Wild forward Tyson Jost (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

When it comes to trade success for the Wild, the 2022 trade deadline has entered the chat.

The Wild were one of the top and hottest teams in the NHL headed into the All-Star Break this year. Despite a stretch where the Wild lost six-of-seven games in late February, Wild general manager Bill Guerin showed the faith he has in this team and its ability to win by being very active at the deadline, gaining four players to help the team’s playoff push and potential playoff run.

“This is my first time at a trade deadline where we’re going for it, in a sense,” said Wild alternate captain Marcus Foligno. “You usually stay pat, if it’s a good team. Or you’re trading away some guys.”

Indeed, this year’s Wild squad has felt different in many ways this year. That definitely includes the position they were in at the deadline. No need to trade away fan favorites, like a Jason Zucker of the past. This time, the Wild picked up young forward Tyson Jost from Colorado in exchange for Nico Sturm, then got veteran, physical forward Nicolas Deslauriers from Anaheim for a third-round draft pick. On the blue line, they picked up Jake Middleton from San Jose, dealing away goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen.

“I think the biggest thing with all these guys is they’re character people,” Foligno said. “And they really care about a team mentality.”

Down a goaltender, the splashiest move was the Wild landing reigning Vezina Trophy winner and 3-time Stanley Cup Champion Marc-Andre Fleury. The 37-year-old goalie came most recently from Chicago, has a victory against every NHL team and entered Minnesota with a career 511-297-85 record, 2.57 GAA, .913 save percentage and 71 shutouts in 928 career games. He won his first Wild start in overtime against Columbus on March 26.

“It’s pretty crazy to think of the career he’s put on,” said Wild captain Jared Spurgeon. “And he’s still playing at such a high level.”

New Minnesota goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

So is Cam Talbot, as it turns out. The top netminder went 0-4 allowing 17 goals over that stretch during the Wild’s skid in late February. It created some angst among Wild fans about the goaltending situation. But after Fleury was acquired, Talbot shut out Vegas, then made 42 saves in an overtime win against Colorado on Sunday for his seventh-consecutive victory.

Having a combination of Talbot and Fleury in the nets is a tandem every team would want, Spurgeon said.

“Just getting to know Flower the last couple days, the energy that he brings to the rink and just how much fun he has with it in practice, it’s contagious,” Spurgeon said. “And that’s awesome to have in the room.”

Foligno agreed that Fleury is the most energetic of the new deadline acquisitions. Fleury also knows what it takes to win the in the playoffs, as evidenced by his Stanley Cup runs with multiple teams. Contrast that to a guy like Deslauriers, a player who understands his role on the team wants to win and wants to play in his very first playoff game. Nine years in the NHL, it’s something Deslauriers hasn’t accomplished yet with Buffalo, Montreal or Anaheim.

Foligno and Deslauriers played for a few seasons together, at times on the same line, with the Buffalo Sabres. Deslauriers is the type of player who worked to earn his roster spot and eventually developed into a tough guy, according to Foligno. They’ve kept in touch over the years and supported each other in their careers, Foligno said. Their game styles are similar, with some offense mixed into their physical play. Deslauriers joked “what skill set?” when he arrived in Minnesota, then promptly scored a goal against Vegas in his first game in a Wild sweater, adding a jubilant celly on the ice to find his place as already a fan favorite.

Foligno knows bringing in Deslauriers will be a huge plus for a Wild team playing with more energy and physicality lately.

Stepping into the Wild locker room, it helps to have a familiar face like Foligno that Deslauriers can rely on. But besides that, the trade transition from what Deslauriers called a young team in Anaheim to a mature team in Minnesota has been very welcoming. That goes all the way from the players to the coaching staff, training staff and equipment managers, he said. Deslauriers felt like a member of the Wild team from day one, which isn’t something to take for granted.

Wild defenseman Jake Middleton (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

“Just open arms,” Deslauriers said. “It was something special. Made my life so much easier.

“I can tell you it doesn’t happen everywhere. I played on a few teams. Yes, there’s some situations that it’s sort of easy, but this one was by far the easiest. … It was the easiest transition I’ve ever had in my career, for sure.”

Wild leaders like Foligno take pride in hearing that, though the winger added it all started at the top with ownership and especially Guerin, who’s really identified “what this room’s going to be like,” Foligno said. It’s a team mentality, which starts with Foligno, Spurgeon and alternate captain, Matt Dumba.

