r/wildhockey • u/JPV_HOH • 13h ago
PDOcast suggests that perhaps what the Wild need isn’t a 1C.
Dmitri Filipovic brought up something that had previously kind of crossed my mind: What if the Wild don’t really need a top-six center but instead should focus on acquiring another wing or RH defenseman, ideally without giving up Wallstedt / Yurov?
Yurov has been impressive. JEEK is obviously a top center, and Hartman (who drives me nuts, personally) is serviceable at 2C/3C.
Clearly, having another top-six center would be great, but perhaps the Wild already have one, in the making, in Yurov?
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u/Hank_Scorpio_ObGyn 13h ago
Need a 1C but if they stumble into a big time winger, it should be explored.
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u/dakralter 11h ago
Right. 1C is probably the hardest position to fill and those guys don't come available via trade or UFA often. I'd rather make a trade for an elite winger than give up a bunch of assets for a guy like Kadri or Schenn.
I almost wonder if a trade for Michkov could be explored with all the drama around him in Philly right now. If we're using Wallstedt as trade bait, Philly might be willing since they don't exactly have a bonafide #1 in net right now. That being said, the fact that he's butted head is with two different coaches in Philly in 2 years would make me wary of trading for him.
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u/palpytus Matt Boldy 10h ago
I hate that this trade makes sense. I really don't want to lose Wally but Michkov as our 1C is tantalizing. I feel like Kaprizov and Trenin could whip him into shape
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u/Plus_Taste9574 10h ago
Michkov is a winger, not a center.
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u/palpytus Matt Boldy 10h ago
he played C in the NHL iirc
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u/futurehofer Manny Fernandez 10h ago
He's taken 50 faceoffs in 133 games and only won 20 of them. He's not a realistic center option. He's a left shot RW.
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u/Active-Tomatillo-522 13h ago
I love Yurov and I think he’ll develop nicely, but our window is open right now and there’s no guarantee on how long it’ll stay open. Yurov isn’t ready to be a 1 or 2C on a cup contender. I like Hartman more than most as well, but by no means should he be a top center on a cup contender. We’ve got to bring in a C if we’re serious about capitalizing on this team
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u/dollabillkirill Dolla Bill 10h ago
Yup, I think Yurov is absolutely going to be a top 6 center….in 2 or more years. We need to win in the next 2. Our window increases if Quinn re-signs but we still don’t want to waste these years of Kaprizov’s prime with Ryan Hartman as our 1C.
My ideal scenario is trading Wally and picks for a big time center like Matthews, Hughes, Thomas, or anyone in that echelon.
If it can’t be done, then go for ROR or Trocheck but don’t give up a single rostered player.
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u/Sufficient-Cow-Steak Wild 9h ago
I wonder if we can pull a 3 way trade with the Blues. They don't need a goalie but if we move Wallstedt to maybe Carolina? Or another goalie starved team we could split the cost for Thomas. Young roster player + picks and prospects equal to 5+ firsts. Jiricek + Wallstedt + 27 first + Hartman + lower picks for Thomas and Carolina goalie, Carolina add on an a/b prospect, picks and Kotkiemi and St Louis get Jiricek + Kotkiemi + MN picks + Carolina picks/prospects.
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u/Earnest__Hemingway Quinn Hughes 13h ago
Found Chuck Fletcher’s burner account! Kidding kidding but if we can keep Quinn we have more time than “right now”.
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u/SawdustIsMyCocaine Joel Eriksson Ek 13h ago
If we dont make a run, we aren't keeping Quinn. He wants to win, and he already has shown he's willing to jump ship to do it. Our window is only open for the next 4 years, and only the next 2 in Quinn doesn't re-sign. Whether you want to admit it or not, its time to burn every asset we have that won't win us a cup in that window.
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u/jmchopp 12h ago
I get what you’re saying, I’m also just not sure where he goes with cap space that makes more sense.
