The Minnesota Wild put all their chips on the table on deadline day in hopes to make a run at the highly coveted Stanley Cup that has alluded the State Of Hockey's franchise for far too long. Now we wait and see if the Wild has a winning hand.
BADER'S TAKE
I am feeling a lot of emotions, so let's just dive into my confused and emotional heart.
The Chicago Blackhawks sent the future hall of fame goaltender and reigning Vezina Trophy winner, Marc-André Fleury to the State of Hockey for a 2022 second-round draft pick ( it becomes a 2022 first-round pick if the Wild make it to the Western Conference Finals). The Blackhawks also are retaining 50% of the $7 million contract.
After being quite upset over the trade, I have come around to it. While on paper his numbers are seemingly the same as Talbot and he is 37, he brings an unprecedented playoff resume and a determination to win to Minnesota. He has proven himself to be an excellent playoff goalie and rises to the moment.
" I still want to win," Marc-André Fleury said when asked about him wanting a trade out of Chicago back in February.
The Wild have the goal-scoring capabilities, they have the strong top-four defenseman, they are just missing consistent goaltending. This gives them that and at a very reasonable price for a three-time Stanley Cup champion.
The Blackhawks were not going anywhere this year and are in a rebuild it seems, so for them to get a second-round ( possibly first ) is also a win.
You may be wondering how Talbot responded to the news that he will most likely become the backup to Fleury. Guerin said that Talbot was a complete professional about the move and was one of the first guys to reach out to Fleury.
Fleury was given the red carpet treatment to get to Minnesota.
General Manager, Bill Guerin, and Wild Owner, Craig Leipold, flew to Chicago on Leipold's plane to personally pick up Fleury. With the day off on Tuesday for the Wild, he will fly back to Chicago to pack the rest of his things up and prepare for what will hopefully be a long post-season in Minnesota.
However, this move also meant the end for the beloved Kaapo Kahkonen in Minnesota. I always was a fan of his and I hope he gets the playing time he deserves in San Jose to improve his game. He is young and has a huge upside to his game. His only negative was his streakiness and his tendency to let an early goal in. He also gave up juicy rebounds quite often.
While they traded away their young goalie, keep in mind, the Wild have one of, if not the best goalie prospect in Jesper Wallstedt. He is just 19 years of age and will turn 20 next Fall. It is believed that the Wild will sign him after this season to an entry-level contract. He was the 20th overall pick in the 2021 draft.
The question now is will they send him to Iowa or have him back up Talbot? My thought was always he would start in Iowa and then come up the big club when Talbot's contract ended. Now I am not so sure. Fleury will be a UFA at the end of the year and will most likely be too expensive for the Wild to sign next year with their pending cap implications.
Does this mean we have a Talbot/Wallstedt duo next year? Do they find a way to resign Fleury? Do they bring up Baribeau from Iowa or look elsewhere?
I think out of these options the most probable is we will see the Wild go after a cheaper backup to give Wallstedt time in Iowa to adjust to the game. I cannot see them putting Wallstedt right into the league without playing in Iowa first. I also cannot see them resigning Fleury unless he signs for like $1 million which just won't happen. They may bring up Baribeau from Iowa, but I most likely see Guerin looking elsewhere in the offseason.
The Wild are going all in to win now and looking at their cap implications the next four years, it was the right choice. This is the year to make a run.
The Wild dealt Kahkonen and a 2022 fifth-round pick to the Sharks and in return, they got a hard-hitting defenseman in Jacob Middleton.
The move gives the Wild more grit and strength on the ice. Ultimately, there are now several guys on the roster who can throw a mean hit and or punch if needed.
It also provides strong competition for the other D-men and could push them to elevate their game so that they don't get scratched. I am talking about Benn, Merrill, and Goligoski whose game has gone downhill since the All-Start break.
Middleton is not known for his goal-scoring, but he is an excellent defensive player and could slot in next to Spurgeon on the first line.
The Wild were active as well leading up to the deadline day.
The Wild added the gritty forward, Nicolas Deslauriers from Anaheim for a 2023 third-round pick. They also added Tyson Jost from Colorado for Nico Sturm.
At the end of the deadline, the Wild sent Victor Rask to Seattle for future considerations. Minnesota retains 50% of his salary. This really doesn't help the Wild nor does it hinder them since Rask was playing in Iowa. Guerin did Rask a solid by giving him a chance to play in the NHL. He had 10 points in 10 games in Iowa in the AHL.
The Wild will look to continue their winning ways tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights. Deslauriers is expected to make his debut for the Wild and Fleury will back up Talbot.
The Wild sit in third in the Central with 76 points and have 22 games left. The Blues have 77 points but have played one more game than the Wild.
Nashville also has 76 points, but they sit behind the Wild due to the tiebreaker. They have also played two more games than the Wild.
It is going to be a tight race to the finish line in which the Wild now looks like a favorite to emerge.
Author:
Alex Bader
Comments