2010 NHL Draft Wild Thoughts

This weekend is important for the Minnesota Wild. On June 25 and 26, the Wild have a chance to select at least seven players in the 2010 NHL Draft. With four picks within the first seventy, Minnesota has a great opportunity to select some impact players. After losing star forward Marian Gaborik last offseason to free agency, the Wild really need some goal scoring forwards. They only had 4 players score 20 goals or more last season, with Guillaume Latendresse netting 27 for the team lead. If the Wild are going to contend with the NHL's best, they will need more depth at forward. A talented forward who can put the puck in the net is just what the fanbase could use.

The last two first round picks have been defensemen, one of which they traded in Nick Leddy. Minnesota has some quality players at defense right now with Marek Zidlicky, Cam Barker, Brent Burns, Greg Zanon, Nick Schultz, and prospects Tyler Cuma and Marco Scandella ready to come up. The first pick Minnesota will have will be the #9 spot in the 1st round. Some options at #9 are forwards Brett Connolly, Jeff Skinner, Nino Niederreiter, Ryan Johansen, Alex Burmistrov, and Mikael Granlund. The general consensus is that the Wild will definitely select a forward this year and the hope is that player can be the star they desire. Definitely an exciting weekend for a Wild fan.

Did the Minnesota Wild ever have a chance at the NHL Playoffs?

I know that looking backwards is not helpful, and that when you do take a moment to reflect your hindsight is always 20/20... however, with the NHL Playoffs taking place sans The MN Wild, it has been hard to keep looking to the future.

There has been a lot of speculation as to why the Minnesota Wild even with a new coach and game plan were not more competitive this season. Some Wild Analysts have even gone as far to say that Richards should get the boot, after promising things he didn't deliver. I am of the opinion, however, that Minnesota Wild fans may have set their expectations too high this season.

In any sport, if the term "re-building" is thrown around, fans should immediately expect a 2 to 3 season change. A franchise is a big thing to change overnight. When Todd Richards stepped up to coach the Minnesota Wild, I don't think he had any intention of having an overwhelmingly successful season. In fact, my guess is that he is pretty happy with how the season went... the Wild won some, they lost some but most importantly they got the feel of the new style of skating and playing that Coach Richards wants to implement.

So to the Minnesota Wild fans how are disappointed the Wild is not playing in the playoffs, I would like you to take a moment and re-evaluate what you expected out of the season... and perhaps think about what it would have taken to get there.

Bouchard ready to get back with the Wild

Pierre-Marc Bouchard has had a rough couple of seasons since he suffered a concussion in the 2008-09 season with the Wild. That season, Bouchard was forced to sit out the last eight games and his injury carried on to this past season where he missed out on a total of 81 games. The effects to his body, from the concussion, have been never ending for Bouchard and have kept him from even exercising. Bouchard is ready to get back on the ice as soon as possible. It is going to be quite a challenge to recover, not only from this injury, but from missing out on an entire season’s worth of practice and games with his team. Bouchard is hoping to work hard this summer to get back to his original, if not improved, state.

Koivu captures Minnesalsa title

Wild Captain Mikko Koivu was deemed the Minnesalsa Player of the Week after making three points over the three games last week, including two against the Dallas Stars on Sunday. Over this past Wild season, Koivu had 22 goals and 49 assists. This was Mikko Koivu’s first win of the Minnesalsa title this season, while Guillaume Latendresse has captured four and Andrew Brunette has three.

Todd Richards and his future with the Wild

As the second head coach in the 10 years of the Wild franchise, Todd Richards is a little disappointed with the outcome of his first year. However, Richards sees a bright future with the Wild. Rebuilding a team is a tough job and if the General Manager Chuck Fletcher can scrounge up another top scorer the Wild may have a shot at greatness next season. Don't mention next year to Todd Richards yet though. He needs to get through tomorrow and Saturday's game first. Go Wild!

