Wild agree to terms with Suter and Parise

[Jovocop]

I don't see cap hell for them, they basically have a full roster and no real big free agents to worry about. Backstrom's $6m comes off the cap next year and Heatley's $7.5m the year after.

Pierre-Marc Bouchard is $4m of LTIR waiting to happen.

As for your previous comment that they got the wrong players, I might be inclined to agree but frankly the right kind of players just don't hit free agency all that often and there weren't any of them this year. Sure they could use Chara and Weber more than Suter, and sure they could use Kopitar or Kesler better than Parise but they can use Suter and Parise a hell of a lot more than they could use Kurtis Foster and .. Andrei Kostitsyn? Who else is left?

The Wilds indeed have a very good first line. However, unless that midget Bouchard is healthy, they still do not have a second line center. As for their defense, who do they have after Suter? Gilbert? Stoner? Spurgeon?? Their problem last season was lack of depth. I am not sure they did address their problem.

[FAN]

They are improved. Not much. Sitting on the edge of cap hell and no real depth on D or at Forward. We've seen this play out before in different cities. Go for a big home run and more often than not, you strike out.

They just got added a top pairing defenseman and a top-line forward. I agree they don't have much depth on D, but their depth at forward is fine: Parise, Heatley, Koivu, Brodziak, Setoguchi, Cullen, PM Bouchard, Clutterbuck, Mitchell, and Grandlund and maybe Zucker coming in, I dare say that their forward "depth" might be better than ours.

So now David Poile is very disappointed and a little upset, misled perhaps. Says in all his negotiations with Suter beginning last year never once did Suter say location was his primary motivating factor. Now Suter says location was the big thing for him. So why does Poile feel a little misled ? Because had Suter said these things last January then Poile may have traded the big guy and gotten a return. Same scenario with Hamhuis. Hamhuis only said he wanted to test FA but when he signed with the Canucks, actually left money on the table to do so, he said it was location that motivated him.

I don't see how it's the same scenario with Hamhuis. The Preds never offered Hamhuis a 6 year contract worth $4.5M a year. And judging from Rinne's contract structure, the Preds likely wouldn't have offered Hamhuis the signing bonuses found in Hamhuis' contract. So while Hamhuis might have left money on the table, Poile never came close. The only ones that might have felt misled were Holmgren and Shero.

[Aaronp18]

Doesn't make much difference for Calgary. Sure, the Wild have gotten stronger, but other teams have either not improved or regressed, so it's a wash.

Sure, if you're opinion is that Calgary hasn't regressed.

[Eddy Punch Clock]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=399913
And the NW division just got a lot more interesting.

Not for Calgary.

Doesn't make much difference for Calgary. Sure, the Wild have gotten stronger, but other teams have either not improved or regressed, so it's a wash.

I'm talking the NW. Who has regressed?

I think Calgary are NW bottom feeders for the foreseeable future. If they squeak by Edmonton this upcoming season, they won't the next.

[Lancer]

So now David Poile is very disappointed and a little upset, misled perhaps. Says in all his negotiations with Suter beginning last year never once did Suter say location was his primary motivating factor. Now Suter says location was the big thing for him. So why does Poile feel a little misled ? Because had Suter said these things last January then Poile may have traded the big guy and gotten a return. Same scenario with Hamhuis. Hamhuis only said he wanted to test FA but when he signed with the Canucks, actually left money on the table to do so, he said it was location that motivated him.

So the lesson here is for GM's to really know what motivates these guys and act accordingly.

Poile felt all along he could re-sign Suter but it appears that he really never had a chance. That has him feeling disappointed and a little misled along the way.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall when he talks with Weber about a new deal.

Funny how Nashville players are bailing on the team when they go FA, while I heard that the perception was that players love it in Nashville and loved playing for No-Neck. Something tells me there was quite the PR/marketing job going on trying to sell the organization to players through the media, etc. Guess the players aren't buying it anymore.

Love to know what Weber is thinking right now. Something tells me the Preds are ripe for an implosion unless Poile works some magic. Not so much that Suter left but the dynamics of that departure as HW alludes.

