Schultz undergoes appendectomy
Posted on April 7th, 2008 – 7:24 PMBy Michael Russo
The Wild’s blue line has taken a severe blow with the playoffs beginning Wednesday against Colorado.
Defenseman Nick Schultz underwent a successful appendectomy tonight at a local Twin Cities hospital. He is resting comfortably.
GM Doug Risebrough wouldn’t guess how long Schultz will be out, but this is clearly a long-term absence. In 2004-05, Mikko Koivu missed 12 games after undergoing an appendectomy. This season, Colorado’s Paul Stastny missed 15 games due to an appendectomy.
Schultz traveled here to Denver for Sunday’s game, but he thought he had a stomach virus and didn’t play. He came to Xcel Energy Center on Monday morning for the team photo but immediately left.
It was later discovered he had appendicitis.
This is a monumental blow to the team, and not to send you all into an emotional tizzy, but a potential series killer.
Schultz is the Wild’s most reliable, consistent defenseman. He’s turned into a shutdown guy, and like the 2003 quarterfinals, he was going to be assigned the ice every time Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg hopped the boards.
Now, the Wild will have to go with loads and loads and loads of Kim Johnsson, Brent Burns and Martin Skoula against guys like Sakic, Forsberg, Stastny, Hejduk, Wolski, etc.
Keith Carney and Sean Hill will see more ice, and Petteri Nummelin is now in.
Nummelin’s had three assists in six games this season vs. Colorado, and his speed actually could be a welcome thing. And, the Avs aren’t the most physical team. Let’s put it this way: It’s better Nummelin’s not playing every night against Calgary.
The Wild won’t be calling anybody up. Until your minor-league is eliminated, you only get four callups. The Wild has already used two with Steve Kelly and Benoit Pouliot. So it won’t take the risk of calling up anybody else until it’s absolutely necessary.
319 Responses to "Schultz undergoes appendectomy"
well that just stinks…first, best to Nick on a full and speedy recovery.
But, oh man, we just lost a HUGE piece of the puzzle - and the damn tournament hasn’t even started yet!
This S*CKS! Guess that answers the question of whether or not Nummelin plays.
The hockey gods are conspiring against us.
I am in shock.
Hoping for a full and speed recovery, also. We are going to miss him for sure.
Oh s***.
NiNY…amen.
I hope Nick is back in time for the 2nd round. Disposition of the Aged might take a little longer without him.
Carpe Diem, Marty!
Well our thoughts to Nick and a full recovery.
Time for Nummi to step up (as well as Hill and Carney).
Best wishes from the family, and I Schultzy.
Didn’t someone bring up having Rammer work with Voros on the blue line? This probably means Demo 100% at center.
CRAP.
Assuming the Wild can overcome this, ah, slight setback… I think it’s going to be about three weeks before he could play.
That’s just gotta suck for Schultz. Right before the playoffs? That’s just gotta be killing him.
With a good recovery he’ll be back in time for the Western Conference Finals
I have to make jokes because otherwise I’m going to be very sad.
Paging Marty the Minute Muncher!
The hockey gods are conspiring against Schultz. They guy rarely misses a game then he’s out for round 1.
Heh… Free Carney!
so…what does this mean?
Our defense is now:
Burns
Johnsson
Skoula
Carney
Hill
Nummelin
the ramifications of this are extremely far-reaching within our lineup.
Skoula is now a 25+ minute player, to go along with Burns and Johnsson.
And we need one of Carney, Hill and Nummy to step up and “earn” high-teens minutes at least.
I think you also tell Brent to conserve energy when he can, knowing that he’s going to be needed so much. So that limits his offense.
Maybe Radio can play defense?
Is Reitz a possibility?
DR had talked about bringing up Reitz, but it is hard to see how you call a guy up from Houston and toss him into the playoffs.
We’ll see Nummi plus Hill and carney are going to have to step up and put in some quality minutes.
It was true before the Schultz situation, but we are going to need Backstrom at the top of his game.
So, if you’re squeezing 25+ out of Skoula, Burns and Johnsson that’s 75 minutes…the way I see it you need to fill 45 minutes (and pray for no OT).
Can Carney, Hill and Nummy play 15 minutes a game?
get well soon schultzie. and as much as you, and we will want you back asap, don’t come back before you are ready.
a test of our character. schultz is an important piece to the machine. sometimes it is adversity that prompts others to elevate. I think carney and hill are those players.
this also magnifies the foster injury, one that didn’t have to happen.
but it is hard to see how you call a guy up from Houston and toss him into the playoffs.
i think he needs to be here incase it become clear that the current crop can’t cut it and incase a groin goes bad. call him up now so he is here and is on the same page even if not playing.
Everybody is going to need to step-up. Forwards, too.
this also magnifies the foster injury, one that didn’t have to happen.
at the risk of re-opening that Pandora’s Box, you are absolutely right.
Poor Schultzie. If the club thought he had the flu before, we now know know his appendix was probably inflamed pretty severely (I know from personal experience, so I can empathize with Schultz.)
This illness puts this series in a whole new light. With no realistic help available from Houston (”Houston, hello”) having Voros as ‘emergency D’ may be our only realistic opportunity. Reitz will probably have to stay in Houston until the Aeros are out of the Calder Cup playoffs.
Now what to do?
So the wild get to start round 1 without two of their top 4 d-men. Who broke the mirror?
WRT: Voros maybe, lots of Statler and Waldorf, plus Nummy…I don’t see as we have much choice.
This sucks. Everyone will have to be on their game defensively. The forwards will not be able to gamble like they might have knowing that schultzie was manning the blue-line.
They better call up Reitz just to have another body.
I hope for a speedy recovery for Nick but I feel that the Wild can play a strong defensive game as a team and handle the Av’s.
Well, we are star-crossed. Team playing really well and we lose 2 D including our #2 D. Well, we are screwed especially now that we are playing a team that moves the puck well. On reflection with this loss we might have been better off with the Flames. But, time for Nummi to step up. Voros will not play D but I can’t imagine they won’t call Reitz up. Damnation. You know, we could have lost a forward and lived–not a key D.
Eric Reitz should get the call up soon. He is the best defensman, and who cares about Houston ? I think Nummilen will be just fine against Colorado,as a matter of a fact I think he will better then good against them. So thank Colorado for getting a point against the Wild because Calgary would force you to put Reitz in
Reitz isn’t even playing in Houston yet. High ankle sprain. He’s been out for ages.
I’d put Reitz in anyway, no way he’s worse than Nummelin.
