I don't see Fletcher being let go, he and Leipold seem to have a good enough business relationship that Leipold will give Fletch another year. I think he's earned that right.

The problems this Team has encountered so far this year is not really on anyone, other then the actions of a few players, and Yeo making some mind boggling in-game decisions. I don't think Yeo has the capability at this point to get this team to overcome problems without players losing confidence in themselves nor enough respect that when he demands better play on a more consistent basis that it only carries enough weight that may last for just a game or two. I think Yeo will be gone, but doubt Fletch joins him.

I had higher hopes going into this season than most, but in mid-December I looked back at all the weird and unfortunate events that had occurred that it became painfully obvious to me that this simply was not our year.
- cag58

You don't place any blame on Fletcher for going into this season with Harding, Kuemper and Backstrom in goal? For a team wanting to get past being a 7-8 seed playoff team, you need to have better options in goal than an unproven rookie, a guy with MS, and an oft-injured over the hill guy in Backstrom.
I recall lots of other fans of other teams popping up in our threads prior to the season giving us flak about our goalie situation. I argued that all 3 were capable, with Harding being the best shot at carrying this team. If he had issues due to his MS, I argued that Kuemper showed enough to carry the load, albeit not as well as Harding could have. If he failed and it fell to Backstrom, then this team would be in a world of hurt. Lo and behold all 3 scenarios have occurred.
For a stupid fan like myself to foresee that happening, this has caused me to lose quite a bit of faith in our GM.

I believe there's something to be said for the fact that each and every season Yeo has been at the helm this team has experienced super highs followed by super lows. In fact I think there's a lot to be said for that which to me brings in to question his overall leadership abilities.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Yeo knows his X's and O's, of that I have no doubt, but to me focus should be more on his lacking ability to pull his players out of slumps and get them refocused.
- MnGump

Good point. That and his inability to come down on veterans. LeMaire had no issues calling players out. Whether it was a top 6 player or bottom pairing d-man, he would let them have it. Some players appreciate the honesty, others need to be treated like delicate flowers that they are. And those are the players that you do not build a team around to go after a cup.
To me, that is one of the biggest reasons why I would be willing to see a new coach lead this team, but it has to be a guy that has been around the block and has earned some respect in this league.

I'm not so sure about that. If you break down the numbers it becomes pretty clear that their goaltending is what did them in this year and Yeo really doesn't have any control over that outside of picking the lesser of two evils each night to start. But since neither guy was even close to the average, even picking the best one to start each game isn't helping. I can see a case being made where the problem wasn't coaching. In fact, it kind of already has and it's been reported Leipold is buying that explanation.

I don't necessarily buy it though. I'm no analytics guru and I haven't had time to look into all the Wild's numbers in great detail, but I think the system overall is failing them. Their possession just doesn't look to me like it's going to lead to several, quality scoring chances.

They don't break out and up the ice as one unit and many times the defensemen are either carrying the puck all the way to the offensive blueline or they are making a pass from their own end to the red line where a forward either tips it in or receives the pass with his back to the offensive zone and is not moving making him much easier to defend.

They supposedly have all these good skating, quality offensive players but I just don't see them using those guys to regularly gain the zone and put the defense on their heels. If you watch Pulkkinen's goal the other night in Detroit, I thought it was a good example of how a team should use shorter passes and more players on the ice to break out and create a chance. I rarely see the Wild execute like that. They tend to play so much more on the outside.

That's where I think Yeo is accountable and a case could be made that he should go based on his system and the personnel they have. Others here have pointed out how that doesn't seem to be a good match and I would have to agree. I think their reasonably good possession numbers, as they are measured today, is masking an underlying shortcoming of the team.
- Chinaski

I agree. Watching Pulkkinen and others enter our zone as trailers and getting off clean shots in prime areas made me think of what has caused this team that used crisp and accurate passes to exit our zone, dictated play, was aggressive in a responsible way etc.

To a team that is passive, that's seemingly always out of position, with sloppy passes, that looks like either they forgot the gameplan or weren't executing it properly, or it was foolish to begin with and Yeo was unable to make effective changes during the game.

I understand there will be those games we don't look good and even some games we look like crap, but the crap games have been the majority for the last two months.

