Dan Wallace: No Kaprizov Contract Yet, But Nyet to CSKA

I'm big on team-building. Learned a lot over the years in the Army.

To my eyes everything about Suter is a red-flag.

There's only one way to deal with someone like that - you test them. Fail and you're gone - no if, and's or buts about it. No matter how painful.

Much respect for Mr Guerin.

Definitely not a playoff team In the competitive Central Division, I also think Talbot will lose the net by December 1st, Could be a long season.

The Wild need at least one of Rossi,Boldy or Addison to make an immediate impact. Guerin may have gotten some better D men if he didn’t spend so much time trying to unite the Foligno brothers. These stopgap deals are better than making a bad deal.

Wouldn’t be surprised if Guerin tries to make a deal to bring back Soucy if the 3 new D men struggle.

I'm big on team-building. Learned a lot over the years in the Army.

To my eyes everything about Suter is a red-flag.

There's only one way to deal with someone like that - you test them. Fail and you're gone - no if, and's or buts about it. No matter how painful.

Much respect for Mr Guerin.
- farooge

I mean... Dallas signed Suter for 4 years for 50% of what his cap hit was in MN. Instead of a buyout, if Guerin had just retained half of Suter's contract and traded him to the Stars, Wild would have saved both real money, and a crap ton of cap space. Sure, there is a chance Suter would have rejected this... but Guerin didn't even talk to him about it. Rather than say, tell me where you will accept a trade to or get bought out, Guerin just bought him out.

Took a lot of courage for Guerin to move on from Suter, sure. But was super idiotic to buy him out when you could just trade him and retain salary and be better off in every single way.

I mean... Dallas signed Suter for 4 years for 50% of what his cap hit was in MN. Instead of a buyout, if Guerin had just retained half of Suter's contract and traded him to the Stars, Wild would have saved both real money, and a crap ton of cap space. Sure, there is a chance Suter would have rejected this... but Guerin didn't even talk to him about it. Rather than say, tell me where you will accept a trade to or get bought out, Guerin just bought him out.

Took a lot of courage for Guerin to move on from Suter, sure. But was super idiotic to buy him out when you could just trade him and retain salary and be better off in every single way.
- Antilles

I am going to guess that he thought of that too, and tried that too, and it failed. This isn't their first rodeo

That is one heck of an assumption you made there Antilles regarding Guerin and Suter.

Well said about KK as there was little doubt he would leave. We all want the best deal we can get. What should be interesting is how KK views the future. For that matter, any player. Does he sign for as much money as he can? Can't really blame him. Who wouldn't want to be paid more! Or does he sign for less or a shorter term deal with the hope/opportunity that the Wild sign or acquire a true #1 center that improves the team? Time will tell.

So, the more I watch this with Kaprizov, the more I think it will end up being a $8.5 million, 4yr contract. Kirill give up 1yr of FA, know that a 7 or 8 year deal around $12-13 million is still attainable. He will still only be 28 at the end of the 4yr deal, right in the heart of his prime years.

I honestly believe Guerin is doing things right. Remember, he cut his GM teeth with the Pens. How have they built and won Cups over the years? They have their few star players (Malkin, Crosby and Letang), then they had the “very good, but not great” players (Kessel, Cullen, Hornqvist and Kunitz) and the rest of the roster was filled out with role players (Bonino, Hagelin, Daley, Dumoulin and Cole). I really think Guerin is making this roster up to hopefully be like that. Now, the Wild obviously don’t have a Crosby on the roster, but they just might have a Malkin in Kaprizov.

The Wild actually (for the first time in team history I believe) are starting to have a pipeline of players that could be actually very, very good. Yes, keep Kaprizov and Fiala (unless Fiala can net you a true, dominant #1 C) and build from there. You have centers like Rossi and Khusnutdinov. Possibles like Nesterenko (I think he is going to be good), Khovanov and maybe Bankier. Wings like Boldy and Beckman. And defensemen like O’Rourke, Hunt, Lambos…and even maybe Peart and the Johansson boys drafted in 2018.

Yeah, the Parise/Suter buyouts hurt somewhat, but I don’t think they hurt as much as everyone is complaining about. Next year, when the BIG penalties start hitting the cap, the Wild still have almost $27 mil in cap space. Then year 3 they’ll have about $38 mil in cap space. Year 4 sits right now with almost $50 mil in cap space. Say Kaprizov and Fiala are the stars and get paid. Then you have all these younger guys to fill in the spaces at very low cap projections. With what is coming through the pipeline now, this was the perfect time (if there ever really was) to do those buyouts and lose a ton of cap space for a few years. Everyone keeps saying the Wild will be terrible for the next 4-6 years because of cap limitations, people need to realize that there is cheap youth coming right now. This season marks the start of it with Boldy, Rossi and Addison.

With the small sample size of Kirill Kaprizov statistically In the NHL so far I think he Is worth 5 million annually and I hope Guerin doesn't overpay.

That is one heck of an assumption you made there Antilles regarding Guerin and Suter.
- bmgarvert

Assumption? Suter said publicly he was never asked to waive his NMC. Suter not waiving his NMC is the only reason for them to not make a trade, and Guerin didn't even ask him.

With the small sample size of Kirill Kaprizov statistically In the NHL so far I think he Is worth 5 million annually and I hope Guerin doesn't overpay.
- Shady1962

He will... It's Minnesota, no one wants to play here. Everything about this state sucks ass

He will... It's Minnesota, no one wants to play here. Everything about this state sucks ass
- Tweaterben

Love this state, hate the hockey team.

Assumption? Suter said publicly he was never asked to waive his NMC. Suter not waiving his NMC is the only reason for them to not make a trade, and Guerin didn't even ask him.
- Antilles

Guerin didn’t ask Suter to waive because Guerin already did his homework. Yeo told Guerin everything he needed to know about Suter.