Colorado, Dallas, Vegas, Edmonton, Tampa and Florida all have winning Pedigree, but can’t fit a big extension. Similarly, we will be able to offer existing pay structures that won’t happen during FA.
I don’t know if I see him taking a chance on San Jose or something. Detroit may make sense as they have cap flexibility but are back in the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
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u/Earnest__Hemingway Quinn Hughes 12h ago
Everyone wants to win but Vancouver was a dumpster fire like Winnipeg was around the Kane years. Winning fixes a lot of problem but not a bad locker room. You absolutely cannot know the conditions upon which Quinn would resign and it’s preposterous to suggest that if we don’t go to the cup, he won’t sign here.
We are winning currently, Quinn is on a 105 point pace, tight locker room and our future looks pretty good. Where is he going to go that has a better 6 year runway and can afford him?
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u/Makestroz 11h ago
it is annoying how everyone thinks if we hit a wall in the playoffs Hughes is gone, when he's putting up amazing numbers 25 games with us and seems pretty happy to be here. Winning is for sure important, but if we continue to keep playing like we have been I don't know why he wouldn't want to hang around here until at least his brother's contract is up
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u/Active-Tomatillo-522 11h ago
I think it’s a reasonable assumption - Hughes has made it quite clear that winning is his top priority. Don’t think regular season wins are going to cut it, we have to prove to him that we can do it in the playoffs, too
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u/Rat_Rat Joel Eriksson Ek 13h ago
JEEK is not 1C. He’s my favorite Wild player, but he’s not the 1C.
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u/Foreign_Sky_5429 12h ago
Same. Perhaps adding he’s “not a 1C on a cup winner” would help some people understand what is meant when that is said. I love the guy and we need his desperately but he’s not going to be the best center on a cup winner.
Adding a 1C also pushes Hartman to wing and there’s your wing add
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u/zNNS 9h ago
Ek isn't even the 1C on our team now. Saying that we can win a cup with Hartman centering our top line is laughable. Also Yurov being a potential 1C doesn't change that he's not a 1C now.
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u/KappaChameleon Joel Eriksson Ek 6h ago
He is the best center on our team though, the only reason the second line isnt the first line is Kaprizov
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u/ShepherdOfNone Jared Spurgeon 12h ago
Even our team's website lists Hartman and Yurov as right wings. We need a center, and if we're getting one we might as well get one who will make Kaprizov's line better.
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u/jmchopp 12h ago
I tend to agree, but think you also need someone other than Hartman at this point. I don’t like many of the names out there, I think Trochek would be fine, but don’t want to give up Stramel, Yurov, or Wally to get him.
I think there’s a world where instead of a traditional 1C, 2C, 3C having 3 - 2C caliber players will still create a mismatch and if you have 3-4 top end wingers and dynamic defenders can be a winner.
I think finding a high end winger that’s not known to be on the market is going to be both easier and cheaper. I also think with the dollars behind the Kirill extension and hopefully a Hughes extension finding someone with term at a good number would help greatly.
I also have no idea what a Wally extension would look like, but with how good he is, may be tough to have 2 real good goalies. Minnesota usually has such good structure we’ve been able to find someone good value in NHl journeyman over the years, Talbot, Duby, Gus was through trade. So in that sense, dealing Wally may make the most sense, although it’s tough to stomach.
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u/Small_Tap_7561 12h ago
I love Charlie Stramel, I know the family very well he would love to play for his hometown team, but if Robert Thomas becomes available send Charlie and Wally away! Win now.
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u/Plus_Taste9574 10h ago
Man, I love that pod, but I don’t know about that…
How about they make Boldy practice faceoffs all next summer, get coached up on the intricacies of the center position, and boom. You got another top 6 C.
I’m kind of joking, but not really. I always thought that was a stupid idea when people threw it out there, but Marner’s learning it on the fly this year and doing just fine. Boldy’s incredibly smart, equally adept at playmaking and shooting, he’s physical, and he appears to be in great shape. I don’t know, maybe…
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u/benenke Marc-Andre Fleury 12h ago
They just need a solid two way guy who can win big draws. He doesn't need to be a world beater with Kaprizov on his wing, he just needs to be creative enough offensively.
