It is the contrarian version of the Oscars, known as the Golden Rasberry Award Foundation (aka Razzies) which holds its own sort of awards show for the worst films and performances in a given year. This past year had somewhat of a unique occurence for this year’s Oscar Award winning actress Sandra Bullock for her role in The Blind Side, but she was also nominated for a Razzie for her performance in All About Steve. Unlike other past winners of the Razzie, Bullock actually showed up to accept her award and in perhaps perfect Razzie-fashion she somehow ended up taking the wrong trophy home. Either way, it demonstrates that while there can be notable performances their also can be notorious performances as well and beauty (whether taken literally or in terms of appreciation) is in the eye of the beholder. So what does this have to do with the Wild? The slightly sarcastic picture above may reveal that connection. Well different perspectives are really what the blogosphere is all about. While the mainstream media loves to rip the amateur blogging world, it really is a voicing point for fans. I realize I am not saying anything that you don’t already know, but why not expand this voice? Why not ask other fans (besides myself) what they think about the direction of the Minnesota Wild? How do they see this team? Are they hopeful, are they worried, or are they pessimistic?
I asked 6 fans for their opinion of the Wild, all of whom are unabashed fans of the Wild. Some of these fans can be found lurking on the wild.com or Hockey’s Future message boards, while others are just hockey junkies in general. First there is TALON a long time wild.com message board regular who became disgruntled with the league’s attempt to centralize the official team message boards but still spends plenty of time discussing the Wild on other forums. The next is Steve, another long-time wild.com and hockey’s future message boarder who never stays away from a good debate. Our next fan of note is Aaron who is not a message boarder but loves hockey and follows the Wild and the New Jersey Devils. James is a long-time Wild fan who resides near Phoenix, Arizona so he is not inundated with pro-Wild propaganda as some the other fans in our panel have been exposed to (not that it has swayed their opinions or anything). Josh is also a wild.com message boarder who used to run his own figurative “kool-aid” drinking stand and has never missed an opportunity to add a little levity to overly serious debates amongst wild.com rubes (like myself). Lastly there is Angela, a long-time Wild fan who also enjoys a rousing discussion or a well placed humorous comment or graphic to both lighten the mood and / or hammer home her point. I asked these fans 7 questions about their assessment or thoughts on the team’s management, coaching, current direction and what changes they’d make if they were in position to make such a decision. Nothing will be censored as these are 6 raw responses from fans who spend a good portion of their lives thinking, watching and enjoying all things hockey. Hopefully to anyone who reads their responses they can make their own connections, agreements and disagreements to these fans and I hope you feel inspired enough to share your opinions in the comment selection below. So let’s begin!
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1. What did you feel was the biggest single reason for the Wild failing to make the playoffs in 2009-10? Do you think that was a problem they addressed this offseason or not?
TALON: The biggest problem with the Wild has been the lack of offensive talent as a whole. Last season the Wild had only 2 legit top 6 players entering the season in Koivu and Havlat, but with Havlat starting out the season so slow (his early season injury did him no favors), the team was behind the eight ball even more pretty quick. The addition of Latendresse salvaged the team somewhat, but they never really had a chance from the get go.
I think the talent on the bottom end has been improved, but they still lack true skill on the top 6, which will again prevent them from being able to control the puck like they want. When you change to a more offensive system, the defense relies on the offense being able to control the puck to help reduce chances against. The lack of skill at forward greatly hinders offensive zone puck control.
Steve: If I had to pick a single reason, it was the failed implementation of TR’s (Todd Richrds’) “system”. He claimed (and still claims) to want a fast-paced, forechecking system. That’s all well and good, but the team was not built for it. I do think we took a large step towards addressing that, both by the insertion of Rick Wilson – who should both calm and hopefully fill in TR’s inefficiencies, and the signing of players who better fit the system TR seems to want. Our bottom 6 group should be much better in that regard, and our top 6 should also handle things better. (Though I still say that if Bruno/Koivu/Mittens stay together, they will never work in that style of play)
Aaron: No solid offense or defense, no core no team toughness and terrible coaching.