Thanks Ms….Rockybo: I really don’t have a problem with Nummy - especially against a team like Colorado that isn’t a bunch of thumpers like a Calgary or Anaheim.
Ouch guys, sorry to hear that. Hope Schultz recovers quickly.
Pray for no extended OT games…
Rockybo, what’s so bad about Nummy? iirc, everytime he has been in lately he has scored a point. Still, losing Schultz is a HUGE loss.
Carney is well rested, remember all the scratches.. He will be good for 20min Nummi will do just fine vs the avs…
Schultzie get well soon we need ya later on.
Wild still win 4-2
Is it wed yet
ATX, Busy trying to switch flights to get into Austin on Sat so I can see Fri. game. AiH, Sent the patch to you today–the team of 18,000 patch.
God bless you, Walt.
Wow, is that a major blow. Frick!
Well, guess it’s a good thing Nummy didn’t go back to Europe already. He’ll get a chance to play now.
how do you say “peace offering” in Swedish? 
We need 120 minutes total or 20 per playee.
If Burns, Johnsson and Skoula get 25, Old, Older and Little would only have to go 15 per.
Statler and Waldorf…good thing we have Animal and Dr. Teeth back there with them… 
or Finnish, for that matter… :/
playee = player…sheesh.
right on kj… and stay out of the box.
our D will be fine.
Jacques is going to have to super-glue Burns’ gloves to his hands.
Nail on head, Walt - we can’t be killing a ton of penalties in this series or our d-men will just wear down. They might just wear down anyway.
Lubomir Sekeras available?
I was watching the TSN playoff preview and saw this news scroll on the screen bottom and about fell out of my chair. Terrible news.
Get well Schultz.
Like Ms Conduct said, Reitz hasn’t played in at least month and is still out. There isn’t much help in Houston on the D side. DR knew that, which is why the Wild carried 8 NHL defenseman all season.
Thanks for the patch woodcock!!
The Pio just reported that DR will not call up a D-men because they are limited to 4 call ups and have used it on Kelley and Pouliot.
If all else fails Hill can go back on the juice and play 35min J/K
Yeah, the Wild will need to stay out of the box (unless it is one of the aforementioned 3… :P). It would be a mistake to try and insert Voros or a Houston callup onto the blue line at this late date.
I think that does solidify Demitra at center - perhaps JL will do less line shuffling and keep him with Gaborik and Fridge.
I also think we see Koivu, Belanger and Sheppard - with the kid getting a few more minutes.
Burns/Yoda
Johnsson/Hill
Skoula/Nummelin
Spot Burns/Johnsson/Skoula to get them their extra minutes.
Radio/Koivu/SRV
Gaborik/Demitra/Fridge
Rolston/Belanger/PMB
Simon/Shep/Boogaard or Parrish
Last change dictates the matchups but try to keep one of the top 2 lines on Sakic/Forsberg/Stasny
2 of the 4 guys on the TSN panel picked Colorado in the first round, and this was before the Schultz news because they didn’t mention it during the injury rundown.
AiH:
They just don’t know yet. Defense by Committee more than ever!
Well… at least they have two days to map out a new plan.
No one respects the Wild - especially from TSN. They have trashed them all season long.
JL knows that he will need to get Nummelin ready. Hill and Carney as well.
He’ll need to rein in Burns a bit and keep Johnsson moving the puck.
We will definitely need Good Marty.
We will definitely need Good Marty.
actually, it’s time to rekindle this fire…last playoffs I made a peace with Marty because we so desperately needed his playoff experience. Turns out we REALLY needed him to channel Eddie Shore instead, but oh well.
I am officially firing up the Russoville “We Love Marty Skoula” bandwagon again. Any may join. The only stipulation is that, once you’re on, you can only send good thoughts to Marty - as we need him at his very, very best.
As an added incentive, I’ll clear the Russoville Pub tab of anyone who joins up between now and gametime on Wednesday.
well, the Don’s right - this is a serious blow to their chances. Not that I think they needed it otherwise, but perhaps they use this as one more reminder to really, really focus when without the puck. Forwards have got to backcheck.
Also, we need our skill guys to really come through in the offensive end to take some of the pressure off. God, I hope Theodore is a sieve this series.
not that it’s worth a damn, but they’re still more talented than the team that knocked off the Avs in ‘03 - and the Avs are LESS-talented than that team.
kj - one guy (Mike Milbury?) was really defending the Wild. He kept commenting on the age of the Avs star players. He said something to the effect of this being a break out playoffs for the Wild.
The anchor of the show agreed picking the Wild as well.
Panger and the old dude on the end think the Avalanche are going to do some real damage.
I missed Maggie the Monkey’s pick. She spins a wheel and comes up with her picks.
Can I say thank god he didn’t play on Sunday? I don’t want to even think about what would have had happen to him, his family, and the team.
Nick - put me on the bandwagon. Time to stick it to the ol’ squad Skoula!
Get a tab going while you’re at it. I’ll have to put up the 401k for collateral in case things turn ugly.
NiNY…I’m ordering a triple before I sign up…deal???
I am not going to order a Skoula jersey tho…
Aaron: I think your work as Aeros correspondent is worth a few pops on the house at the Russoville Pub.
best of luck to Schultz and his family. 15k+ fans are pulling for your full/quick recovery.
and here’s to a 4-game sweep to give the seniors as much rest as possible.
NiNY - i’m “this close” to jumping on the WLMS bandwagon, but i feel tremendous guilt over some of the (many) things i’ve said/felt the last couple years…but i’m working on it.
Finn, I’ve said enough bad things about Marty along the way that, trust me, I feel you.
But it’s kind of cathartic to reach enlightenment on him, too. 
Get well Nick..
I don’t think this is as bad as it seems, if good Marty makes an extended appearance. I think Hill and Carney will be up to the task they know what it takes in the playoffs. Maybe this can turn into a “Let’s Play Hard for Nick” kinda theme.
Go, Skoula, Go!
Oh and NINY, count me in on that bandwagon…will be channeling positive energy to Marty
Please Marty, Light our darkest hour..
But it’s kind of cathartic to reach enlightenment on him, too.
Martin Skoula and Nirvana, I’m not sure what you just did here Nick. One thing is for sure, your mind and hockey are working in ways I can’t even begin to understand.
Skoula = Nirvana
Find your inner Skoula and you will discover harmony within yourself.
lol AiH…I don’t need harmony, man, I just want to see the Wild beat the Avs!
