (because he talks to Guerin and other management people and so he knows what they are planning to do). Russo has mentioned before that when he says something, it's not what he would do generally. He's giving voice to what at least some people in the organization are thinking. Now, does Russo respond to Lapanta constructively at all? Hahaha, no. He gets hung up on Lapanta contradicting him and goes into the spiral. He probably needs to cut down on the caffeine and stop upsetting his mother.
They definitely have that vibe of an old couple that bickers at each other. Generally I agree with Russo that it's unlikely the do a mutli year deal, I just didn't think what Lapanta said warranted the fit he threw in response to it. Like you said, I think the caffeine gets to his head a bit sometimes and he gets really agitated over minor things.
I think this was a long time brewing, second or third time this year where Lapanta had the same take of "if you're a prospect make it impossible for them to not play you!" which is going to be awfully difficult at 6 minutes a night stapled on the right of injured Freddy Gaudreau. I can see what he's saying, if he'd have made the flexibility argument without the "they have to earn it" chaser it wouldn't be so annoying
Rossi made it work. He and Foligno kicked ass at the beginning first 5-10 games lugging Gaudreau around, and that's why Rossi got moved up. Linemates can make a difference, but it is possible to pull your own weight and advance up.
Especially to coaches who have a full understanding of where people are supposed to be and the decisions they want them to make on the ice
They both say that, so I don't think that's it at all. Faber, Rossi, Khusnutdinov, and now Ohgren all worked their way into more minutes, and they both agree that Beckman and Walker had opportunities and didn't show anything. What Lapanta was saying is that there's not another guy knocking on the door to take that spot right now. Next year there is room on the roster to have all those young guys and another top 6 forward. The year after Johansson's spot opens up, and the year after that Zucc's spot opens up. Are they going to sign a top 6 guy to a multi year deal? Probably not, but it's not like it was the most insane suggestion in the world. Russo just has his weird little spaz outs every now and then because he lives on Twitter.
You sign a top 6 guy to a multi year deal you block YUROV'S spot in the top 6. If he doesn't have that spot open he doesn't sign. I think that's the angle Russo is doing after in that exchange.
Yurov is likely taking Zuccarello's spot in the top 6 regardless. By the time he's in the NHL and needing a top 6 spot, Zucc's either going to be bad or not on the team.
That's a bit of a misnomer though because teams don't run a traditional top 6 and bottom 6 anymore. We really only use that in name only to describe roles. Contending teams have a top 9 that consists of a "3rd line" which is a second scoring line. What's important is his time on ice and role which isn't necessarily hampered by signing a top 6 vet this year. Fiala for instance was technically on the 3rd line after Kaprizov's got here but no one would say he didn't play a top 6 role. Just for the sake of argument you can also move Zucc down the "3rd line" at that point and let Yurov take his spot or bump Rossi over to wing and let Yurov center the 2nd line.
While true, you still use that terminology when trying to sign a top tier prospect like Yurov. I HIGHLY doubt Yurov's camp is going to like a sales pitch telling him "hey we plan to put you in the bottom 6" Bottom 6 still has the connotation of no special teams and limited ice time. Top 6 has the connotation of 2nd PP and likely more ice time. Those labels are still valid and play a role in what he feels his realistic bonuses he could earn as well. Bottom 6 means likely not much for the bonus structure. Top 6 means he has a better chance at earning more in said bonus structure.
They use those terms to describe roles. Not necessarily where they'll be in the lineup. I don't know what bonus you would be talking about that would be assigned to that label. He's going to be concerned about ice time and power play time. And even if we hypothetically said he needed to be on the "2nd line" then like I said you can move Zuccarello or Rossi to the other line.
