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Minnesota Wild Hire Ray Shero

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The Minnesota Wild have named Ray Shero Senior Advisor to the General Manager, reuniting him with GM Bill Guerin. The two men have a long history together, with Shero acquiring Guerin at the end of his playing career to win a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins and then hiring him as a development coach after his retirement.

In fact, it was Shero’s departure from the Penguins in 2014 that moved everyone up a rung in the Penguins organization, with Guerin taking over as an assistant GM alongside Jim Rutherford. The 58-year-old Shero went to the New Jersey Devils next and served parts of five seasons there before being relieved of his duties in January 2020. He’ll be back in a front office for the 2021-22 season, though obviously not running the show as he is used to.

Shero is replacing the outgoing Jack Ferreira according to Michael Russo of The Athletic, and brings several decades of front office experience. He first joined the Ottawa Senators in 1993 as an assistant GM and served in the same capacity with the Nashville Predators. He will have the same title as Randy Sexton, who was hired earlier this year.

Injury Notes: Evans, Stastny, Seguin, Rossi

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It was a scary moment at the end of Game One between the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets, as the Habs’ Jake Evans had to be stretchered off the ice after receiving a massive hit from the Jets’ Mark Scheifele as the result of a charge. Scheifele was suspended for four games and with Montreal up 2-0 and playing at home the next two games, he may not play again this season. Regardless of the series length though, it seemed certain that Evans would not play again this season. Fortunately, Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme did have good news this morning, relaying that Evans is doing better since his trip to the hospital on Wednesday. Ducharme added that there is still no timeline for a return, as one might expect, but it is still good to see improvement from Evans following such a frightening check. Hopefully Evans will make an appearance in the arena to root on his teammates in the near future.

  • The Jets are hoping to stay alive in the series but face an uphill battle down two games and on the road, missing one of their best players in Scheifele. They are hoping to get one player back sooner rather than later though in Paul Stastny. Stastny has missed each of the first two games of the North Division finals with an undisclosed injury, but TSN’s Sara Orlesky spoke with head coach Paul Maurice and confirmed that Stastny made the trip to Montreal. Maurice stopped short of making any claims about his availability for Games Three and Four, but the 35-year-old would not have traveled if he was not at least in consideration for game action. Needing to replace Scheifele down the middle, Stastny would be a major addition to the lineup for Winnipeg if he is able to go. Update: Stastny is IN for Game Three.
  • After returning for the final three games of the regular season, Tyler Seguin is back to work on his rehab this summer. Following hip and knee surgeries last fall, Seguin missed almost all of the season in recovery, but was deemed fit to make a brief return at the end of the year for the Dallas Stars. The goal now is to make sure that his surgically-repaired lower body is completely up to speed for the beginning of next season, writes Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News. Seguin is now able to train at full strength this summer to get back into game shape, telling DeFranks that his skating was still lacking even when he returned to the lineup at the end of the season. The Stars need Seguin at his best if they want to return to the postseason next year following a disappointing 2020-21 campaign.
  • In a momentous development following a very difficult year, Minnesota Wild prospect Marco Rossi skated for the first time on Saturday after battling Coronavirus complications this season. Rossi was sent home to Austria at the beginning of the season as he endured serious medical side affects related to a COVID diagnosis months earlier and continued that fight throughout the year. Rossi was finally medically cleared last month and NHL.com reports that Wild GM Bill Guerin has been in close contact with his budding young star and is happy with his progress. Guerin states that Rossi is “incredibly healthy” and “looking very good” as he begins his training to get back into game shape. The Wild hope that the 2020 No. 9 overall draft pick and OHL scoring champion will be ready for training camp and can make a difference for the club next season.