James: I think there are several reasons the Wild missed the playoffs last year. The biggest single reason being the transition from management and coaching. Lemaire was a defense first coach and I think the more aggressive puck possession style that Todd Richards is attempting was something the team had a difficult time adjusting too. October 2009 was an atrocious month for the Wild.
Josh: Lack of goal scoring. I don’t think they addressed this fully, no.
Angela: I’m not sure if there was one major factor that stood alone when it came to them missing the playoffs. It’s almost as if they had fallen into a recipe for failure. Risebrough left the team with very few tools in the shed. Between having a shallow prospect pool and below average players with bloated contracts, there was very little room for movement in the right direction. To make matters worse, Gabby walked away for free. The team had weaknesses even before the 2009 offseason, so you can imagine the massive wounds after it was all said and done. It couldn’t be fixed in one summer. Then they had to adjust to a new coach with a new system. It resulted with a very slow start to the season. Perhaps the end result would have been different had they won a few more games early on. Add in some long term injuries along with other teams improving, and the chances of the team making the playoffs were extremely low. Did they address some of the problems this summer? Yes and no. They still have little room for movement, but are slowly rebuilding what Doug broke. It’s a process that will require extra patience.
2. What do you think of Head Coach Todd Richards? Do you think he delivered on his pledge to play a high-tempo aggressive brand of hockey?
TALON: I think the jury is still out on Richards. One season is not nearly enough to judge, especially when you don’t have the roster built for the incoming system as of yet. I do think there was something Richards did that was extremely noticeable from years past however, when the Wild were down, they seemed to never be out. Which was a complete 180 from the previous regime. In the past, if the Wild didn’t score first, they usually lost. This past season under Richards, the Wild actually played BETTER when they were down. That, in my opinion, was a great testament to Richards as a head coach.
They tried to play a more up tempo style, but as I mentioned, they don’t exactly have the players to succeed with that as of yet. Looking at the issues the team has to deal with, I am willing to give him time considering Fletcher has to get him the players first.
Steve: I was not impressed with him to be honest. All in all, he gets a pass last year, but he’s on a short leash this season. He seemed to struggle with relatively simple things like matchups and line changes. Hopefully those issues can all be chalked up as rookie coaching or an incompatibility with his assistants. He sure tried to play the high-tempo style, but referencing my previous answer, he tried to play a style that didn’t fit the team he was given. Is that his failing? Or is that the failing of the players? Or both? Personally it’s a bit of both, but he should have been more flexible. Play that style when it’s reasonable, don’t play that system at the expense of the players.
Aaron: Todd is a joke and no he needs to go back to San Jose.
James: The jury is still deliberating on Richards. It’s a big job for a rookie coach to overtake a team with so many bad contracts and few horses. I hope he doesn’t have to take the fall if the Wild have another bad year.
Josh: If by high-tempo you mean less boring, then yes.
Angela: The jury is still out on Richards. I prefer to give coaches more than a year to prove themselves, and even more so for rookie coaches. He had big shoes to fill, and stepped behind the bench of a team going through an identity crisis. He made many mistakes last year, but it’s a learning process. I won’t be so forgiving should he repeat them this upcoming season. We saw him and the team go through growing pains early on, but we also saw some great stretches of hockey later in the year as well. I don’t think he delivered the product that he initially offered, but to be fair, most people knew that this team wasn’t going to have the horses to pull it off successfully anyway.
3. What do you think this team or organization’s greatest strength at this point in time? What do you think is this team or organization’s greatest weakness?
TALON: I’d have to say that the team’s greatest strength at this point is depth from first line to fourth. At the same time, that also involves the teams greatest weakness as well, as the weakness is lack of true top end talent in the top 6.