AiH: Have you lost you mind? Skoula = Nirvana? No. Just plain ol’ NO.
I wish Marty well. I sincerely hope he becomes ‘Marty’s Excellent Adventure’, for the team’s sake. But I steadfastly REFUSE to get on any ‘We Love Martin Skoula’ bandwagon.
A zebra can’t change its’ stripes. (Ask Mick McGeough.) I can’t change who I am.
And I wish Martin Skoula was somewhere else! (Sorry, Russoville.)
I’m on the Marty bandwagon. Nothing but good vibes for our favorite D-man.
“Harness in the good energy, block out the bad. Harness. Energy. Block. Bad. It’s like a carousel. You put the quarter in, you get on the horse, it goes up and down, and around. Circular, circle. Feel it. Go with the flow.”
So I finally have a chance to get on here to catch up and what do I find. Time has been turned back a week and some joker is telling me that Schultzie is out for the series and possibly longer. Please pinch me and I thought I had nightmares about the Doodelbops!
Best wishes to Schultz for a speedy recovery.
NiNY - OK, this is what I want to do. Put me on Mr. Martin Skoula’s bandwagon. I’m very sorry about all the bad things I have said and thought about your play. From now on I’m conviced that you can play 25+ minutes/game. Martin, remember these are the guys that didn’t want you. Give it back to them where it hurts.
Secondly, I don’t speak Finnish but if Swedish will do send Nummi my way and I will explain how wrong we where about him. As long as you will keep the Russoville bar tab open we can always offer him all the Lapinkulta he wants as a “fredslosen” (peace offering in Swedish).
NiNY - but if i purge my emotions toward Marty, doesn’t that mean i’d have to do it for others, too? couldn’t that lead to accepting (at least some) responsibility for things that don’t go my way? i’m not sure i’m ready for that type of commitment. it’s much easier pretending i know everything and blaming others…
Respectfully WRT I think the Skoula bashing has gotten a bit old. He’s had his bad moments “there’s no doubt” (Jaques accent). But I honestly think there’s been more good than bad lately. Let’s embrace what we have. Live for the moment.
$#^%$ &%$#, what horse$#@& luck!
That changes things, but I still think the Wild is a better TEAM! They play better with a little adversity however this is a lot more than they need.
Finn: if those “others” can play 25 minutes on the blueline for us, then yes. Otherwise, you’re free to keep on hatin’.
WRT: I respect your steadfastness, brother.
BDS: Way to represent the Tre Kronor!
Kirk: LMAO…
Kirk Wise: While I espect (and, admire) your opinion, the old adage still rings true:
“Fool me once, shame on you;
Fool me twice, shame on ME.”
Your right Kirk Wise, good teams to overcome these difficulties.
WRT: time change tomorrow…check the board.
i don’t want to be a hater, man…and i don’t need harmony. i just want to see the Wild beat the Avs!
Point taken WRT.
But don’t you mean: “There’s an old saying in Tennessee — I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.”
that adrian dater at the avs forum has already posted on Schultzie too…as usual, his blog is just buzzing.
Kirk Wise - i think we’re looking for a different kind of W here…
Alright, Marty… this is your moment to shine as the minute-munching shutdown defenseman. Let’s see it!
Kirk Wise: While I espect (and, admire) your opinion, the old adage still rings true:
“Fool me once, shame on you;
Fool me twice, shame on ME.”
And of course, Roger Daltrey said “We don’t get fooled again”…
A different kind of ‘W’. Nice. I’m going to dream up some good mojo for Skoula, and the boys.
G’nite Russoville.
Still looking for takers to play fantasy hockey. We’ve got 4 so far. E Mail me.
My God - just looking at that Adrian dater blog. If this space ever turns into that ….
i’m not sure i’m ready for that type of commitment. it’s much easier pretending i know everything and blaming others..
Finn that was f’ing hilarious! I’ll steal that line as the situation warrants.
HD, I warned ya, I warned ya..and my F#@!ing italics didn’t work right..that last line above shouldn’t have italices.
gonna practice
i’m not sure i’m ready for that type of commitment. it’s much easier pretending i know everything and blaming others…
Finn that was f’ing hilarious! I’ll steal that line as the situation warrants.
gonna practice
i’m not sure i’m ready for that type of commitment. it’s much easier pretending i know everything and blaming others…
Finn that was f’ing hilarious! I’ll steal that line as the situation warrants.
gonna practice
i’m not sure i’m ready for that type of commitment. it’s much easier pretending i know everything and blaming others…
Finn that was f’ing hilarious! I’ll steal that line as the situation warrants.
damn it
Time to do some Herbies, phil… practice isn’t going well for you.
Kevin: Love The Who. Excellent song.
As Gabby & Demo break on a two on one we’ll be singing “And the parting on the left(wing)Is now the parting on the right(wing)”.
And when playoff hockey begins we say “and the beards have all grown longer overnight”.
I’m way ahead of ya Kevin..am at the HTML page studying up!
Just thinking of some possible emergency d-men. Do you guys think JL could turn Fedoruk into a servicable D if needed? He has the size, fairly soft hands and should be able to handle forecheckers, thoughts?
ok testing testing did it work?
oh yeah! got it now!
BDS, don’t know, G* probably would though.
way to go, Phil!
Schultz is a plus-9 this season and a career plus-34. He led the Wild in blocked shots (147) for the third year in a row and was second with 101 hits.
I am surprised that Schultz is #2 in hits. Assuming that #1 is SRV, I thought it would have been Burns.
I can feel it. It’s gonna be better than Good Marty. This series will go down as Marty’s Miracle. This moment of redemption… it is his destiny! Against Foppa no doubt, which kj foresaw (he will be here!). And Nummy… He will be money for us because the Wild need to get that shootout going for the playoffs, er I mean because there will be a power play or two and he’s going to set up at least two goals. Count ‘em!
Yes, I’ve been drinking tonight, but I don’t see what that has to do with anything. Bartender! Line ‘em up!
it wasn’t over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor, and it ain’t over here, either. not until the fat lady dances. or sings. whatever - line ‘em up.
The horror… the horror…
Nummy, Nummy, Nummy……
The sound at the X after Nummy scores a Powerplay goal to win game 1.
I have foreseen it…..
Now I really need some of that Kool-aid.
Sucks about Schultz. Strange that this news seems to have scattered the trolls.
Anyway, with Nummi onboard, it’s time to tap into some Finnish karma.
not until the fat lady dances. or sings
Rosie O in her chaps?