“We’ve created a culture here,” Foligno said. “It’s a welcoming culture. It’s one that we have a certain way of doing things. It’s doing the right things all the time, being professional, working hard. And if you don’t do that you’ll stick out like a sore thumb. We want everyone just to get along and be inclusive and have fun.”

There’s nothing better than seeing the entire team of players jelling together and having fun. Seeing players like Deslauriers come in at the deadline to see firsthand what a great locker room environment the Wild has only goes to show Foligno that they’re doing something right, Foligno said

The post Guerin Goes For It appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Owner Craig Leipold announced Monday that Chuck Fletcher, the team’s general manager for nine seasons, will not be returning.

The Wild fell in the first round of the playoffs for the third year in a row and lost the best-of-7 series in five games for the second consecutive season earlier this month, getting shut out in their final two games against the Winnipeg Jets.

In a statement, Leipold thanked Fletcher, whose teams reached 100 points in three of the past four seasons, for making “substantial contributions to our franchise over the past nine years,” but added, “I feel it is time for a new approach aimed at delivering the Stanley Cup to the deserving fans of the State of Hockey.”

Leipold said assistant GM Brent Flahr will serve as acting general manager while the team looks for a replacement. Flahr is considered one of many candidates to take over for Fletcher.

Minnesota finished third in the Central Division this season and second in 2016-17, but has lost 16 of its most recent 20 playoff games. It had made the playoffs for six seasons in a row.

Injuries to Ryan Suter, Zach Parise, Nino Nieterreiter, Charlie Coyle, Jared Spurgeon and others added to the team’s degree of difficulty this season, and Suter and Parise were both sidelined at the finish.

Because of the likely retirement of 41-year-old winger Matt Cullen and the team’s close proximity to the NHL’s salary cap, more changes are likely for the Wild via trades and free agency during the summer.

Expect Leipold to move quickly to name a new GM and begin the process of restructuring the Wild lineup.

The post Fletcher out as Wild GM appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

With NHL trade deadline looming, should Wild buy or sell?

Left wing Sean Bergenheim’s one goal in a Wild sweater was his lone point in 20 combined regular and postseason games after Minnesota acquired him and a seventh-round pick from the Florida Panthers on Feb. 24, 2015 in exchange for a third-round pick the Panthers used to select Gopher forward Rem Pitlick. (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

Minnesota’s regime of Chuck Fletcher and Brent Flahr have never shied away from adding at the deadline. Last year, the team mortgaged two of their top 2017 draft picks to land Martin Hanzal. While in past years they’ve acquired such players like Matt Moulson, Sean Bergenheim, Ilya Bryzgalov and Jason Pominville. Probably the team’s best move – which wasn’t necessarily at the deadline – was when they acquired Devan Dubnyk from Arizona for a third-round pick and Dubnyk turned out to be a franchise goaltender, with two All-Star appearances since.

With just 26 games remaining in the regular season as of Feb.14 and the Wild in a dog fight for a playoff spot, Minnesota is in peculiar spot. On one hand, the team is in the midst of playing their best hockey of the season. Since the new year, Minnesota has just three regulation losses – 10-3-3 – while posting the best record on home ice – 20-4-2 – in the NHL.

Yet, the team has been so hot-and-cold this season, it’s tough to buy in to their recent sample size of success. They blew a 3-0 lead to the worst team in the league, the Arizona Coyotes, in a Feb. 8 loss and nearly suffered the same fate to the New York Rangers on Feb 13. Although they’ve been phenomenal on home ice, recent road performances against Dallas, Pittsburgh and Colorado in the same stretch leaves you wondering if this current group can make a deep run in the postseason.

Here are three options for the Wild to consider by the time the NHL trade deadline hits on Feb. 28.

1. Stand pat

If I was running the Wild, I would not make any significant moves this month. After suffering a barrage of injuries at the beginning of the season to core players, Minnesota is finally healthy outside of defenseman Jonas Brodin who will be out until March. The team is playing its best hockey of the season and with all the draft picks Minnesota has forfeited over the years, there’s not exactly a lot of future assets for Minnesota to package in a trade.

Dubnyk is playing well, the power play is turning around and players like Zach Parise and Charlie Coyle have had an uptick in their play, which the team desperately needs. Combine that with a generally weak market, it really doesn’t make much sense for the Wild to make add anything at the deadline.