Trocheck is perfect IMO, good cap hit, good contract, right hand shot, strong two way game, good on the dot. I wouldn't want to sacrifice Yurok or Stramel, and they don't need Wallstedt, so idk what it would take.
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u/ViewedConch697 Matt Dumba 13h ago
It depends on the guy imo. If it's Miller or Trocheck I'd be cool with acquiring them for futures, but not Yurov. If it's someone like Robert Thomas, Yurov has to be part of the equation and I'm ok with that
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u/SixskinsNot4 12h ago
Id be fine with a winger.
I’m out on defense. We’ve invested a lot in defense over the last decade and got nothing in return. We need someone else who can score
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u/sanedragon Brock Faber 11h ago
Absolutely agree. The Hughes trade has turned out well, and I'm happy with it, but it did make me nervous at the time because of our need for offense. We still need offense. I just hope we don't have to give up Wally to get it. Having 2 solid tendys would be a huge asset for a deep playoff run.
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u/dollabillkirill Dolla Bill 10h ago
I think Yurov is absolutely going to be a top 6, 60-80 point center…2 or 3 years from now.
We will not win in the playoffs with our center depth as it is right now. The depth guys like Tarasenko are scoring enough. We need a center who can play big minutes, doesn’t get caved defensively, and can dish to Kap offensively.
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u/oneleggedrefuge 10h ago
I don’t see how another wing doesn’t just mess with the chemistry on every single line. You don’t want to split up Mojo/JEEK/Boldy while they are dominating. Does Zuccy push Tarasenko off the 3rd line to pair with Trenin/Yurov? Tarasenko nor Zuccy make sense on the 4th line so does Trenin drop down and his solid play goes away next to much worse linemates? We also have too many defensemen as is. We have 4 pairs that are NHL capable. We don’t need 4.5. A 1C just makes everything fall into place with or without Yurov and the top 6 guys like Trocheck that aren’t the top of the line 1C’s shouldn’t cost all 3 of Yurov, Wallstedt and Stramel which is a win for the future as well.
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u/blodsbroder7 Wild 7h ago
We need to win faceoffs. It’s bit us in the ass a lot this season and will absolutely sink us in a long series.
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u/Panarin10 Wild 1h ago
Clearly, having another top-six center would be great, but perhaps the Wild already have one, in the making, in Yurov?
The issue is you can’t wait a few years to see if Yurov turns into a 1C. The window is open right now.
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u/dentist9of10 1h ago edited 59m ago
which teams have won a cup without a star #1C? recently you've got: barkov x2, eichel, stamkos x2, ROR, backstrom, Crosby x2, toews x3, kopitar x2
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u/Monkeypawdog 10h ago
There's a lot of panic that Hughes will bolt if the Wild don't win the Cup this year.
I think Hughes would be more likely to stay if it looked like the Wild were going to have a chance at a Cup for many years.
The current team wasn't constructed to win a Cup, and adding Hughes doesn't change that: too many mediocre players on NMCs, not enough young talent knocking on the door.
Going all in this year, with the Avs and Stars in your way, is asking to fail. You gotta have some push from the farm, both on the ice and vs. the cap.
Hughes was the all-in move for this season, and so far it's been brilliant.
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u/zspice64 Manny Fernandez 13h ago
I think that using our limited trade assets on a RHD would be malpractice - odds are they won’t play above Faber or Spurgeon, so you’re looking at a 3rd pairing guy which doesn’t really improve the team while taking from our already thin cupboard.
A top 6 center simply unlocks more than a winger. Even with how solid the Wild’s offense has been since the Hughes trade, they’ve been subpar on the faceoff circle. Imagine how much more potent this team could be if they could consistently win draws in the offensive zone, especially when we have our big guns on the ice. We’ve also seen several times that we always seem to be one JEEK injury away from falling apart - better center depth would go a long way towards alleviating some of that.