Sorry, couldn’t resist…
Look, I am shaken by the news of Schultz but I think that since we play defense by committee, we might be okay.
If everyone takes cares of both ends of the ice, stay of the box, Gaborik contains his temper, and we get early and often scoring, we can pull this off.
Its a blow but now its time for everyone to step it up and kick it up a notch. We will see the make up and character of this team. Fight to the end!
F*CK!
In your face! Eat it you corn fed dairy queens!
No disrespect to SAMPO but I think Lapinkulta can motivate Nummy much better.
Wait. Appendectomy? That does suck. I really feel for him.
I have heard that they can reverse those though, and he should be able to have children I’m sure.
thanks Finn!
Vasectomy/appendectomy. oops. Still, I’m sure he’ll still be able to carry many babies to full term like the other women on his team, and Boogard the trani hooker.
And phil.
Nummy just needs to invite Schultzee over for a sauna. He’ll be as good as gold in no time!
Consider, we did alright against the Avs (minus schultz) this last game when we weren’t particularly motivated to win and they were (lest they face SJ) + we played Harding…I think we’ll be ok..I’ll revise my prediction to 4-2 from 4-1 Wild in the series….maybe Marty and Floppy can duke it out?
Dave’s a mess.
For all those hoping for Schultz to return to the playoffs I wouldn’t count on it unless Wild make deep run in seven game series to Finals, MAYBE. My guess is they had to slice and dice rather than go in laproscopically (sp?). MUCH longer recovery, especially for a hockey player.
Look, I am shaken by the news of Schultz but I think that since we play defense by committee, we might be okay.
If everyone takes cares of both ends of the ice, stay of the box, Gaborik contains his temper, and we get early and often scoring, we can pull this off.
Its a blow but now its time for everyone to step it up and kick it up a notch. We will see the make up and character of this team. Fight to the end!
Interesting. Phil you’re a Star Wars guy, I remember. What’s that admiral Akbar quote from Jedi? Oh yeah “It’s a trap!”
Spoke too soon about the trolls.
Phil your right the Wild played a C game. Avs Played A game and did not look that good. Not to worried about the Avs.
More split personalities again…
But Dave’s out. Who’s gonna take his place?
So this sucks about Schultz. But as I like to keep a fairly even keel, here’s something that should lighten things up. Maybe we get this guy to take Lappy’s milkshake too!
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/play.shtml?mea=221737&dst=nbc|widget|NBC%20Video&__source=nbc|widget|NBC%20Video
Avs are dangerous but not big and punishing on D like Calgary would be…Bad Marty stays gone, Hill doesn’t go out of position to make a hit, we’ll do alright.
I agree with Claire, with re-hab/re-conditioning, Schultzie is out a minimum of 3 weeks..
For those who like hockey, there’s a positive story here: http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=359473
The league set a new attendance record, passing 21 million for the first time, 17,265 average and played to over 93% of capacity.
They credit us with 318 consecutive sellouts. For those of us who love the game and want to see it grow, it’s good news.
What I found interesting was that this year was the first time the Penguins sold out all their home games. That’s since 1967 — 41 years.
Do you guys think JL could turn Fedoruk into a servicable D if needed?
not sure if he can skate backwards
As big a piece of the puzzle that Schultz is, I don’t think this will be a huge negative impact. As long as the other D-men play the game JL tells them to, they’ll be fine.
He definitely leaves big skates to fill, but I disagree with the Don on this being a series killer.
VoR: I don’t think this is series killer, but I would love to get ahold of a bag of whatever it is you are smokin’ if you don’t think this will have a huge negative impact on the team. You simply CANNOT take your most steady defensive, defenseman off the ice against the Avs and not expect it to have an impact.
DB - Don’t confuse “Huge hole in the lineup” with “Huge negative impact”. Schultz leaves a huge hole in the lineup, but I think that the Wild can still play their game.
I said earlier that the Wild would take Colorado in 4 or 5. I revise that to the Wild winning in 5 or 6.
Not sure if anyone’s linked this yet, but that Adrian Dater dude at the Denver Post had actually picked the Wild to win the series before Schultzie’s appendectomy:
http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2008/04/07/why-i-picked-the-wild/
VoR: I think the Wild can still win the series, but the entire team is going to have to help shoulder the loss with more team defense. Can’t expect a guy like Nummie, who’s about as tough as JL’s wife, to do the same job on Floppa as Schultz would have. A good start tomorrow night is going to be important; will help reassure the team that everything is going to be fine. Wild will have to make sure to capitalize on its chances which will no doubt be plentiful the way the Avs’ forwards DO NOT back check.
I was just browsing the Adrian Dater blog.
They are all turning against him because he picked the Wild over the Avs - hilarious.
Stephane Veilleux, Branko Radivojevic and Mikko Koivu. Along with being one of the all-time hard-to-pronounce lines…
Hard to pronounce? The only one there that is hard to pronounce is Radio and that’s easy once you’ve heard it a few times. You want hard to pronounce try Roy.
I don’t even want Nummi on the ice at the same time as Floppa, Deep. I want Burnsie out on the ice every time Floppa is. KJ had some good ideas on D pairings above:
Burns/Yoda
Johnsson/Hill
Skoula/Nummi
I think these combos do the best job of maximizing strengths/covering weaknesses.
Note: I realize Roy no longer plays for the Avs. I was just using it as an example.
Not to blame DR but it sure would have been nice to have an extra D or another center at this point.
I’m pretty sure Koivu would do just fine playing D.
G* - LOL, I wasn’t sure the Fridge can skate backwards enough to fill that spot but hey he as done just about everything else they have asked him to do.
i was never really on an anti-skoula bandwagon so getting on a pro-skoula bandwagon to erase my bar tab sounds easy enough for me.
the team was going to need to work thru some adversity to win the cup. if we can battle thru this and win the series, it will provide a mighty big lift.
has anyone brought up sheppard as an emergency defenceman?
Not to blame DR but it sure would have been nice to have an extra D or another center at this point.
I was waiting for someone to go down this road. expected it more from a troll or mike and not BDS.
G* - No but the though have crossed my mind, really any of our centers should be able to play servicable as a D in JL’s system. They already play a fair amount bellow our goal line and move the puck out of the zone. I’m not sure I would want to put Shep in that situation as a rookie, but cannot say we have that many options at this point. Sort of ties into my entry about DR’s moves or non moves above.
has anyone brought up sheppard as an emergency defenceman?
I wouldn’t go there. Don’t want to mess with the kid’s development. I’d say give Voros or Foy a tryout. I think they can skate backwards.