2. Clear some salary cap

Rumors are swirling ahead of this month’s trade deadline about a potential return to Pittsburgh for Wild center Matt Cullen. (MHM Photo / Jonny Watkins

It wouldn’t shock me, however, to see the Wild sell a regular in the lineup for more draft picks and salary cap relief heading into the offseason. With Jason Zucker and Matt Dumba approaching big pay days this summer, Minnesota will need all the cap space they can get. Trading a player like Tyler Ennis could be beneficial for the Wild. Ennis, who was the key piece in a trade with Buffalo last summer that sent Marco Scandella and Pominville to the Sabres, has been disappointment statistically in his first season with the Wild.

Ennis has just 15 points (seven goals and eight assists) in 54 games this season while averaging just under 12 minutes a game. He has a cap hit of $4.6 million this season and is on the books next season for the same amount of dough. If Minnesota is able to obtain a mid-to-low-round pick for Ennis, that would be a win for the franchise in the longterm. The Wild just can not afford to pay a forward nearly $5 million a season to be a 20-point producer in the regular season. Plus, Ennis’ contract could be attractive to a team that’s trying to get the salary cap floor.

Other veterans like Matt Cullen and Chris Stewart have also been scratched on more than one occasion over the last few month. Both players will be free agents this summer and there’s even been some speculation that Cullen could return to the Penguins, according to to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

3. Get ready for the kids

If the Wild were to move on from Ennis and/or Cullen that would obviously create a void in the lineup which would be an ideal time for young top-tier prospects to get some legitimate playing time such as former first-round picks Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin. There’s no doubt the organization thinks highly of them and obviously the hope is that one day they will be contributors in the lineup. In addition, Wild prospect Jordan Greenway of Boston University,  currently with Team USA in the Pyeongchang Winter Games, could very well sign with the Wild when the college hockey season ends.

Sure the idea of Dion Phaneuf, Rick Nash or a even a Marian Gaborik reunion sounds like a fun idea, it just doesn’t seem like it’s in the cards for the Wild this season.

If they’re going to make a run at the Stanley Cup, it will likely be with the same core group of players that’s help the State of Hockey’s NHL team reach the postseason in five consecutive seasons.

The post Trade Deadline Primer appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Josh Harding suspended indefinitely.

The Minnesota Wild announced late Thursday night that the team and goaltender Darcy Kuemper have agreed to terms on a two-year contract. The one-way deal, first reported via Twitter by TSN’s Bob McKenzie, is worth $2.5 million overall and pays Kuemper $1 million this season and $1.5 million in 2015-16.

Earlier in the day, according to the Minneapolis StarTribune’s Michael Russo, Wild GM Chuck Fletcher made the decision to suspend injured goaltender Josh Harding due to the nature of his off-ice injury. Harding, who reportedly broke his right foot kicking a wall during an altercation with a teammate, will not be paid during his indefinite injury absence and his salary will not count against the team’s salary cap. Kuemper, on the other hand, will be paid and possibly more than he otherwise would have.

Kuemper appeared destined to be a training camp holdout with each side digging its heels in over the type of contract the Wild’s sixth-round selection (No. 161 overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft would sign. Minnesota had been offering a two-way contract meaning Kuemper would earn less playing for the Wild’s AHL affiliate in Iowa than he would in St. Paul. Kuemper and his agent felt the 6-foot-5, 205-pound Saskatoon, Sask. native had done enough in his 32 overall NHL appearances with the Wild (13-10-4 with a 2.37 GAA, a .915 SV%) to earn a one-way deal and the guaranteed NHL salary it represented.

But with Kuemper not requiring waivers to be sent down at this stage of his young career, the two-way offer made perfect sense to GM Chuck Fletcher considering both Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding were expected to arrive at training camp healthy. Harding’s injury, however, necessitated a change of plan despite the Wild’s signing of free-agent Ilya Bryzgalov to a professional tryout contract.

Kuemper, 24, went 12-8-4 with a 2.43 goals-against average (GAA), a .915 save percentage (SV%) and two shutouts in 26 regular season games with Minnesota in 2013-14. He set franchise records for a rookie goaltender in wins, shutouts and consecutive starts with 16 (1/12/14-3/8/14).

He ranked second in starts, tied for third in shutouts, fourth in SV% and tied for fourth in wins and GAA amongst rookie goalies that appeared in at least 10 games last season. Kuemper was named the NHL Third Star of the Week on March 3 after going 3-0-0 with a .970 GAA, .960 SV% and a shutout in three starts.