Wild Notes: Dumba, Parise, First Round Picks

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Although the Minnesota Wild played well in their seven-game first round series against the Vegas Golden Knights, losing with dignity to one of the best teams in the NHL this season, their loss has already fired the rumor mill back up, reports Sarah MacLellan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. At the center of the speculation yet again is defenseman Matt Dumba. Despite another strong season for the 26-year-old blue liner, capped off by a postseason in which he tied for the team lead in points, there is still speculation over Dumba’s future in Minnesota stemming from the impending NHL Expansion Draft. The Wild can only protect three defensemen and seven forwards or instead eight skaters total from selection by the Seattle Kraken. With Ryan Suter, Jared Spurgeon, and Jonas Brodin all carrying No-Movement Clauses, the trio all must be protected. The only way that the team can use the 7-3 format and also protect Dumba would be fore one those three to waive their NMC and allow themselves to be exposed. Otherwise, the Wild will have to protect eight skaters, but with Zach Parise and Mats Zuccarello also with No-Movement Clauses, this would mean Minnesota would have to leave multiple promising young forwards exposed in order to make room for Dumba, including at least one of Joel Eriksson Ek or Jordan Greenway. One thing that is certain is that Minnesota will not let Dumba be taken for free by future Western Conference rival Seattle. If the team cannot convince a veteran to waive their NMC and decide the 7-3 protection scheme is their best choice, Dumba will be traded before the Expansion Draft – hence the abundant speculation. Dumba has stated many times that he would like to remain with the Wild, so the organization is obviously doing all they can to make it work.

  • Another player who would like to stay in Minnesota is Parise. The 36-year-old is coming off of a down year and was even benched for the first three games of the Wild’s first round series. However, he impressed in the remainder of the series once activated. Parise can still play at a high level, but not commensurate to his $7.5MM+ cap hit over four more years. The Wild have tried to move the contract in the past and may do so again this summer, but Parise hopes they don’t. He told Dane Mizutani of TwinCities.com that he “[doesn’t] want to play anywhere else” but for his hometown team. As Mizutani points out, he shouldn’t be too worried given his albatross of a contract. Ironically though, one way that Parise could prove his loyalty to the club would be to waive his NMC for the Expansion Draft, allowing Minnesota to protect all of Dumba, Eriksson Ek, and Greenway in an 8-skater format. There is no way that Seattle would touch Parise’s contract, so it could be a win-win for both sides.
  • While the Wild are certainly not looking forward to the Expansion Draft – even if Dumba, Eriksson Ek, and Greenway are safe, the team will still lose a good player like Carson Soucy or Marcus Foligno – they are definitely excited for the NHL Entry Draft. With the Pittsburgh Penguins opting to send their 2021 first-round pick rather than their 2020 for last year’s Jason Zucker trade, the Wild will now have two picks in the top 32 this year. Not only that, but they will have two picks very close together as well. Minnesota’s own pick is locked in at No. 22 overall, but if the Tampa Bay Lightning advance to the next round, Pittsburgh’s pick will be No. 25, allowing the Wild to control the board with two picks out of four selections. They could also look to package the two picks to potentially move up into the top half of the first round. With a pipeline that is already well-stocked, Minnesota has put themselves in position to stay competitive for a long time with a strong roster and deep system after adding two first-rounders this year, as well as all of their own picks and another Pittsburgh pick in the third round.

Jared Spurgeon Named A Finalist For The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy

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The NHL continues its daily revealing of award finalists and today’s is the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.  The award is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and is given “to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability”.  The finalists for the award are Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin, and Wild blueliner Jared Spurgeon.

Marco Rossi Receives The All-Clear From Doctors, Will Skate Saturday

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  • Wild prospect Marco Rossi has been given the all-clear and will skate for the first time on Saturday as he works his way back from a bout with myocarditis, relays Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link). Rossi was initially diagnosed with COVID-19 following the World Juniors and was sent home for the season to recover before the heart issue was later revealed.  With this good news, Rossi should be ready for next season and will still have three years left on his entry-level contract as his deal will slide since he didn’t see any NHL action.