No point in crying over what we don’t have now.
Not really blaming DR just bringing it up in light of our trade deadline complains as well as our limited options down at the farm. Now in fairness, who would have thunk that we would loose Foster, to a freak broken leg and Schultz to appendicitis. That’s just crazy.
At least Schultz got one last photo in with his appendix.
Doctor: “Nick, we need to remove your appendix immediately.”
Schultz: “No can do Doc, coach says I have a team photo at 3pm.”
Can you imagine the tuck tale job Lemaire is going to have to do now? “Hey, Nummy buddy, can we forget about benching you all season instead of releasing you to the Finnish Elite League and play 15 minutes a night of playoff intensity hockey?”
[…] (H/T: Mike Russo, superstar, Minneapolis Star Tribune) […]
Sort of ties into my entry about DR’s moves or non moves above.
up until 3 weeks ago we had 8 perfectly servicable defencemen. some of which were even good.
should DR have moved for a goalie because, well, backstrom and harding could have both gotten hurt along with this schafer kid?
There is only so much money and so many roster spots to go around. If 8 d-men isn’t enough, how many then?
I think we can all agree based on his PP point performance that we should NOT move Rolston to D even though he sure does like using his ‘cannon’.
I don’t think we need to try to move anyone back to D unless we have another D go down with an injury. Right now we have 6 D who are used to playing D and playing it in JL’s ’system’. IMO using them in the position they are comfortable with is much more preferable than moving a F back and expecting them to do well.
goody, i’m with you that no one needs to move anywhere unless one of the iron 6 goes down.
hill needs to play like he did for the edmonton/casucks/aves games recently at the X. no more brain farts. no more dumb penalties.
i brought up sheppard because of what BDS said, being a center, he plays as a third defensemen a lot as it is. he is probably our biggest center right now too.
on a related note:
i noticed that my local liquor store is selling fat tire in six packs of 12oz bottles for $8.29. haven’t worked out the cost per ounce but that is officially a little too rich for me. i like newcastle but rarely buy it because of the 6.99 tag on a six pack.
They also had cases but it wasn’t all fat tire but a variety pack from the brewery.
Fat Tire is a Colorado beer, too, G*. I don’t think you should drink it during this series.
Oy. Hope its not too late to change the bracket in your pools!
This sucks.
But, HEY, Whatever; They can do it. They shouldnt have won one series in 03, if you looked at the rosters. Same with Edmonton a couple years back. But they did. This could still be a special team and, hey, he could return by the end of the second round or so… Then we’re right back where we were yesterday, when alot of people were holding out hope we could make a cup run…
Goody - Green* - I agree completely. Why someone would consider moving a lifetime forward to defense for the playoffs is crazy when you have 6 D ready to go.
Nummelin: “I don’t know coach, I feel as good as I did when I was on the IR, are you sure you want me in?”
I think Hill and Carney will step up.
Time for the Skoula Show! I’ve heard early reviews and it is quite good. Some critics argue he has made his audience completely forget about Bad Skoula.
so is molson or did coors become a canadian beer?
Will Schultz and Foster flip a coin for the Let’s Play Hockey duties Wednesday night?
Maybe the Wild can just set up a triage center on the stage up there in the X and the damaged defenseman can hang out all game.
All I know is that the Wild went on a losing streak as soon as I bought Kokanee. So I’m sticking with Summit at least until the Wild’s run is over (preferably in mid June).
I don’t know about that, G*. I like this site a lot as a resource:
If you like hoppy beers like Fat Tire, have you ever tried Surly Furious? It’s brewed right here in Brooklyn Center. It can be a little hard to find, and it’s a little pricey. It also comes in cans, which may bother you if you prefer your beer in bottles. You can’t taste the can at all, though, IMHO.
G* - like I said no one could have forseen this to happen (loose 2 D to freak accidents and medical reasons)however with another C we would have more flexibility. Someone would have been moved to the farm to make room, like Foy.
Anyway I’m now officially off this topic. Like Goody said above it’s really water under the bridge.
Go Wild! Bring on the Lanche.
Aaron, Foster does Wed, then Schultzie does Friday gives him more time to be mobile after surgery. At least thats how I would split it up.
Way to go with Summit, VoR. That’s the spirit (no pun intended)!
can’s don’t bother me and surly’s is practically in my backyard.
i like newcastle and fat tire. don’t care much for summit or guiness.
well done bandgeek. future in event planning?
How about Schell’s G*? Local MN beer with many different styles. I like the Pale ale, the Fire Brick and the new Stout.
Now we can never go wrong with a Grain Belt either!
Who all is coming to the pre-game gathering at McGovern’s tomorrow?
i plan to attend. should be wearing an
unnumbered home iron range red, jeans and blue crocs.
Dave, I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to argue that your pun was intended.
GreenStar, I believe I saw an ad on the boards at the Pepsi Center for Crocs. You might want to rethink your footwear.
I had them before they put the ad up, but i will consider the request.
Parrish - another one to NOT move to D. Wouldn’t want him to have a brain fart and start tipping the Avs shots in front of OUR goalie!
IMO, there are better beers than Fat Tire available at about the same price or cheaper. If you like hoppy beer try Rush River Brewing Co’s ‘Bubblejack Pale Ale’. I really liked Schell’s Caramel Bock but haven’t seen it for awhile.
Last I checked, we have 6 defencemen.
No need to mess with Sheppard, Voros, et al on D.
If the hockey Gods frown upon the Wild once again and another D man gets hurt, the Wild will call up another D man.
This is a tremendous blow to the Wild’s defensive corps. However, it is an opportunity for Nummelin to play for another NHL contract. I’m thinking he will be motivated.
JL will maximize the strengths of each defenceman with the pairings and will double-shift his top 3.
It sux, but it is what it is.
Who knows, it may cause JL to revise his game plan and push the forecheck. The D men aren’t a problem when you’re not in your own zone.
Already in event planning, it’s part of what I do for the historic site I work at. I just have a natural gift I guess.
Depending on how the appendix was removed, Schultz “might” be able to return within 7-10 days. Rothlisberger was able to come back quickly…
If it was done with laparoscopes (minimally invasive), a chance. If it was done open (bigger incision, cutting muscle)then 3-4 weeks…
don’t care much for summit
That’s like saying you don’t care for Chevrolet. Even if you think one isn’t that great, with the multitude of options, you should find something in the lineup to like.
LOL, Aaron. Let’s just say the pun was unintentionally intended.