Kuemper went 3-1-1 with a 2.03 GAA, a .913 SV% and one shutout in six playoff contests for Minnesota. He stopped all 22 shots faced in a 1-0 overtime win in Game 3 against Colorado on April 21, 2014, the first playoff shutout in franchise history.

Wild players and coaches skate together for the first time this season tomorrow with the first group taking the ice at 8:30 a.m. at Xcel Energy Center.

The post Wild, Kuemper Agree to Terms appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Minnesota stands firm at No. 18, picks up power forward prospect.

As the Minnesota Wild’s turn at the NHL Draft podium drew near on Friday night in Philadelphia, reports were rampant that GM Chuck Fletcher’s phone was ringing off the hook, so to speak. But any offers Fletcher may have received were not enough to dissuade him from taking the stage; at least not with the United States National Team Development Program’s Alex Tuch still on the board.

Minnesota selected the 6’3″, 218 pound C/RW with its first-round pick (No. 18 overall) in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. The Boston College commit entered the draft as the top-rated American, and No. 12 overall, among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings.

“We are very happy to add Alex to the Minnesota Wild organization,” Assistant General Manager Brent Flahr said in a statement released by the team. “He’s a big strong winger with quality hands and an NHL shot. We feel that he has tremendous upside and we are very excited to add a potential power forward to our group of prospects.”

Tuch registered 64 points (29-35–64) to go along with 70 penalty minutes in 61 games for the USNDTP under-18 team last season. The Baldwinsville, NY native’s seven game-winning goals and plus-35 rating tied for the team lead in both categories.

“Alex is a big body and that’s something you can’t teach,” Central Scouting’s Greg Rajanen told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale prior to the draft. “He’s got some grit to his game and is good around the net, is physical … if you’re looking for a power forward it’s Tuch, so it’s a matter of team needs at that slot.”

Many labels have been applied to the Wild over the years, but gritty and physical are among the rarest. If Tuch develops as Fletcher and Flahr hope, the Wild will have addressed those needs while adding a skilled and sizeable young forward to an increasingly deep system.

The post Wild Take Alex Tuch With Top Pick appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Dan Myers takes us through the Wild’s offseason to-do list.

After advancing past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in over a decade, the Minnesota Wild could have an exciting offseason as they attempt to advance to the Western Conference Finals and perhaps beyond next season.

Here are some things the Wild have on the checklist moving into the summer:

1. Re-signing coaching, front-office staffs

One of Wild GM Chuck Fletcher’s top priorities is to sign coach Mike Yeo and his staff to new contracts. (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher allowed Mike Yeo and his staff, as well as many in the front office to work into the last years of their contracts. That includes a training staff, equipment staff, and others — as many as 25 or 30 people in all. Their contracts expire June 30, which means Fletcher only has six weeks or so to wrap up new deals with them.

Negotiations on new contract for Yeo, the youngest coach in the League at 40 years old, and his coaching staff of Rick Wilson, Darryl Sydor, Darby Hendrickson and Bob Mason are a priority. Fletcher said he and Yeo have a strong working relationship, which dates back to when each were with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and a new contract should be done soon.

“There hasn’t been a conversation where [Fletcher] has said [Yeo will be back], but there’s sort of been every indication,” Yeo said. “We’ve talked about plans going forward. We’re all just trying to wrap our heads around the season and we have different priorities right now as far as making sure that we take care of the players. There’s plenty of time to sort that out.”

“He’s a very good coach, somebody I’ve worked with a very long time, and I look forward to continuing that relationship going forward,” Fletcher said.

2. Figuring out what to do in goal

The Wild have veterans Josh Harding and Niklas Backstrom back on one-way contracts next season. The problem for the Wild is, neither have proven to be healthy this season.

Josh Harding’s ability to manage his MS symptoms creates a huge question mark in goal for the WIld heading into 2014/15. (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

Harding’s story has been fantastic, and was made even better early in the season when he was putting up incredible numbers. He finished the season with the best goals against average and save percentage in the NHL, but didn’t play a game in the New Year because of continued issues related to his multiple sclerosis.

Fletcher said he is under the impression that Harding will be 100 percent ready for training camp and that a full, normal season is possible. But with M.S., issues could flare up at any time.

“I can’t predict the future,” Fletcher said. “I wish I could sit here and tell you we had the answer right now. That’ll be part of the process we go through right now and in June at our organizational meetings.”

With Backstrom, abdominal surgery in March and a hip procedure in April have raised questions about him going forward. Signed to a new three-year contract by the Wild last summer, Backstrom’s $3.4 million cap charge is fully guaranteed, even if he retires, because he signed his deal after turning 35.