In terms of the strength, the drop off from the top 6 to the bottom 6 has greatly decreased. This will increase the ability for the Wild to rotate 4 lines much more frequently keeping what they do have for top end talent more fresh. Koivu will likely get less PK time this season due to the additions of Cullen and Madden, which will allow him to spend that energy in the offensive zone instead.
At the same time, the top 6 still lacks true talent. We’re still sitting on virtually the same 3 guys to carry the offense in Koivu, Havlat and Latendresse.
Steve: The organization’s greatest strength is that we finally have a general manager who is willing to make moves and address our weaknesses. They might not always be the best moves, but you can’t succeed if you don’t try – a point that the previous regime seemed to ignore. Assuming Latendresse can put in at least 25 goals this season and stick in the top 6, that alone proves that we’re in a better place. The team’s greatest strength is unquestionably Mikko Koivu. It’s rare to find a player who not only shows leadership abilities, but is also the player you want on the ice in every single situation. He epitomizes what you want in a hockey player. While he won’t be scoring 60 goals (or even 30 most likely) anytime soon, he sets the example for the rest of the team. The organization’s greatest weakness seems to be Todd Richards. I’m not saying he can’t redeem himself, but I’ve beaten him up enough already. All of the other obvious issues seem to have been addressed: Our scouting has seen some changes, Tommy Thompson is gone, the coaching staff is seeing changes, etc. The team’s greatest weakness is the continuing lack of a top line winger. If Bruno regresses at all (which is to be expected with his age), Koivu will become a one-man-show. Hopefully some of our prospects can fill that gap in the near future.
Aaron: They have a nice arena. They charge to much money to have people watch a now joke of a team.
James: The greatest strength of the organization is General Manager Chuck Fletcher. I was ready to throw in the towel after last season in hopes of picking up a top three draft pick in 2011. With the off season additions and subtractions the Wild have a real chance of making the playoffs this season. The biggest weakness is two-fold. Not having that one high scoring sniper on the top line for Koivu to feed, and a defense with some holes that hopefully new assistant coach Rick Wilson will resolve. Another solid grab by Fletcher.
Josh: Their strength used to be the ability to get fans in the seats as has been the case in years past, but that is gone now. I would say goaltending since they still have Backstrom.
Angela: I can’t say for sure that the team has one, great strength. Let’s put it this way…..while I don’t think that their goaltending is as huge a strength as it once was, it still remains to be the last thing that they need to be concerned about. As for weaknesses, that would be everything else in front. 
Take your pick. And it’s only magnified by the weakness of having their hands tied due to that bare tool shed.
4. What Wild player do you think has the most to prove in 2010-11? Do you think he’ll be able to prove himself or will he not meet expectations?
TALON: This is a tough one. There are really 3 different players that come to mind here, and each has something big to prove.
Sheppard for obvious reasons, he’s quickly becoming the poster-boy for the term bust. I’m not sure he’ll even make the roster to prove anything otherwise.
Bouchard needs to prove that he can return from more than a season’s worth of missed time and be an effective player. The problems he had with his game prior to the concussion also leaves me with doubts that he can do that. He was afraid of contact in the slot and in the corners prior to injury, I don’t see how he will be less afraid after.
The other that comes to mind is Backstrom. Was last season’s drop in performance a fluke or was it exactly what many people feared would happen, that he would be exposed as a system goaltender? I myself thought he was a system goaltender, so again I have my doubts that he can prove otherwise.
Steve: There are a lot of players who could fit this bill. We have a lot of things to prove as a team. Is Koivu worth the contract he just signed? Can Latendresse replicate and build on his success last season? Will Havlat have a better season with a better option at center and a full season with Latendresse? Can Matt Cullen be a better option at center? Can Burns be a number 1 defensemen in the NHL? Personally, Cam Barker is number one on my list, though. Given his draft position, and what we gave up for him, he’s got a lot yet to prove in the NHL. He seems to have most, if not all, of the tools to be a potential stud D-man (sounds like Burns, no?) but hasn’t had much success since his 40 point ’08-’09 campaign (sounds like Burns, subbing in 43 points and ’07-’08, no?). You know what, I’m changing my answer to both Burns AND Barker. And given how long-winded I’m being here, I think they’ll both succeed. I don’t think Barker will ever be a defensive stud, but I think he will really help Burns, and they will both blossom into great offensive-defensemen.