Wild fly to Philly

The Wild players are on their way to Philadelphia right now, about a fourth way there to be precise, to play the Flyers tomorrow night. The Philly Flyers lead the MN Wild by only two games and are coming off of a three game losing streak. The last time the Wild played the Flyers was at the Xcel and they beat them 2-0. Let's hope they can find their way to the net on the Flyers home ice. Good luck!

One small goal for the Wild. One giant leap for Wellman

Casey Wellman, the new Minnesota Wild recruit, has made a great first impression as a rookie on the team. Wellman has only been with the Wild for a week after two seasons with the University of Massachusetts hockey team and has already made strides in his career. Wellman only had to sit out two games before given the chance to prove himself and played his first game this past Friday in Columbus. Casey already scored his first point in his first game before the Wild lost 4-2. Wellman was also responsible in aiding the team yesterday against Calgary to a 4-3 win. I’m sure Casey Wellman is full of more surprises and is definitely a kid to keep your eye on in the last few months of regular season play for the Wild.

MN native signed on with the Wild

Nate Prosser, an Elk River native and avid Wild fan, has recently signed a one year deal with the Minnesota Wild. Since he was in high school, Prosser would attend games at the Xcel Center frequently to see his favorite players in action. Nate Prosser couldn't be more ecstatic for the chance to experience a game on the other side of the glass with "the Wild logo on his chest". Nate recently graduated from Colorado College and immediately signed on as a free-agent with the Wild. Although he won't get immediate play time, since the team is striving hard for a chance in the play-offs, Nate Prosser will still be working side-by-side with the team to get adjusted to the pro-level of hockey.

The Wild have signed U of Mass player

Casey Wellman is a center hockey player fresh out of the University of Massachusetts. After battling about two dozen teams for Wellman's attention, the Wild were able to sign him. Casey Wellman is only a sophomore, and will receive a $90,000 signing bonus and the pro-rated portion of $810,000 in salary for the remainder of this season. Casey Wellman will be Spending the rest of the season in Minnesota, whether he is active on the roster or not. Wellman said that Chuck Fletcher was the reason he finally chose the MN Wild stating, "He's a great guy; he made me feel wanted."

REMIND ME AGAIN WHY I DIDN'T PRACTICE MORE?!

Rare Win on the Road

The Minnesota Wild played the Sabers last night in New York and managed to capture a road win. Despite giving up 5 goals the day before against Detroit, the Wild coaches decided to give Josh Harding a chance to redeem himself. Well, Harding pulled through with 43 saves and helped the Wild beat the Sabers 3-2. Harding may have some shoes to fill, now that Niklas Backstrom is injured, so maybe the Wild coaches won't let Harding go a month without playing in a game next time.

Wild recall Petr Kalus

Petr Kalus has been recalled by the Minnesota Wild, as General Manager Chuck Fletcher announced today. Kalus has been recalled for the right wing position from the Houston Aeros and onto the active roster for the Wild.

Petr Kalus (pronounced PEE-tuhr, KAY-lus) is 22 years old and a Czech Republic native. Since beginning his time on the Houston Aeros team, Kalus has played in 53 games this season. Kalus is a powerhouse on the ice and has been working his way up the ranks since 2008. No. 23 Petr Kalus is excited for this opportunity and will not let the MN Wild fans down in the remaining games of the season.

Wild lose momentum

Although the Wild was able to beat the Calgary Flames last week, the Flames managed to one up them this past Sunday. Jarome Iginla, of the Flames, recorded his tenth career hat trick against the Wild while Vesa Toskala made 27 saves in his first start with Calgary. Iginla has become the all-time leading scorer against MN even though he hasn't had a goal against them since mid-2008. The Wild will have to watch their backs the next time they play the Flames, because Iginla is on fire! Luckily Guillaume Latendresse was able to capture a couple goals, which took away the shootout from Calgary. Tune in tonight to catch the Wild play the Florida Panthers!

