Bill Guerin confirms Wild in the market for a center and wing
The Wild enter the 2025 offseason finally free from the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter dead cap hits, meaning general manager Bill Guerin can flex some financial muscle to strengthen a squad that's made the playoffs in five of the last six seasons.
With the financial constraints lifted, Guerin now has the ability to go big-game hunting in free agency this summer.
"Yeah, I'm really excited. I mean, this is big. I mean, we've been waiting a long time for this," Guerin told the Wild on 7th podcast following the team's elimination from the playoffs.
"And when I say 'we,' I mean everybody. You know—fans, ownership, coaches, players, you guys. So yeah, this is a big summer," Guerin continued. "I want to make our team significantly better this summer."
According to Cap Wages, Minnesota will have just shy of $17 million in available cap space this offseason. For a team that's had to pinch pennies and find creative ways to build a roster over the past several seasons, that's a breath of fresh air.
So where will Guerin focus his efforts?
"We're going to focus mainly on forwards," Guerin said. "I mean, I believe our D is set. We've got a good mix of veterans and youth. So mainly for me, I'm focused on forwards. Yeah, faceoffs—we need somebody to help with that. We need veteran-type guys who've been through it, who've got some battle scars and can help in that way. But we could always use more skill too. That's everybody, but definitely in the forward position."
With stars like Mitch Marner, Brock Boeser, John Tavares, Brock Nelson, and Sam Bennett potentially hitting the market this summer, Guerin will have plenty of options.
First on his docket, though, is locking up Kirill Kaprizov to a new long-term deal, which Guerin said is "priority number one" this offseason.
Kaprizov is entering the final year of the five-year, $45 million deal he signed back in September of 2021. Speaking on his future following the season, Kaprizov said he loves "everything here," adding, "It should be all good."
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New York Times
3 days ago
- New York Times
Paul Skenes' stats with Pirates are mind-blowing — especially the non-wins
Editor's note: This is a bonus Weird & Wild. To read this week's main W&W column, go here. I've always enjoyed visiting Pittsburgh in the summer. Then again, I'm not Paul Skenes. Maybe you've noticed this, but when the Greatest Pirates Pitching Phenom Ever takes the mound, amazing things happen. It would be cool if winning was one of those things. But hey, don't get greedy! Advertisement Here at Weird and Wild World HQ, we've spent some time looking at this. And maybe it's just us, but we're starting to notice a common theme running through these starts by Skenes, a once-in-a-generation talent, pitching for a team that mostly forces that generation to cover its eyes a lot. It doesn't matter how well Skenes pitches. It doesn't matter how long Skenes pitches. It doesn't matter if he's facing the Mets or the Marlins. It always ends the same. By which I mean you won't be reading many box scores that say: WP — Skenes That's just a fact. But now here come more facts: Over Skenes' past seven starts, he has a 1.77 ERA, he's averaging over six innings a start … and the Pirates are 2-5. Is that even possible? But there's more. Of course there's more. Over Skenes' 13 starts this season, he's leading the National League in bWAR, WHIP, innings pitched, quality starts, opponent average and even (cough, cough) a new-age stat known as Win Probability Added … and the Pirates have still found a way to ignore that 'win probability' stuff and go 5-8 when he pitches. But wait. It gets worse. Would you like to know how much worse? You've come to the right place. They're taking not winning to a whole new level — In his two seasons in the big leagues, Skenes is now up to 21 career starts in which he hasn't gotten a win. Somehow, it doesn't feel like that's his fault. His numbers, just in those non-wins: a 2.59 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings. Ready for the complete list of everyone in history with that many starts (or more) whose career ERA is that spectacular in their non-wins? (This is since earned runs became an official stat in 1913 — and not counting openers.) It won't take long. Here it comes: Paul Skenes — 2.59 That's a wrap on that list. (Source: Baseball Reference / Katie Sharp) Advertisement But here's even more perspective: Only one pitcher in history is even within half a run of that: Hoyt Wilhelm (who spent most of his career as a reliever), at 2.99. And the next closest active starter — Jacob deGrom — has an ERA in those games nearly a full run higher (at 3.54). So there's that. But also … Crazy Eights — Skenes has made three career starts of eight innings or longer. His ERA in those starts is 1.48. His record in those starts is … what else? … 0-3. The record of all other MLB starters over the past two seasons, in starts of eight innings or longer: How about 86-5! And just for fun … how about we throw in a few more tidbits where those came from? These are just in games he hasn't won: • Four non-wins this season in starts of five innings or longer, with no more than three hits allowed. That would be — shockingly, I know — the most of any pitcher in baseball. • Nine non-wins, in his career, in starts of five innings or longer, with no more than one run allowed. That's tied for (yep) the most in baseball in that span. • Ten non-wins, in his career, in starts of five innings or longer, with no more than one earned run allowed. That's tied for most in the NL, and it's one behind Yusei Kikuchi for most in baseball. All of this is happening at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers, in real life, to one of the special talents we've seen pass through our sport in this century. To everyone in Pittsburgh, we can only say: Sorry! And just seven weeks until Steelers training camp! GO DEEPER Pirates don't want to trade Paul Skenes. But they'd have to weigh these 5 prospect packages GO DEEPER Rosenthal: Would the Pirates trade Paul Skenes? A fascinating but unlikely idea for now
Business Wire
5 days ago
- Business Wire
VistaShares Harnesses the 'Animal Spirits' of the Market With the Launch of WILD