I’ll be there tomorrow, wearing some sort of Wild paraphernalia. I don’t really want to wear my Gabby sweater because I don’t want anyone to think I have a man-crush. I’ll be there pretty early, probably around 4. Anybody else coming that early?
Bottom line we have no depth… This was coming (some sort of Wild injury) and it should have been seen by management (minor trade deadline moves). The Avs were able to overcome their injuries this season b/c of their depth. We clearly have no depth. Let’s see if we can step up. It is going to be a huge challenge.
The sky is not falling people, we will get to see what sort of grit we have.
Sunshine is right, the Wild play defense by committee, the loss of Schultz is disappointing but not.
Greenstar is right. One of the hallmarks of the Wild is they do not panic, from DR on down. They will adjust playing minutes and matchups. That should serve them well. No need to make wholesale changes.
Re: the cost of Fat Tire:
Rising barley, wheat, fuel, aluminum, and glass prices, combined with a hops shortage, is responsible for the increase in the cost of craft beers and micro brews across the planet. These prices will continue to rise all year as smaller breweries are unable to absorb the price increases like national distributors.
Well I am not going to say this is a positive thing but a test of a team’s character is how they respond to adversity.
They have the bodies to fill in on D, can they elevate their games? If it wasn’t clear before the whole team now knows they all have step up, every single player.
Again, this is not a good thing but I still feel good about this team and the series.
Do you recommend hoarding at this point, Lemmiwinks?
jetstowild: well, we have not depth NOW, because the depth we HAD has been depleted. See G*’s offerings on this above.
G*: Blue crocs? I guess I would have had you more as a beat up old pair of Sambas kind of a guy.
Dave: I hoard beer every night. That’s what my tummy is for!
Nummelin hurt??? found this on the Avs v Wild game page on ESPN from the injury report:
Petteri Nummelin - D - Apr 7
Nummelin (groin) had an assist in Sunday’s loss to Colorado. It was the first game he’d played since March 2.
Blue crocs? I guess I would have had you more as a beat up old pair of Sambas kind of a guy.
I bought them for yardwork but found they almost never leave my feet.
Dave - I’ll admit I have a man crush on Gaborik.
If the Mrs. can call Rolston her “Hockey Husband” then I should be allowed a crack at someone as well.
Is the Skoula bangwagon fueled up and ready to roll?
Dave: A better question is why wouldn’t you be hoarding beer already? The last thing I want is to have to run to the liquor store in between playoff periods.
Nummelin has been “hurt” all season.
I was looking forward to the opportunity to share a some adult beverages with my fellow Russoville residents on Wednesday however I didn’t draw the opening night and will attend Friday’s tilt instead. Any chance we will have an ancore gathering that evening?
Paul Allen says there’s “no way” that the Avs beat the Wild. Lemaire made comments to the effect that Foppa is past his prime. Now you’re down one of your top defensemen against a team that (unlike the Wild) made the necessary adjustments at the trade deadline to go deep in the playoffs. Have fun slowing down Stasny, Hejduk, Foppa, Sakic, etc, etc with a sub-par defensive core.
that’s affirmative, Aaron.
Someone’s going to have to take a picture of the assembled Russotans at McGovern’s tomorrow. Maybe Russo can send his photog’s #2 over to cover the event?
Aaron your Mrs can have anyone on the team she wants except 2, Boogies all mine, and my friend H. would like nothing better than to find Mikko under her Christmas tree.
G* - I’ll give you another reason to leave the Croc’s home. Foppa owns the distribution rights for Sweden. Where they no longer are known as Crocs but rather Foppa Sandals.
I’m not kidding you it is ridicules. I have relatives that will say, “Don’t you have Foppa sandals, yet”. When you tell them, No, but I have Crocs they look at you like you are from Mars.
Lol, Lemmiwinks. Good point.
Nick I would take a picture of the group for you but I won’t make it down town, any chance of a repeat on Friday night guys?
I thought we were working on some sort of a webcam thing for tomorrow, NiNY. Didn’t El Gato bring that up? I’m not an IT guy at all, and maybe that’s what’s holding us up - finding someone who is. It won’t be the same without you. That’s for sure.
Lemmiwinks - lol, not during the sudden death overtime either.
NiNY - have you done your SCP scotch purchases yet?
NiNY…if there isn’t any Strib coverage of our get-together, we can always ‘phone’ it in…
I’ll be there with Mrs. kj. I suspect I will not be wearing my Sakic jersey (which I bought when I ‘adopted’ the Avs during the NHL vacuum of the ’90s). I’ll have on my Wild baseball shirt and the mrs will probably wear the Mitchell jersey.
I am still aiming for 4 PM ‘ish’ at McGoverns 2nd floor back room.
I’m off to work my weird short shift, be back later to see what I’ve missed.
Dave…I am a software guy and have a laptop with wireless…but no webcam.
Bandgeek - sounds like it would be at least the 2 of us there on Friday. Oh, I’m sure Mrs. BDS would tag along as well.
kj - are you going to Fridays game to?
yeah Bandgeek…you’re an event planner…so…plan!!!
That’s cool, kj. I’m sure we can beam images of the festivities to NiNY somehow.
BDS…sadly we are not. We could have but have ‘family’ duties that we cannot avoid.
Dave…worst case…my cell phone camera. I can download them and then post them on a special page on the band website…
kj: I just emailed you at the band’s addy.
if there isn’t any Strib coverage of our get-together, we can always ‘phone’ it in
Hopefully there isn’t any Strib coverage. I wouldn’t want to read the following on Thursday morning.
“Group of Wild Fans Arrested after Ruckus at McGovern’s Pub
A group of Minnesota Wild fans was arrested last night around 8. The group, self proclaimed ‘Russotans’, was being quite rowdy and police were called around 7:30 PM. Strib reporters are currently looking into ‘Russotans’ to determine if it is some sort of club or cult…”
sorry if this has been mentioned already, but the PMB tough guy award video with Boogie, Fedoruk and Simon that played at last Thursdays game is on Wild.com finally!
should us out-of-towners send you pics so you can photoshop us into the party? I wish I could come, it sounds fun!
ATX…sure…just get a picture of yourself standing in front of a ‘Schlitz Malt Liquor’ sign…
NiNY…backatcha!
ATX - lol, just like the Wild team picture. I can hear it already, “We need more chairs up on the second level. What for? I’m not sure, some sort of cult following picture opportunity”.