As for the Wild, Fletcher must have done one hell of a sell job of the organization and its long-term plans considering the term of the contracts. Parise and Suter must believe that Minny will be a contender for a long time. Either that or the guaranteed annual lottery winning till they retire. We'll see how much the help they Wild in the standings this year.

Let the other dominoes fall, already! I want to get on with my summer!

[Boston Canucker]

Well, if the new CBA involves the realignment plan set out earlier this year, the Canucks and Flames will only have to be bothered with the Wild for one year.

These are great pickups for the Wild, no doubt. Now, do they have the goaltending? Is the team deep enough? Apparently got a number of young guys coming up, we'll see. The Wild will be pre-season faves to win our division, especially with Kesler out for a while and the whole changing of our goalie guard. Will make things fun.

[Eddy Punch Clock]

I'm actually looking forward to divisional games this season. No more cakewalks.

[$lacker]

Only 24? There is a 23 player limit on rosters during the season so they are just fine.

Sorry that should have read 20 players under contract.... 2 of which are rookies on entry level deals.

[Canuck-One]

Wow what an offensive explosion in Minny. Just a few years ago they were so boring to watch that I passed up free tickets. If we are to counter this we'll have to get a couple of good players back in the Luongo trade.

[Uncle dans leg]

The Wild were the top team in the NHL to start this past season until the most epic regular season collapse in recent memory happened. Adding a top forward and defenseman cant hurt whatsoever.
Gotta think they'll give us a run this year for top in the division.

[coco_canuck]

If we are to counter this we'll have to get a couple of good players back in the Luongo trade.

There's no need to respond to Minnesota.

We're still significantly better than the Wild.

Btw, if realignment passes under the new collective bargaining agreement, the Wild won't be in our division after this upcoming season.

[Jovocop]

The Wild were the top team in the NHL to start this past season until the most epic regular season collapse in recent memory happened. Adding a top forward and defenseman cant hurt whatsoever.
Gotta think they'll give us a run this year for top in the division.

Like the Leafs, they overachieved at the beginning of the season. Once the injuries started, they dropped like dead flies...

[Uncle dans leg]

The Wild were the top team in the NHL to start this past season until the most epic regular season collapse in recent memory happened. Adding a top forward and defenseman cant hurt whatsoever.
Gotta think they'll give us a run this year for top in the division.

Like the Leafs, they overachieved at the beginning of the season. Once the injuries started, they dropped like dead flies...

I watched them play and they were on fire. It wasn't flukey bounces or undeserved wins...they were a good team.

I'm more inclined to think they fell from grace rather than overachieved.

[Diehard1]

So now David Poile is very disappointed and a little upset, misled perhaps. Says in all his negotiations with Suter beginning last year never once did Suter say location was his primary motivating factor. Now Suter says location was the big thing for him. So why does Poile feel a little misled ? Because had Suter said these things last January then Poile may have traded the big guy and gotten a return. Same scenario with Hamhuis. Hamhuis only said he wanted to test FA but when he signed with the Canucks, actually left money on the table to do so, he said it was location that motivated him.

So the lesson here is for GM's to really know what motivates these guys and act accordingly.

Poile felt all along he could re-sign Suter but it appears that he really never had a chance. That has him feeling disappointed and a little misled along the way.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall when he talks with Weber about a new deal.

It's hard to feel too badly for the Preds - they knew that Suter could walk and they didn't lock him up, so they were playing with fire. They knew the risks and decided to keep Suter, now they got burned.

Now, if they do the same thing with Weber and can't sign him this summer but hold onto him, they are complete idiots. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice..........

[Jovocop]

The Wild were the top team in the NHL to start this past season until the most epic regular season collapse in recent memory happened. Adding a top forward and defenseman cant hurt whatsoever.
Gotta think they'll give us a run this year for top in the division.

Like the Leafs, they overachieved at the beginning of the season. Once the injuries started, they dropped like dead flies...

I watched them play and they were on fire. It wasn't flukey bounces or undeserved wins...they were a good team.

I'm more inclined to think they fell from grace rather than overachieved.

If they were that good, they would not be bottom feeders for most part of the season, would they? Good teams find ways to maintain their level of plays instead of just the beginning of the season.