Darcy Kuemper, a rookie who posted excellent numbers in relief of Harding and Backstrom over the middle portion of the season, is a restricted free agent expected to be back on a one-way contract himself.

“The doctors will play a part in this, the salary cap will play a part in this, and we’ll sit down and try to make the best decisions we can, but certainly, there’s a realistic chance that we need to have three goaltenders next year,” Fletcher said. “That is something we’ll look at and see how things play out this summer.”

Barring an unexpected trade or buyout, Ilya Bryzgalov will likely not be back with the team. He was 7-1-3 in helping to lead the Wild into the playoffs down the stretch, but struggled and was eventually pulled against the Colorado Avalanche in the first round. He re-gained his starting role against the Chicago Blackhawks in round two and likely made himself some money this summer — somewhere else, of course.

3. To sign Vanek, or not to sign Vanek

Former University of Minnesota star Thomas Vanek is an unrestricted free agent this summer after scoring a combined 27 goals and 41 assists with the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens this season. He has five goals and eight points through 13 playoff games entering the day Wednesday.

The question really isn’t whether Vanek wants to return to Minnesota, it’s more whether the Wild and Vanek’s representation can agree on terms that are suitable for both parties. Vanek has likely lost some money with his performance this season and the Wild have gained a great deal of leverage with the performance of guys like Nino Niederreiter in the playoffs.

Vanek lives in Stillwater during the summer, and his wife Ashley is a Minnesota native who is apparently very interested in returning home full-time. How much of a hometown discount the Vaneks are willing to provide the Wild will likely determine whether he is playing with Minnesota in the fall.

4. Acquire a defenseman?

Virginia, Minn.’s Matt Niskanen s a free agent option on D for Chuck Fletcher. (Photo courtesy of the Pittsburgh Penguins)

The Wild have plenty of talent on the blue line coming through the pipe line the next few years. Matt Dumba and Gustav Olofsson have very bright futures with the organization and will likely play with the Iowa Wild next season. Beyond Ryan Suter, the Wild have Jonas Brodin (21 years old at the start of next season), Marco Scandella (24), Jared Spurgeon (24) and Christian Folin (23) in the mix on defense. Veteran Keith Ballard also has one year left on his contract. Jonathon Blum is a restricted free agent who will likely be tendered. He will likely earn a two-way contract and start the year in Des Moines.

Minnesota has decisions to make on Nate Prosser and Clayton Stoner, both unrestricted free agents. Prosser is likely gone, as there are guys on the team that fill his role. Stoner could return if the price is right. He was solid this season and played well in the playoffs. He also provides the Wild with a physical presence on the back-end.

Even if Stoner is back, the Wild could be in the market for a bridge defenseman to get through the next year or two while Dumba and Olofsson get extra seasoning in Des Moines. If they choose to bring back Stoner, think less about Virginia, Minn. native Matt Niskanen and more like former San Jose Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle, who could be had on a one- or two year deal.

If the team moves on without Stoner, a guy like Niskanen could be in the fold for more money and more term. But do the Wild want to sacrifice that with the number of kids coming up and the number of kids who will need to be paid soon? That’s the mine field Fletcher must navigate this offseason.

5. Start securing the kids

The Wild have a staggering number of their young core coming to the end of their entry-level contracts the next two summers. This year, it’s Niederreiter, Kuemper, Blum, Jason Zucker and Justin Fontaine. Next summer, it’s Brodin, Scandella, Folin, Charlie Coyle, Mikael Granlund and Erik Haula.

Restricted free agent Nino Niederreiter is likely to see his long-term future with the Wild secured this summer. (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

One of Fletcher’s stated goals is to begin staggering these contracts so the Wild don’t have a bunch of high-priced young talent all hitting the market at the same time three or four years from now as unrestricted free agents.

That means the Wild will need to get busy this summer, and it would be prudent to sign a couple of their young players to long-term contracts while their prices are still reasonable. Look for the organization to approach Brodin, Coyle and Granlund about signing deals in the five- to seven-year range, at salaries around $3.5 million per year. While it would be overpaying in the first couple years of these contracts, these are the types of deals where the Wild are getting great value over the final three years of the deals. That’s why teams do them.

Minnesota will tender all three of their restricted forwards this summer. Niederreiter is a big part of the future and the Wild were pleased with the bottom-six offense provided by Fontaine, who provides flexibility by being able to play on virtually any line. Zucker could be a trade candidate this summer, especially if the Wild decides it wants to acquire a veteran at or near the NHL Draft.