Nick in New York: Nummelin is not depth. Hill is not Depth. Maybe in game 38 of the regular season but not when you are the 3rd seed of the west. Anyways, we will definitely see what grit we have now. We should be able to overcome this loss b/c of our defence by committee, however, there is a huge defensive liability when Nummelin and Hill are on the ice. That leaves us with 4 defensemen that can play down the stretch of each game.
Time to buy Skoula sweaters?
BDS, I like your thinking. We can send in our head shots and just have a body double stand in. am about 5′11″, 200 pounds.
Oh BTW, I saw an Avs fan a the game with a sign that read “Marry me Skoula!”… needless to say, my wife and I were SHOCKED. They had another friendly sign for a different player of ours too.. I can’t recall what it said though.
Nummi was playing big time minutes a year ago, unfortunately fatigue overcame him and his size did not prove to be his advantage.
But, JL did seem pleased with him for a long stretch last year.
jetstowild…
I disagree. I think Nummelin can be effective if we force the Avs into dump-and-chase forechecking. He can use his speed and passing ability to move it back out.
Since we have the last change at home, for draws in our zone, we can shuffle the D and get Burns, et al back out there.
Nummelin, just don’t ice the puck…
jetstowild: dude, what do you think “depth” is?
You’re not going to take legit top four guys and tell them “sorry, we’re deep enough that you have to sit in the pressbox all season on the chance someone gets hurt”. Name a team whose “depth” players are not of the same general caliber as ours.
I can’t see where you’d A) be able to brainwash a good NHLer into accepting that role and B) be able to PAY for all those good NHLers to sit there under the cap.
I’m not saying you have to love DR. But to be honest, we had more depth than MOST teams on defense. Now that depth is gone, and is stinks. But G* is absolutely right: how many defensemen do you need if 8 isn’t enough? 9? 10? 11?
Oh BTW, I saw an Avs fan a the game with a sign that read “Marry me Skoula!”… needless to say, my wife and I were SHOCKED.
huh…I didn’t realize WRT was going to be at that game…
ATX - Chairs and bodydoubles to the second floor, please.
If ATX gets a body double, then I want one. You may have opened a can of worms here, ATX.
NiNY - I agree in principle on the 8 D on the team, but it would at least be nice to someone (I mean anyone) to call up from the farm, that’s all.
IMO, this just shows the total failure of Thelen and Bell.
NiNY…LOLOLOLOL
Dave, the only problem may be finding enough people in the bar that are the right size. It would be pretty awesome to get a giant photo together.
On the D situation… I am perfectly content with Nummy playing. He passes well and he has shown plenty of scoring ability. Schultz is our most solid d-man, but I think we can still win this opening series without him. Hopefully he will be back by the second series (as long as we beat the Avs) because we will need him for the other series’.
Nick Schultz gone for a month!
Let’s just say my heart dropped to my ankles when I heard this on the radio this morning.
I can’t think of a position more vital to the Wild’s success, and a position that we were already woefully thin at.
I won’t be posting much anymore, as I don’t want to post negative stuff, and I’m seeing one big black cloud on the Wild’s playoffs horizon.
Hoping that the old men and the swede have the legs to cover Schultz’s minutes.
BEST of Luck boys. Go WILD
Alright Maggie the Monkey picks the Wild!
http://watch.tsn.ca/nhl/clip43900#clip43875
Now I can finally get some work done.
Guys, depth is putting in a young guy with good potential that can fill in. Our D in my opinion with all 8 was weaker than a top seeded team. Now with the injuries its very weak. Depth is calling someone up b/c you are confident they can give you 10-15 mins a game or have a rotating D-man (2 of them) that are in and out based on the team we play…. Similar to how we use our forwards… That is a good example of depth. Depth is NOT playing someone who didn’t log 1 minute down the stretch (except for the last game). Thats called I have no options… I have to play him. Just like JL said.. If Hill doesn’t play well, he is going to call 911 b/c that is all he can do. Playing Numm & Hill against the # 1 or # 2 line vs Colorado is a horrible matchup. That is my point.
Agree with BDS
OmG? Seriously? Maggie the Monkey? I was all ready to rip all over this when it hit me that Maggie the Monkey probably knows that there are no shootouts in the playoffs, unlike some of our local TV sports personalities.
Against the top two lines we can play any combination of Skoula/Burns/Yawnson/Carney and we will be just fine. I have confidence in those guys for sure. Hill/Nummy can play aginst the checkers. I think we still win this series.
jetstowild…
Well, then they’ll have to give up a few more scoring chances and hopefully get stellar play from Backstrom.
No one is calling this the ideal situation. But it would be impossible to believe (at the deadline) that 8 defencemen wouldn’t be enough.
It is also a good thing the Wild have 4 home games. They can dictate the matchups and get the last change to minimize the exposure.
depth is putting in a young guy with good potential that can fill in.
I’m not sure how deep you want the Wild to be at D. The Wild were in a very favorable position until the San Jose game when we lost Foster. The reason Nummi wasn’t seeing a lot of time is because we played a bunch of games against physical opponents in the Sharks, CaSucks and Cows, and JL was anticipating more of the same in the playoffs. If anything, you should blame JL for not getting Nummi into playoff condition and playing him more down the stretch. So goes it.
Moreover, you assume that you can just plug in a new guy who can fill in and be serviceable. Under a system like JL’s, you have to know your task at all times and play the system damn near flawlessly. If the Wild call someone up, they’d better be ready to play the JL system on Day 1. If Reitz comes up, he’s going to come in acclimated to KC’s system, not JL’s. Should he have gotten time up here just in case?
NiNY - I agree in principle on the 8 D on the team, but it would at least be nice to someone (I mean anyone) to call up from the farm, that’s all.
Well I don’t disagree with this. And certainly some of the defensive draft picks they’ve made hurt in this situation.
I’m seeing one big black cloud on the Wild’s playoffs horizon
when don’t you see a big black cloud on the horizon
but it would at least be nice to someone (I mean anyone) to call up from the farm, that’s all.
this wasn’t going to be fixed at deadline, which was the inference when this was posted:
Not really blaming DR just bringing it up in light of our trade deadline complains
Nick Schultz gone for a month!
That’s a rather large assumption. As was noted earlier, if they did the surgery with a small incision and a scope, he could be back sooner rather than later.
Of course, no discussion of appendectomy would be complete without saying that mine was twice as big as it should have been and I was lucky to get mine yanked out when I did.
Here’s the silver lining for that cloud, k?
As much as we’ll miss Nick’s rock-solid defensive contributions, let’s be fair and agree that his offensive production is not impressive. Which is expected, since he’s not that type of player.
