Dan Wallace: Disappointment!!!

So Dan, will you and the Wild fans be rooting for the Blues going on or will this be like losing to the Hawks was for Blues fans?

I don’t have any ill will toward the Blues. But I’m rooting for the Canes.

So Dan, will you and the Wild fans be rooting for the Blues going on or will this be like losing to the Hawks was for Blues fans?
- Jason Millen

Definitely will be rooting for the Blues to beat Colorado! I would say my rooting interest moving forward would be for the individual players Johnny Gaudreau and Tony DeAngelo and their respective teams from our Hollydell ice rink roots in South Jersey.

So Dan, will you and the Wild fans be rooting for the Blues going on or will this be like losing to the Hawks was for Blues fans?
- Jason Millen

Hate the Avs, will definitely root for a blues/lightning cup final.

Thanks for the loyalty and all the hard work you put in all year Dan! Appreciate ya

Coaching I agree was the difference. Still scratching my head on starting Talbot in game 6 in an elimination game I’ve cold!!! Good to great coaches plan for scenarios like this and would’ve gotten their other goalie in a game to keep him loose if a decision like this is made. Plus you spent capital to bring in MAF and you don’t even play him in the most meaningful game of the year????? Head-scratching moves all series. Yes I’m a Buffalo fan but was rooting for the Wild this year. Question being yeah Evasongot the Wild this far but with the all-in move with MAF will Guerien let him ride again or go after someone fresh on the market????

So what do Wild fans expect with there goalie situation, and does that have any bearing on what happens with Fiala.

So what do Wild fans expect with there goalie situation, and does that have any bearing on what happens with Fiala.
- Buff36

Don’t see any way they can keep Fiala. The cap hit for Suter and Parise only gets worse. Dumba will likely be dealt and unless MAF wants to play for cheap, not sure I see him re-signing. Looks like Jesper Wallstedt is the future for the Wild in net but not sure how quickly that comes to fruition.

Billy’s got a lot on his plate

So what do Wild fans expect with there goalie situation, and does that have any bearing on what happens with Fiala.
- Buff36

The goalie situation is a mess. Does Talbot want to finish out his final year after being snubbed? You would think they could get a decent goalie for less money than Fleury. Fleury is only average at this point.

I think Fiala is tougher to replace than Dumba. There will be much more pressure on Kirill if Fiala is gone. The Wild needed Fiala in the playoffs and he scored no goals and took senseless penalties. Fiala should be very productive again next season. It’s hard to imagine Hartman not falling back as well as Zucc at 35. Maybe Guerin gets creative and tries to keep him if his contract demands aren’t outrageous.

You Wild fans are funny rooting for a team that just kicked your ass 😆 Avs in 5

To add to your story, I only have one name, BARRY TROTZ! Better jump on him before Winnipeg or Nashville decides to re-hire him, then you will be screwed!

The goalie situation is a mess. Does Talbot want to finish out his final year after being snubbed? You would think they could get a decent goalie for less money than Fleury. Fleury is only average at this point.

I think Fiala is tougher to replace than Dumba. There will be much more pressure on Kirill if Fiala is gone. The Wild needed Fiala in the playoffs and he scored no goals and took senseless penalties. Fiala should be very productive again next season. It’s hard to imagine Hartman not falling back as well as Zucc at 35. Maybe Guerin gets creative and tries to keep him if his contract demands aren’t outrageous.
- Minnyhock

I don't think that Talbot will want to return after the way he was treated, I bet the Wild could sign UFA Ville Husso for less than Talbot!

You Wild fans are funny rooting for a team that just kicked your ass 😆 Avs in 5
- Avs303

Why would you root for the Av's, it makes you look better if you lost to a team that could beat the next team! Hope that Penis Kroenke's team goes down, don't under estimate the Blues, especially if Binnington is back to 2019 form!

To add to your story, I only have one name, BARRY TROTZ! Better jump on him before Winnipeg or Nashville decides to re-hire him, then you will be screwed!
- IBleedBlu1

Trotz would be a big mistake. Trotz is a great coach. But his boring dump and chase is a tough sell to today’s young players. Do the Wild have the players who are willing and able to play that style?


I want to see a younger innovative coach with an uptempo puck possession style with a strong forecheck to get the puck back. Anything to lessen defending with that small defense. You gotta have the puck to score.