Aaron: They have a nice arena. They charge to much money to have people watch a now joke of a team.
James: James Sheppard is the obvious answer on this one but I have doubts he even makes the club so I’m going with Brent Burns. Burns has shown in years past what he’s capable of but hasn’t last season. I realize the concussions are a major setback but he’s an example of a Lemaire bred player and under a new administration last season was a mess. He played with no disciplin and often times looked lost on ice.
Josh: Shep. If he doesn’t start producing, he’s gone.
Angela: Really tough call! Havlat needs to reach another level. While he wasn’t meant to (and never could) replace Gabby’s talent, he was brought in to carry a good part of the load. When it comes to potential, he’s one of the best goal scorers we’ve got. And we’re paying him for it. He finally came around when Lats was brought in, so I want to see him take it to the house early on this year. No more hiccups. Burns has to prove that 2007-08 wasn’t a fluke. He needs to prove that he has his head back in the game. And speaking of heads, my favorite whipping boy has A LOT to prove. Bouchard will be watched like a hawk. It’s make it or break it time. Unfortunately, I can’t see him doing it. Why? Because he’ll probably get a light brain duster early in the season, and then it’s, “Hello, pressbox!”
5. What do you think of Wild GM Chuck Fletcher? Does he make you optimistic or apathetic about this team’s future?
TALON: Considering the teams lack of prospect depth and horrendous cap situation that he walked into, I’ve been quite impressed with the changes he’s been able to make thus far. Latendresse was a great move, that brought instant results in return for a player that seemed to be heading nowhere soon in a Wild uniform.
He’s given hope in finding gems in places the organization previously seemed to never even look, in terms of College Free Agents. Wellman and Prosser both actually look to have bright futures at this point… both actually possibly up for roster spots as soon as this season. Moves such as those show he’s willing to find talent from anywhere, which at this point is vital. A team that is so devoid of decent prospects could not afford to ignore an entire group of possible incoming NHL players like the former regime did on a regular basis.
Steve: I’m high as a kite on him. Maybe it’s just the philosophy change, or the fact that he’s willing to make moves to improve this team. But I absolutely believe that he has the ability to make this team perennially playoff bound, and sooner rather than later, Cup contenders.
Aaron: Mikko and no he won’t live up to expecations.
James: Optimistic as noted.
Josh: Somewhat apathetic believe it or not.
Angela: I look at Fletcher in the same light that I look at Richards. He’s a rookie chef who is being asked to make a 5 star lobster dinner with only a pile of crap. He made some mistakes during his first year, but he also made some solid moves. He doesn’t appear to have an ego problem….which made it easier for him to make that remarkable trade involving Pouliot and Lats. He uses a wider spectrum when looking for talent….he’s not afraid to look at the college kids. And he didn’t waste time by playing games and burning bridges when it came to re-signing some very important players this past summer. He made Koivu a priority, and got it done. Overall, I’m cautiously optimistic about our new GM.
6. Which Wild player do you really wish was no longer with the team? Explain why you feel this way.
TALON: If I had to choose one player, it would have to be Backstrom. The Wild have very good organizational depth at goaltender, and this is a team that could definitely use the $6mil in cap space to improve the top line wingers. The no trade clause makes it even worse, as even if the Wild wanted to move him, they’d have to talk him into waiving the clause. I don’t see that happening any time soon.
Steve: Pierre-Marc Bouchard. He has an obnoxious cap-hit, he has never proven the ability to play at that level, he’s not even guaranteed to return from one of the worst concussions the NHL has seen post-lockout. I could ramble on, but you get the point. Too much money, not enough production even when he was healthy, softer than tissue, etc.