Nummy’s going to give you another PP option, bullet stretch passes to our forwards to pressure their D, the ability to jump into the rush, and added team speed.
So, look at the bright side.
Some of you on here have already touched on this but I really think all this missfortune can bring the team together and it is time to raise to the occation so to say. Let’s take this one game at a time, one series at a time and see how long we can enjoy the ride.
I still say Wild in six.
Alright Maggie the Monkey picks the Wild!
Just got done watching the TSN preview show via the magic of the DVR and working from home. Unfortunately, Maggie and the TSN crew taped this show before #55’s injury status was reported. For the record, James and Mad Mike were for us and McKenzie and Pierre were against us.
It is also a good thing the Wild have 4 home games.
It took me a bit to move on from the #55 news as I think Russo nailed the importance of this setback. However, in addition to the 4 home games, I think the back-to-back in Avs land remain huge advantages for the Wild. Anyway, I raise my Rock-A-Dile Red to Nummi - prove JL wrong my friend, prove him wrong!
I agree 8 D is enough. But we know against Dallas/anaheim/SJ/Cgy for Sure we Can’t use Numm. Det is questionable, Colo maybe…obviously we’ll see. That is my point… not 8 d is not enough… Just not the right D. Look at the true contenders Defence corps even us at full strength it is very different than those contenders. I think we can coach our way through this… the sky is not falling… I am just saying they could have prepared better that’s all. We’ll see what happens.
jetstowild…
All I can give you is the tried-and-true cliche of: The best team isn’t always the best team on paper. That is why they play the games. Enjoy the playoffs. Do you think the Nuks would like to be in the Wild’s position minus Edler and Mitchell?
This Rock-a-Dile Red really has some staying power, doesn’t it???
Alright Maggie the Monkey picks the Wild!
Before I get too excited, how has this ‘Maggie the Monkey’ fared in past years’ predictions? I mean, if she’s right 99% of the time, there’s no argueing with results.
Goody, I was wondering the same thing. The funny thing about it is that damn monkey picked every game like I think I would have…
One big thing we are currently not considering is how is the reffing going to change during the playoffs this year? Remember last year clutch and grab was called reasonably consistently all season. Once the post season arrived, nary a whistle for said. I’d venture a guess something will change in the way the games are whistled this year too. As the Wild are a relatively ‘clean’ game (15th for penalty minutes), I’m not sure the “it’s the playoffs, put away the whistle and let them play” mentality could ever help us. But then, CO is 26th in penalties so maybe it could.
OK, so here are some of the Maggie the Monkey stats. In 06 she was right 9 of 15 thru the SCP. Last year she was only 4 of 8 in the first round but rebounded in the second round for a 3 of 4 record.
Looks highly scientific if you ask me.
I’m no doctor, but since the appendix was partially ruptured, wouldn’t that mean a full incision, etc. was used, not the less invasive method? Maybe a non-lawyer can answer that.
Also, for someone up there who doesn’t care much for Summit beers, have you tried the Pilsner (which I think is the same was what used to be called Grand)? A light beer, so not the bitterness of say, the EPA (which I also like).
In any event, sticking to a St. Paul beer seems like good karma right now.
[…] like Cheddawurst has some company in the “emergency appendectomy” club with the recent news that Wild star defenseman Nick Schultz having the surgery done on […]
I wonder if “Maggie” can play defense?
More importantly, I am hoping Nummelin can play defence…
I’m stickin’ with my St. Pauli Girl….if ya know what I mean!!
Is “Maggie” related to the Hockey Monkey?
Interesting feature today in the Pio on Wild player nicknames. Burnsie is AKA “Snake” or “Ace” (as in Ventura) because of his menagerie of pets. Carney has always been called “Art” by Mike Ramsey. Boogaard’s name is really pronounced BO-guard, but he changed it because he likes “Boogeyman”. Koivu is the only guy who really doesn’t have a nickname.
And Burns gave Simon the nickname “Wolf” eventhough he he was called “Si” or “Chief” when he was with other teams.
Nick, get well soon. Hopefully this will be one of those things that the players can rally around, and I do think that they can. It is that much more imperative now to stay out of the PK situations.
PMB
age 23
gp 81
g 13
a 50
pts 63
+/- 11
gwg 4
pppts 25
OJ
age 29
gp 82
g 34
a 37
pts 71
+/- -19
gwg 5
pppts 33
man…not playing in JL’s system is really bringing Jokinen down… ;P
Green*…can’t you just leave well enough alone???
speaking of JL’s system, frei said something about #10 being restrained in minnesota and there is a happy medium between defense under JL and bure’s cherry picking. said that he is 65 goals waiting to happen.
I was starting to think that since #10 increased his presance in the defensive end, he has had more chances to score which he has converted.
I was starting to think that since #10 increased his presance in the defensive end, he has had more chances to score which he has converted.
NOW we’re talking about finding enlightenment!
Speedy recovery Nick, hope to have you healthy soon. I think now more than ever JL needs to communicate to Burns that no fighting will be allowed. We can not afford to have him injured or off the ice for 5 minutes or more. I also think Ian P may start trying to goad D-men just to try to whittle our numbers. I hope everyone is up to the challenge.
NOW we’re talking about finding enlightenment!
At least he’s got that going for him…
If the Pioneer Press was on top of things, which is rare to never, it would already know that Burns’ nickname is “Ingelwood Jack”.
kj: LOL…I think I saw that line on a t-shirt once…it was awesome.
the article on PMB and contract and whatnot got me thinking.
OJ is 20 off last years number.
PMB is off on goals but up on assists and points.
if PMB can be a 20/50 guy he is worth 4 to 5 mil a year easy. not sure we can take on that kind of salary although, if we can lock that in for 5 years…i’m thinking years 3 thru 5 will look like bargains.
for some reason walters thinks that because CL and his BFF from the iron range have deep pockets, #10 will get the league max, as he should. Perhaps i am missing something but isn’t the bigger issue is if we can field a supporting cast around #10 at that salary and not that the owners have the cash? I’m gonna go out on a limb and say the wild operate in the black. this means that revenues cover costs. this means, in theory, that I could own the team and sign players up the the cap limit because revenue allows for it.
someone tell me what i am missing?
We really should start compiling a list of widespread misconceptions about the team:
1. JL is the only coach in the league who advocates a boring, trapping, “six-goalie” system.
2. Gaborik would score 100 goals if he was set free from said system.
3. Gaborik hate