Trotz would be a big mistake. Trotz is a great coach. But his boring dump and chase is a tough sell to today’s young players. Do the Wild have the players who are willing and able to play that style?


I want to see a younger innovative coach with an uptempo puck possession style with a strong forecheck to get the puck back. Anything to lessen defending with that small defense. You gotta have the puck to score.
- Minnyhock

Barry is a great coach but his style takes it's toll and he is not the best with young forwards. Barry likes a Vet team. Barzal did not look happy this year and Wahlstrom really struggled.

Barry is a great coach but his style takes it's toll and he is not the best with young forwards. Barry likes a Vet team. Barzal did not look happy this year and Wahlstrom really struggled.
- ses111

It didn’t look like Beau, Bellows and Salo thrived as well. Dobson and Sorokin developed well under Barry though.

It didn’t look like Beau, Bellows ans Salo thrived as well. Dobson and Sorokin developed well under Barry though.
- Minnyhock

Thank Mitch Korn for Sorokin's development and Korn has always followed Trotz as they are very, very good friends.

It didn’t look like Beau, Bellows ans Salo thrived as well. Dobson and Sorokin developed well under Barry though.
- Minnyhock

Islanders have had better luck with young dmen like Pelech, Pulock, and Toews. They finally hit on a young goalie in Sorokin but that it was a lot of misses. Islanders really have struggled with young forwards. Barry's system can be tough on young forwards. I drove me nuts Barry playing Leo on the 1st line during the playoffs and Barzal probably hated it. The Islanders new coach has to find the right balance of good defensive and offensive play. Lou also has to do a better job adding skill and speed.

Thank Mitch Korn for Sorokin's development and Korn has always followed Trotz as they are very, very good friends.
- Jason Millen

Mitch is a great goalie coach and no doubt has helped Sorokin and Barry's system is a big help to goalies but Sorkin seems like the real deal regardless of the coach.

Still trying to work through this loss. Wild made really strong moves at the trade deadline. They really improved their toughness and defense however still came up short of expectations. Dan you made some interesting points about coaching decisions as most of us would agree that the Wild had the player talent to make a deep playoff run.

You Wild fans are funny rooting for a team that just kicked your ass 😆 Avs in 5
- Avs303

Avs have a very talented offensive team however just as in previous years, I don't feel they have the defense or goaltending to carry them to a Cup. Just my opinion.

I've been preaching that the Wild's roster was not going to change much after this season. I am now thinking that is not going to be true. I honestly think Guerin semi-blows up this roster. I can see Fiala, Dumba, Kulikov, Tabot and maybe even Greenway traded this off-season. Fiala can be a great scorer on the team, but he just makes too many bone-headed mistakes (as does Dumba)...and those are just magnified in the playoffs. If all those players are moved, I can see the Wild resigning MAF and Middleton. Guerin will try to make a play for a C like Vincent Trocheck to center Zuccarello/Kaprizov. This will move Hartman to RW, skating with Boldy and Rossi. Depending on whether Greenway stays or not, the GREEF line would stay intact. Then you end up with a 4th line of from Duhaime/Dewar/Gaudreau/Jost.

I know that some people have said that Zuccarello will be moved. And this might have been alluded to a couple of weeks ago when Guerin was asked about the roster for next year. And he said that it would all work out. There might be some players that don't like it, but it will all work out. That tells me that Zuccarello is on the table. But I just don't see a plan like that as being viable.

I think if both Dumba, Fiala and Kulikov are moved, that should give enough money to throw at Trocheck, then resign MAF and Middeton. I now believe Daslauriers is the odd man out as well. I also think the "warm and fuzzies" with Evason has started to diminish. Not that he will be replaced this year, because the regular season that Wild had is a big credit to Evason. But his gameplan for the playoffs was just not good enough to beat the Blues (granted I will say, come playoffs, there aren't many gameplans to actually beat the Blues as it is) and that makes it 2 years in a row that you can say Evason was outcoached in the playoffs. Yes, there is only so much coaches can do and then it is up to the players to exact the gameplan, but that was 2 pretty one-sided playoffs series so far.

Lastly, thanks Dan for another season and the tremendous work you put into these posts every year.

Blah Blah Blah! I am so sick of being a Minnesota Sports Fan. It is such a hard job