Aaron: Well if he cared about winning, he really screwed up this year.
James: Niklas Backstrom. He’s way overpaid and his contract is too long. His best years are behind him as the old Lemaire style trap kept him protected. The wild could put one of many available goalies in net this season earning less than half his salary while putting up equal numbers.
Josh: Sheppard. If you’re a scorer and you don’t score you have no business being at this level.
Angela: The winner is: Bouchard! He’s a scared, concussed, figure skater who hides behind the real talent. I understand that every team has a set of playmakers who are productive based on assists rather than goals. But we aren’t paying him to hide. I think many fans would be more accepting of his weaknesses if his contract wasn’t the leach that’s sucking the blood out of our cap. He’s been stuck in neutral forever. He’s told the media that he needs to step up, but does he live up to his own words? Nope. For his price tag, the coaches shouldn’t have to call him out repeatedly. Step up or grab your purse and go home.
7. How well do you expect the Wild to be in 2010-11? Where do you think they’ll finish in the Western Conference standings? If you had to predict based on where you think they’ll finish, what would be the main factor that allows the Wild to make or miss the playoffs?
TALON: I could see the Wild finishing around 10th in the conference.
I think the biggest improvement will be defensively. I think the addition of Rick Wilson as an assistant shows a commitment to the defense they didn’t seem to have last season. Add in the additions of both Cullen and Madden (which should also improve faceoffs btw) and they should be better defensively across the board on the forward lines.
The reason they miss the playoffs though, they still lack the needed depth in scoring. For a team that wasn’t exactly great at scoring last year, they will continue to struggle in that area this year as well. The will likely finish higher due to allowing fewer goals, but not enough to move them from 13th in the conference into the top 8.
Steve: I honestly look at this as a throwaway year for the Wild. With one more year, some changes can happen that will force us to either improve or remain steady. Antti Miettinen is the best example. Once he’s a UFA, we can either re-sign him and expect more of the same, or let him go and sign an upgrade/put a prospect in his place. I expect us be around 10-12 in the West this year. We just have too many question marks to expect the playoffs. If TR can catch his stride, and the majority of our questions are answered, we should be in a position to make some big improvements ’11-’12, but I don’t see us making the playoffs this year.
Aaron: They will miss the playoffs. Then they’ll (the Wild) miss the fans even more.
James: I may be a big fan of the Wild but that has no impact on why I see them landing a spot in the playoffs this year. They have made the moves they needed to off season to be a menace in the NW again as they have in previous years. They’ve added grit and locker room leadership in Cullen and Madden. I think Scandella and Cuma fighting for a spot on defense will make the other defenseman work that much harder in training camp and keep them on their toes all season long.
Josh: 4th in the division, 12th in the Western Conference.
Angela: I’m guessing they finish anywhere between 9-13th place. They still lack the offensive punch that it’ll take to remain competitive on a consistent basis, and they also have some unanswered questions defensively. Perhaps a shorter answer would be to say that they still lack high, quality depth. Once again, it’s going to be a slow process of improvement. They got better at the center position, which is a plus. However, other teams (once again) got stronger. There is also the risk of early exhaustion due to them starting the season overseas. They won’t have their usual routines, and it’s heavier traveling. But then again, maybe they’ll bond quicker. Could they make the postseason? Never say never. If they can get off to a better start, see improvements from certain players, and avoid major injuries, then there is a chance they could squeak in. Only time will tell…….
Well there you have it, unbridled and uncensored opinions of a variety of Wild fans. As you can clearly see there are some strong areas of divergence and other places where it almost seems as though a concensus exists. Either way, its time all of their voices be heard and if they’re reading this I wish to thank them wholeheartedly for their participation. So now with that being said, what do YOU think? Do you agree with these 7 fans? Please share your comments, opinions and let this discussion continue. Oh, and drop the damn puck already!
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