2021 Calder Trophy Finalists Announced

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The NHL has continued to release the finalists for their major regular season awards, this time giving us the top Calder Trophy candidates. This award is given to the top first-year player in the league and is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

The finalists are Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild, Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars and Alex Nedeljkovic of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Kaprizov, 24, is the favorite for the award and has been for much of the season after finally agreeing to come over from the KHL. The skilled winger finished the year with 27 goals and 51 points in 55 games, injecting new life and excitement into a franchise that was lacking both. There’s going to always be a debate on whether Kaprizov should be eligible for the Calder, since he completed six seasons in the KHL before coming to North America, but what he did as a first-year player in the NHL shouldn’t be taken for granted. His play was outstanding all year and his Minnesota team was extremely close to upsetting the Vegas Golden Knights and advancing to the second round.

Just because Kaprizov is the favorite though, doesn’t mean Robertson should be forgotten. The 21-year-old Stars forward burst onto the scene with 45 points of his own in 51 games, finishing behind only Joe Pavelski for the team lead in goals and points. The 6’3″ winger was a second-round pick four years ago but just never stopped developing, adding strength and speed to his frame to go with some well-developed puck skills. Robertson looks like the next great Dallas player and a pillar to build around after a disappointing year.

Like many Calder races, there are the skaters and then there is the goalie. It’s difficult to compare the two directly, but the people in Carolina would certainly argue that Nedeljkovic’s contribution was more important this season. The 25-year-old netminder has battled in the minor leagues for years and was even waived at the beginning of this season, but when Petr Mrazek suffered an injury, Nedeljkovic finally got his chance. He never looked back, posting an incredible .932 save percentage through 23 regular season games, winning 15 of them and posting three shutouts. In the shortened season there was a real case for Nedeljkovic getting a Vezina Trophy nominee, given he led the league in save percentage and goals-against average (1.90), but after falling short there he’ll have to settle for being a Calder finalist instead.

Filip Lindberg Could Test Free Agency

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UMass goaltender Filip Lindberg has been unable to reach a contract with the Minnesota Wild according to Michael Russo of The Athletic and could become an unrestricted free agent later this summer. Despite being drafted in 2019 and playing only three seasons of college hockey, the 22-year-old Lindberg’s exclusive draft rights will expire after his agent submitted a letter informing Minnesota of his intention to forego his senior season, leave the NCAA and turn pro. As Russo states, the goaltender will be eligible to sign with any team when free agency opens on July 28.

Lindberg was a seventh-round pick in 2019 as a 20-year-old, a lottery ticket based on only 17 (albeit excellent) games of college hockey. The .934 he posted as a freshman was proven to be no fluke, however, as he returned with two more outstanding seasons for the Minutemen, including a national championship this year. In 50 total games for UMass, Lindberg posted a 29-10-6 record, a .937 save percentage, and a 1.58 goals-against average. Sure, those numbers are boosted by a strong team in front of him, but he has turned from a seventh-round lottery ticket into a legitimate NHL prospect in short order.

When he does sign, Lindberg will be limited to inking a two-year, entry-level contract. In Minnesota, he could potentially see his path to the NHL blocked by fellow top prospect Kaapo Kahkonen, given veteran Cam Talbot’s remaining two years under contract. It’s unclear at this point which team would be the frontrunner to sign him, but make no mistake there will be interest in the college star if he hits the open market.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Matt Dumba Reiterates Desire To Stay With Wild; Shoulder Sprain For Jonas Brodin

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The future of Mathew Dumba with the Wild has been in question the last couple of years with expansion on the horizon.  Now with Seattle’s roster less than two months away from being picked, the questions are picking up.  With the most common protection scheme involving three defensemen and three Minnesota rearguards other than Dumba having no-move clauses guaranteeing protection, the 26-year-old is viewed as the possible odd man out.  Speaking with reporters including Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Dumba made it clear that he’d like to stick around:

Dumba has two years remaining on his deal with a $6MM AAV, a rate that could be viewed as a little high after he managed just 21 points in 51 games this season.  However, he’s only three years removed from a 50-point campaign for the Wild and considering that he averages over 22 minutes per night, there will be interest if they opt to move him.