Is there a single person left in the front office that was around when McClellan was with Houston? You would think a fired coach would listen to all offers.
I would be thrilled to see him or Tippett take over if Yeo does not return next season, but for some reason I am growing more and more weary of firing Yeo for this debacle.
- SotaPopinski

It's a good point. To my knowledge, no one of significance that he might have butted heads with is left and there are only 30 of these jobs available so no one being offered the job should dismiss it out of hand. But all things being equal, if he has multiple options I just wonder if it would play a role.

The thing that would be interesting would be if Babcock becomes available would he take the job here? From what I've heard about that situation he doesn't want to coach a rebuilding team and he wants to lift the salary bar for coaches by bumping the top level salary up significantly. The Toronto speculation is basically due to the fact that they can pay him the most by a mile. But you have to wonder how high Leipold would go if Babcock was available and interested in taking on this team. That's assuming he doesn't see the Wild as a lost cause.

I've heard several people say he stays in Detroit and I think it's as good a chance as any that he does. He's got it pretty good there and they still have a damn good team.

You don't place any blame on Fletcher for going into this season with Harding, Kuemper and Backstrom in goal? For a team wanting to get past being a 7-8 seed playoff team, you need to have better options in goal than an unproven rookie, a guy with MS, and an oft-injured over the hill guy in Backstrom.
I recall lots of other fans of other teams popping up in our threads prior to the season giving us flak about our goalie situation. I argued that all 3 were capable, with Harding being the best shot at carrying this team. If he had issues due to his MS, I argued that Kuemper showed enough to carry the load, albeit not as well as Harding could have. If he failed and it fell to Backstrom, then this team would be in a world of hurt. Lo and behold all 3 scenarios have occurred.
For a stupid fan like myself to foresee that happening, this has caused me to lose quite a bit of faith in our GM.
- SotaPopinski

To a point he should take some blame, but I can't lay it all on his shoulders. Was he responsible for Harding breaking his foot just days before training camp, was he responsible that it happened in the midst of Kuempers contract negotiations where he had all the leverage and because of Harding the leverage changed hands and because all this happened at once and it all happened at the worst possible time Fletcher was forced into signing Kuemper to a contract on his terms which was a one way deal. Now we had to pay three starting goalies and couldn't send down Darcy because of waivers + we'd have to pay his full salary.

I lost a bit of trust, but feel he has done enough to earn a chance to make up for those things that he should take responsibility for.

To a point he should take some blame, but I can't lay it all on his shoulders. Was he responsible for Harding breaking his foot just days before training camp, was he responsible that it happened in the midst of Kuempers contract negotiations where he had all the leverage and because of Harding the leverage changed hands and because all this happened at once and it all happened at the worst possible time Fletcher was forced into signing Kuemper to a contract on his terms which was a one way deal. Now we had to pay three starting goalies and couldn't send down Darcy because of waivers + we'd have to pay his full salary.

I lost a bit of trust, but feel he has done enough to earn a chance to make up for those things that he should take responsibility for.
- cag58

Not his fault, no. Nevertheless, Harding was already a big question mark going into this season with his illness. Sure enough, when the foot healed and he began playing in Iowa, he was forced to put his career on hold once again due to MS symptoms.
Yes, Fletcher has done a terrific job of turning this organization around, especially with the mess he inherited. I just think a significant portion of Wild fans have blinders on when it comes to him. We got so used to Risebrough and his second rate rosters that he put together, that Fletcher looked like a Godsend in his footsteps. Well now here we are with a few bad trades under his belt, more prospects or not living up to their hype and he's done nothing to address the goalie situation... you know, the most important position in the game.

It's a good point. To my knowledge, no one of significance that he might have butted heads with is left and there are only 30 of these jobs available so no one being offered the job should dismiss it out of hand. But all things being equal, if he has multiple options I just wonder if it would play a role.

The thing that would be interesting would be if Babcock becomes available would he take the job here? From what I've heard about that situation he doesn't want to coach a rebuilding team and he wants to lift the salary bar for coaches by bumping the top level salary up significantly. The Toronto speculation is basically due to the fact that they can pay him the most by a mile. But you have to wonder how high Leipold would go if Babcock was available and interested in taking on this team. That's assuming he doesn't see the Wild as a lost cause.

I've heard several people say he stays in Detroit and I think it's as good a chance as any that he does. He's got it pretty good there and they still have a damn good team.
- Chinaski

Babcock, to me, is a coach that loves the pressure and limelight. I don't know if I would call him arrogant, but he is very sure of his coaching abilities. Nothing about the Minnesota market seems like a match for him.