Blum is a righty-shot defenseman who played well in limited time with the big club. He’s probably not in the long-term plans, but for another year at reasonable dollars and a two-way contract, there’s no reason why the Wild wouldn’t tender him. He could always be a trade candidate for a mid-round pick next season if another team were starving for a defenseman.

The post Wild Have Busy Summer Ahead appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Dynamic duo of Craig Leipold and Chuck Fletcher combine to build a contender in Minnesota.

They are the NHL’s version of Bonnie and Clyde, Starsky and Hutch and Penn and Teller, all rolled into one. Part good guys, part bad guys and a whole lot of magician.

Wild Owner Craig Leipold and General Manager Chuck Fletcher have wheeled, dealed, and in some ways stealed (yes, I know the proper word is stolen – but it had to rhyme) their way into being a contender in the NHL. The latest moves at this years NHL deadline were just another example.

Lets look back at what they have done in the past two years. July of 2012, they sign arguably two of the biggest stars in the game Zach Parise and Ryan Suter—virtual no brainers, as long as a team could find the cash and/or convince the tandem to work out a deal so that they could play together. The move proves to be brilliant in two ways: They have been everything a team could hope for on the ice, and players want to play with them.

Which leads me to the Wild’s second great move, bringing in Jason Pominville at last year’s trade deadline? He had 9 goals in 10 games last season and he’s already got 46 points this year. It was a risky move for Minnesota because they shipped out young talent. For Pominville it was a chance to leave the hockey “black hole” that is Buffalo to come play with guys like Parise and Suter in Minnesota.

But those moves weren’t enough for the Wild brass. Simply making the playoffs wasn’t good enough—which is exactly the way it should be! Leipold and Fletcher run the Wild in a way any fan should appreciate. They know that the product on the ice, for the most part, is dictated by how much you pay for players.

Yes, drafting good players and bringing them up through the system is the best way, but unless you have a draft pick in the top 10 picks, the chances of getting the next Sidney Crosby, John Tavares or Nate MacKinnon are slim. You can take a chance on a few guys in later rounds and hope they pan out, but guys like former St. Cloud State Husky Ryan Malone, (4^th round 1999), Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg (7^th round 1999) or Philadelphia’s Max Talbot (8^th round 2002) don’t come along that often.

Which brings us back to what Leipold and Fletcher are attempting to do here in Minnesota: Refusing to give up and refusing to believe that this state is not a winning hockey state.

Niklas Backstrom is shutdown and Josh Harding is ill?

No problem, go out and deal for Ilya Bryzgalov.

Scoring punch lacking a little bit?

Fleece Buffalo one more time and deal for Matt Moulson.

And once again it’s working. Other than the fact that I have to believe everyone in Buffalo hates Minnesota for the talent they’ve literally stolen away in the last two seasons.

Bryzgalov was not brought in to be the next Vezina Trophy winner. He is here to back up the young and talented Darcy Kuemper when he needs it. Yeah, Bryz got lit up in his Wild debut, but give him a little time to adjust.

The fact is he got the team some points in the game that ended as a shootout loss and that is all that you want from a back up. You hope for more, but as long as he can keep the train on the tracks while Kid Kuemper gets a much-deserved night off, well than anything more is gravy.

The deal for Matt Moulson was even better. Moulson is a three-time 30 goal scorer (all done with the Islanders, no less) who has toiled away his career with the Isles and Buffalo. About the only two teams worse to play for would be the (Former) Atlanta Thrashers or Siberia of the KHL (and yes, they have a team).

It was somewhat known that Moulson didn’t love Buffalo, but still to be able trade for him what Minnesota did was almost criminal. The other two players in the deal were pretty much a clean swap, so they essentially traded two second round picks to Buffalo for Moulson’s services for the rest of the season at a very reasonable price.

How good was this deal? As much as a day before the deadline, the organization wasn’t totally sure it would even get done.

As we love to say in Minnesota, the pieces are in place for the Wild – and kudos to the organization for doing so. In any professional sports league there are more ‘wait and see’ folks than there are ‘lets get it done now’ people.

Be happy Wild fans your management is a card-carrying member of the latter. A card they have been maxing out getting this organization to where they want it to be. All of which will be worth it if the Wild now does what Fletcher and Leipold believe they have built it to do, make a playoff run.

The post Schwartz: Credit Where Credit’s Due appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.