  • Also from McLellan, Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin’s upper-body injury wasn’t as bad as initially feared. He wound up suffering a sprained shoulder in Game Seven against Vegas, one that will keep him away from training for a couple of weeks but it won’t affect his preparation for next season.

Wild Have Reportedly Offered Max-Term Contract To Kirill Kaprizov

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While it took a long time for Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov to come to North America, he proved to be well worth the wait.  His rookie season was strong enough to make him a top contender for the Calder Trophy (the finalists will be revealed for Rookie of the Year on Thursday).  With Minnesota opting to burn the first year of his contract in the bubble, Kaprizov is already up for his second contract.  The team certainly wants to keep him around for the long haul as Michael Russo of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the team has already offered a maximum eight-year contract with an AAV around the $8MM mark.  That would certainly represent a substantial raise from the $925K (base salary and signing bonus) he made on his entry-level pact.

The 24-year-old led the Wild in scoring this season with 27 goals and 24 assists in 55 games while logging just over 18 minutes a game.  His ice time increased slightly in the playoffs but he was only able to manage two goals and an assist in their seven-game loss to Vegas in the first round.  While he has several strong years in the KHL under his belt, having just one year of NHL experience makes this type of offer much riskier but clearly, GM Bill Guerin is comfortable with it.

However, the fact the deal isn’t done is also noteworthy.  It could be for a couple of reasons as well.  The simple one is that his camp may want more money to buy out five years of UFA eligibility but it’s also possible that they prefer a shorter-term deal that would allow him to hit the open market while he’s still in the prime of his career.  By then, the salary cap should be starting to go up again as well which could increase his earnings ceiling.

Regardless, Guerin’s offer is quite the opener.  After waiting so long to get him in a Minnesota uniform, it’s certainly understandable that they want to keep him around for as long as possible.  We’ll see over the coming months if Kaprizov is open to sticking around for the long haul.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

West Notes: Wild Offseason, Perron, Lehner

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The Minnesota Wild seem to be a team on the way up. The team may have lost in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs to the Vegas Golden Knights, but put together an interesting season in which they should continue to get better.

The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required) writes that the team expects to have a busy offseason, which includes dealing with the challenges of the expansion draft as well as re-signing restricted free agents Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek and Kevin Fiala. While all three should get significant raises, trading one of them is always a possibility. In fact, Russo suggests the team could consider packaging Fiala in a deal to upgrade at the center position in a bold move, even suggesting that the Wild could be serious bidders for Buffalo’s Jack Eichel.

  • In a Q&A with St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong, beat writer Lou Korac writes that the Blues are focused on getting an extension worked out with veteran winger David Perron. The 33-year-old has only gotten better as he’s gotten older. After a 16-goal season with Vegas back in 2017-18, he has been a key contributor for the Blues since signing with them. He scored 23 goals in 2018-19, 25 goals in 2019-20 and posted a 19-goal, 58-point campaign this year in 56 games. “He’s passionate about the game,” said Armstrong. “He works at the game, he’s evolved with the game, his puck-protection skills are top level. His ability to create offense for himself is top level. He goes to the harder areas. He’s here next year and as long as he wants to play, I don’t know why the St. Louis Blues wouldn’t want him.”
  • In a somewhat surprising development, The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reports that Robin Lehner, not Marc-Andre Fleury, is expected to be in net tonight for Game 1 against the Colorado Avalanche. Many expected Fleury to get the nod for an eighth-straight game. The veteran was dominant against the Minnesota Wild with a 1.71 GAA and a .931 save percentage in those seven games. Of course, Lehner is also considered a top goaltender for the Golden Knights. The 29-year-old finished the season with a 2.29 GAA and a .913 save percentage in 19 regular season games. Head coach Peter DeBoer did something similar a year ago, allowing Fleury to start Game 1 against the Dallas Stars in the conference finals. Fleury played well, but Vegas lost, which prompted DeBoer to play Lehner for the rest of the season. Could we see a reverse move made this year?

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