Babcock, to me, is a coach that loves the pressure and limelight. I don't know if I would call him arrogant, but he is very sure of his coaching abilities. Nothing about the Minnesota market seems like a match for him.
- SotaPopinski

Love Babcock but zero chance he ever ends up in Minny.

Not his fault, no. Nevertheless, Harding was already a big question mark going into this season with his illness. Sure enough, when the foot healed and he began playing in Iowa, he was forced to put his career on hold once again due to MS symptoms.
Yes, Fletcher has done a terrific job of turning this organization around, especially with the mess he inherited. I just think a significant portion of Wild fans have blinders on when it comes to him. We got so used to Risebrough and his second rate rosters that he put together, that Fletcher looked like a Godsend in his footsteps. Well now here we are with a few bad trades under his belt, more prospects or not living up to their hype and he's done nothing to address the goalie situation... you know, the most important position in the game.
- SotaPopinski

I agree with much of your post but I also wanted to add a few smaller points in his defense. Reasons that may seem insignificant but gives me that much reason to feel that it would be wrong to fire him like things he's added to the organization such as increasing the teams ability to attract high end free agents, Canadian and College players such as Folin that other teams were aggressively trying to get get his signature on a contract, or Gelinas, or Keranen who was also sought after, and some players even calling us to play on the team. I could name more little things that maybe aren't all shiny or blatantly stand out so that the average fan would notice and include that into the most simple evaluation to have an idea of what his value is to the club. Now watch him get fired during the break.

I agree with much of your post but I also wanted to add a few smaller points in his defense. Reasons that may seem insignificant but gives me that much reason to feel that it would be wrong to fire him like things he's added to the organization such as increasing the teams ability to attract high end free agents, Canadian and College players such as Folin that other teams were aggressively trying to get get his signature on a contract, or Gelinas, or Keranen who was also sought after, and some players even calling us to play on the team. I could name more little things that maybe aren't all shiny or blatantly stand out so that the average fan would notice and include that into the most simple evaluation to have an idea of what his value is to the club. Now watch him get fired during the break.
- cag58

That has been impressive, I agree. With Folin, I think it was more a lack of depth at the D position and the fact that Fletcher convinced him that he would have a very good chance at playing right away. All teams were interested in him, but the reason Fletcher is so aggressive in the undrafted FA market has a lot to do with a general lack of depth due to draft picks not succeeding (both by this FO and the previous one.)
I'm not calling for his head right this second, but after seeing how this team reacted to poor goalie play, he has got to address the position once and for all this off-season. Otherwise he is asking for his own dismissal.

That has been impressive, I agree. With Folin, I think it was more a lack of depth at the D position and the fact that Fletcher convinced him that he would have a very good chance at playing right away. All teams were interested in him, but the reason Fletcher is so aggressive in the undrafted FA market has a lot to do with a general lack of depth due to draft picks not succeeding (both by this FO and the previous one.)
I'm not calling for his head right this second, but after seeing how this team reacted to poor goalie play, he has got to address the position once and for all this off-season. Otherwise he is asking for his own dismissal.
- SotaPopinski

While lack of depth definitely plays a factor in a free agents decision - especially a young one trying to prove himself - I think most also want to play for a decent club or a club with a strong future. Think about it from your end - would you rather play immediately for a team like Edmonton, or play and develop in an organization such as the Red Wings, San Jose, etc.? Sure, some players would prefer the immediate jump, but long-term thinkers would bite at the chance to play for a team in which a strong future looks certain. By re-stocking the Wild's abysmal cupboard and signing some legit free agents, Fletcher is able to promise development and success in a few years to many of these younger players shopping around.

I get the frustration towards Fletcher for this year's goalie situation, but at the same time doesn't he deserve a little leeway for not hitting the nail on the head of the most difficult to predict position? No other position in any sport has such a pivotal role in the team's overall success, yet has such unpredictability as a hockey goaltender. Very few organizations have been able to continuously nail that position on the head, so Fletcher being unable to for a season shouldn't facilitate his removal.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but in all honesty even those of us who felt the situation wasn't terribly promising did not expect our goaltending to be the worst in the entire league and that, unfortunately, has been our biggest downfall.