Wild off to a good start vs. Calgary

The Wild dominated the Calgary Flames last night with a 4-0 end on their own turf... or ice i should say. After Niklas Backstrom and Mikka Kiprussoff played side beside on the Finland team during the Olympics, everything changed last night when they went against each other in Calgary. Backstrom captured his second shutout of the season with 29 saves. This win is a great boost for the Wild morale, especially since the last eight games on the road were losses. Lets hoep they can keep it up!

Chance at the Playoffs?

The Minnesota Wild have 21 games left and to make it to the playoffs, they need to win every one of them...or at least the majority of them. The Wild know quite well asking for a 21-0 in the last stint of the regular season is not realistic. As of now, the MN Wild are 13th in points in their conference and cannot afford to falter in the next few games against Calgary (tonight at 10 p.m.) and Edmonton. These will be important games to keep building the momentum.

Wild's 400th game at the Xcel

The Minnesota Wild will play their 400th game at Xcel Energy Center this coming Sunday against the Calgary Flames. The Wild hope to continue their sellout streak to 400 games, which would be the longest in the NHL and the 3rd longest in league history. With 27 preseason games, 13 playoff contests and 359 regular season matches, the MN Wild are confident of their loyal fan base. During the first season for the MN Wild, they set an NHL expansion team attendance record when they drew 751,472 fans in 41 regular season contests.


Buy your tickets for the game or tune in at 2 p.m. on March 7 to catch the action!

USA upsets Canada 503

The Wild may have a break, but the Olympic players have not. If you missed the USA vs. Canada game this past Sunday, you really missed out. Canada was under the impression that the game was in the bag...before losing to the US 5-3. This was the biggest shock they never saw coming. This win for the US marked the first against Canada in the Olympic games since 1960. Ironically, the USA team had decided to wear replicas of the jerseys worn during that 1960s game vs Canada, which was also the last time we had captured the gold medal. The reason for the shock may also be due to the shots on goal, since Canada had doubled that of the USA (45 and 22). After the game, the streets of Vancouver were sullen and quiet while the Canadians were trying to wrap their heads around such a big upset to their country. Go USA!

Minnesota vs. Vancouver

Anyone catch the game this past Sunday at the Xcel Energy Center? I was so happy to see the Wild finally beat the Canucks this season, especially after being owned the past three games we played them. Vancouver may have been a little to eagar to get to their Olympic break in the season. They ended up giving seven powerplays up to the Wild, which really kick started the Wild into gear. This game was also great for Niklas Backstrom, who left the Xcel Energy Center with his first win in over three weeks. A 6-2 win is exactly what the Wild needed to show Vancouver they've made great strides this season. This game also had some great fights. If you missed the one where Boogaard just slams a player into the boards, I have it right here for you. (Who would take on Boogaard anyways?!)

Next year in Finland

I heard today that the MN Wild will be launching next year's season in Finland! Their first two games will be against the Carolina Hurricanes in Helsinki on October 7 and 8. Four other NHL teams will have their inaugural games in Europe as well (Sweden and the Czech Republic).

These games will be such a treat for Mikko Koivu, Antti Meittinen and Niklas Backstrom, since they are all Finland natives. These three are also on the Finnish Olympic hockey team this year.

I want tickets! Who wants to go to Finland with me?

Dubielewicz reasigned

Wade Dubielwicz, a MN Wild goaltender, has been reasigned for the second time to the Houston Aeros of the AHL. MN Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher announced yesterday to the NHL of the team's decision. Right now, Dubielwicz is 12-10-0 with a 2.36 GAA and a .910 save percentage in 25 games with Houston this season. We'll have to wait and see if he can pick it up a bit, and be brought back onto the MN Wild roster.

Hot Minnesalsa Player of the Week

So every week, the Minnesota Wild chooses a stand-out player that deserves a little recognition. Josh Harding, the goalie for the Wild, was recognized this week for his incredible saves and his die-hard attitude. Harding had started two out of the three games last week and, despite a hip injury, stopped 26 out of 28 shots against the Red Wings. With little rest and a lot of pain, Harding battled it out the very next night against Colorado and scored himself the first shutout for him this season. Lets hear it for Harding!