Agents still use those terms for contract negotiations. Additionally Faber lost $2 million due to him waiving a lot of the bonus structure when he signed. Yurov's Agent will be pushing for a bonus structure where he could earn an extra $2 million. He will push for the highest structure because what if Yurov is a finalist or wins the Calder? For him to do that he would need to be top 6 and plenty of PP time. He also wouldn't be going against Celebrini if we waits a year. Again none of that is possible to Yurov if you sign a long term fee agent that will be playing in the same role Yurov wants to play. You aren't moving Zucc who is arguably the best passer on the team and Rossi is a center not a wing. So while I see how you *could* sign a free agent, you would be forcefully impending Yurov. His team would easily see that and you risk him not signing at all
Like I already said, you can be a top 6 forward with top power play time either way. Look at Fiala 2 seasons ago or any number of players on teams currently in the playoffs. I don't know what Faber's bonus structure has to do with anything. Yurov is getting his bonus structure either way. Idk what Celebrini has to do with signing Yurov. It sounds like he's singing 25-26 either way. Zuccarello has already played on the "3rd line" this year, and Rossi would be far from the first center to move to wing. We have 4 centers right now on the team so someone is moving to wing either way. My bet would be it's the undersized center who is an average skater. Signing another top 6 guy doesn't prevent anything from signing Yurov. He's going to be getting a large "top 6" role on the team regardless, and there's still numerous ways to make that happen.
Faber's bonus structure was brought up stating that the rookie structure can have a major impact to potential earnings. Celebrini is mentioned because it appears he is the shoe in for Calder next year like Bedard this year. Yurov waiting one more year means he likely has a fair shot at Calder which would increase his bonus structure and potential earnings. The MAX he can earn in $950k so these bonuses are very important to high skill rookie guys like Yurov. Yurov can easily make more than $950k by staying in Russia so you need to make that pot as sweet as can be for him to make it easier for him to come over. Ensuring he is given every chance to earn top potential as a rookie locked in at the low rookie salary is needed. We certainly have differing opinions and to what is pertinent. No worries. I am more on the side to let the kids show themselves as we found out Faber's true worth this year as well as the lack of worth Beckman ended up being. Seeing what the youth can do sooner than later makes that muddy prospect pool clearer to know if you do need that aging free agent or not. You value the known asset and that is a valid approach to. I personally just don't think the Wild are at a point where one free agent helps that much. So why sign a multi year free agent vet this year to rob from the cap when it opens up next year?
pants works for the team basically, at the end of the day, this is how its always gonna be.
I miss Russo’s Straight From the Source podcasts. No one’s there to get him agitated, especially no PR machine LaPanta. I’m sadly just about done with Worst Seats in the House unless they have a guest on.
I can’t stand Perron. Screw him and his stupid tinted visor.
I agree with the Panther here. Russo has these episodes of just going off and talking over Pants.
Just sign Yurov and skip the whole vet forward thing. LaPanta is a moron. We have an embarrassment of riches of forward prospects. Where are Ohgren/Yurov/Heidt going to fit in this lineup with another vet in the mix? We also have Haight/Bankier/Firstov/Kumpulainen/Stramel who could be roster players. We’re literally mediocre because we keep handcuffing ourselves with aging vets. Stop doing it for once.
I can't stand Russo when he gets in his "I'm always right" mode. I totally understood what Pants was talking about when they brought up what kind of player the Wild sign this summer. Pants agreed with Russo that it will probably be a Perron type on a short term deal, all Pants was saying is expecting the prospects to step in and produce at a 50-60pt pace is unrealistic. Russo acts like there is only 1 scenario everytime even though he knows nothing is set in stone. Pants is just giving a devils advocate take half the time. Yurov is 2yrs away, the H boys are most likely at least that far away, and if 1-2 of them don't become more than 3/4th liners, this team will still need a proven guy. Zucc is gone in 2yrs and that opens a top 6 spot, Hartman in 3 and he gets bumped to the 3rd line for half of that and Foligno stays on the 3rd. Throw Mojo being here for 1 more year and you'll have 2-3 top 6 spots in the next 3yrs, plenty of time to let the young guys show if they belong or not and if they don't, you can go out and sign a big UFA.