Tony Dean: After Five Games More Questions Than Answer for Yeo's Wild Squad After Five Games More Questions Than Answer for Yeo's Wild Squad

You can find me on Twitter here: @TonyDeanHB

Just about every competitive team has a contract that it would like to unload. Chicago has Bickell, LA had Richards, Ottawa has Phillips, etc etc. That extra 3 to 5 million kills a number of player moves, yet it amazes me today why teams still do no trade clauses on long term deals. The sad sack teams are feasting on the sweeteners(draft picks) that good teams have to include to do the salary dump when possible. Minny will have to eat his deal as Backstrom has no trade value, even with a sweetener.

That third line with Coyle at the pivot is just brutal defensively. And it's kind of a shame that Graovac got hurt when he did, because that line seemed to just be finding its chemistry together. Once he returns, a Carter-Haula-Fontaine line will be a very quick offensively and defensively capable line. Fontaine and Haula also had good chemistry together when they played together at times. The best thing that could happen for the Wild this season is if Graovac keeps improving to the point, where, he supplants Granlund on the top line. Having Granny playing against the other teams 3rd d pairings and forwards could be a boon for both him and Vanek.

Backstroms going on waivers, you can count on it. Safer now that Karri Ramo's gone on waivers.

I like those defense pairings you propose, Tony. Suter can cover up a lot of mistakes for a defensive partner and give Dumba some time to learn when he can and can't take risks.