SAN FRANCISCO & BOSTON & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- VistaShares, an innovative asset manager seeking to disrupt the status quo in growth equity and income investing, today announced the newest addition to its ETF lineup: the VistaShares Animal Spirits™ 2x Daily Strategy ETF (WILD). "(WILD) offers a more diversified approach to investing in high-beta securities, and we believe it is the next stage in the evolution of what a leveraged ETF can be,' Adam Patti, CEO of VistaShares. 'The leveraged ETF category has gained a significant number of adherents in recent years, and WILD brings a very different approach to the conversation,' said Adam Patti, CEO of VistaShares. 'Using a systematic process, WILD provides 2x leveraged daily exposure to a portfolio of five widely traded stocks exhibiting the strongest investor sentiment and buying momentum. The portfolio composition is adjusted monthly to reflect changing sentiment among these popular trading stocks. It offers a more diversified approach to investing in high-beta securities, and we believe it is the next stage in the evolution of what a leveraged ETF can be.' Underpinning WILD's investment philosophy is the idea of an 'Animal Spirits'- focused approach to investing, which seeks to capitalize on the behavioral and psychological factors that drive investor sentiment and market trends. WILD targets those companies that are garnering outsized attention from traders, reflecting the influence of investor optimism and momentum, which can be key elements of note in seeking attractive investment returns. By providing 2x daily levered exposure to this basket of stocks, WILD allows investors to tap into the type of tactical alpha trading solution long favored by sophisticated institutional investors. 'Institutional trading desks have long put a similar approach to work in their efforts to deliver high-beta exposure to their institutional clients,' added Patti. 'Single-stock leveraged ETFs have clearly found an audience for the roles they can play in a portfolio. The attention different funds in that category attract can tell us much about how the market is viewing a specific company. With that information, we can build an actively managed, concentrated portfolio of those stocks that are generating the most momentum and fueling the most investor optimism, seeking to deliver 2x daily performance for the resulting basket of equities. It's an approach long favored by institutional traders and now available to all investors for the first time.' WILD joins a VistaShares ETF lineup that also includes the fast-growing equity/income solutions OMAH and QUSA, as well as AIS, an AI Infrastructure ETF that upends the traditional thinking around how thematic portfolios can be constructed and managed. For more information and updates from VistaShares, please visit and follow the firm on Linkedin @VistaShares and on X @VistaSharesETFs. The VistaShares Animal Spirits Daily 2x Strategy ETF (the '2x Fund') seeks daily leveraged investment results and is intended to be used as a short-term trading vehicle. The 2x Fund attempts to provide daily investment results that correspond to two times (200%) the share price performance of an actively-managed group of equity securities (the 'Target Portfolio'). The 2x Fund is not intended to be used by, and is not appropriate for, investors who do not intend to actively monitor and manage their portfolios. The 2x Fund is very different from most mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. The volatility of the market value of the Target Portfolio may affect the 2x Fund's return as much as, or more than, the Target Portfolio's return. The performance of the 2x Fund for periods longer or shorter than a single day will very likely differ in amount, and possibly even direction, from 200% of the daily return of the Target Portfolio's market value for the same period, before accounting for fees and expenses. The 2x Fund may not perform as expected. he 2x Fund is not suitable for all investors. The 2x Fund is designed to be utilized only by sophisticated investors, such as traders and active investors employing dynamic strategies. About VistaShares At VistaShares, we strive to deliver innovative investment solutions for today's investors, helping them navigate evolving market opportunities with confidence. VistaShares ETFs are actively managed by industry and investment experts, offering three distinct solutions. Our Pure Exposure™ Growth Equity ETFs target technology-driven economic Supercycles™ that we believe are poised for significant growth. Target 15™ Options-Income ETFs are designed to generate high monthly income while complementing a core equity portfolio. Animal Spirits™ Tactical Alpha ETFs are designed to provide investors short term trading vehicles that seek to harness momentum and investor sentiment. Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. For a prospectus or summary prospectus with this and other information about the Fund, please call (844) 875-2288. Read the prospectus or summary prospectus carefully before investing. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Beta is the measure of the risk or volatility of a portfolio or investment compared with the market as a whole. Animal Spirits Strategy Risks. The Fund's investment strategy of focusing on companies with strong investor interest carries significant risks. This approach may result in the Fund investing in overvalued securities, as heightened enthusiasm can inflate stock prices beyond their intrinsic value, leaving them vulnerable to sharp corrections. The strategy is influenced by herd mentality, which could lead the Fund to participate in speculative bubbles that may collapse suddenly. Additionally, the strategy often involves a short-term focus, with investments driven by fleeting trends or news cycles, increasing the likelihood of heightened volatility and unpredictability. The Fund may also invest in companies that lack fundamental financial support, relying more on market hype than on sustainable growth or profitability. There is a significant risk of timing errors, as the strategy requires precise entry and exit points to avoid losses. Finally, because the Fund's strategy is based on a ranking process of companies with strong investor interest, the investment decisions may prove to be poor. Index Strategy Risk. The Fund's strategy is linked to an Index maintained by the Index Provider that exercises complete control over the Index. The Index Provider may delay or add a rebalance date, which may adversely impact the performance of the Fund and its correlation to the Index. In addition, there is no guarantee that the methodology used by the Index Provider to identify constituents for the Index will achieve its intended result or positive performance. Errors in Index data, Index computations or the construction of the Index in accordance with its methodology may occur from time to time and may not be identified and/or corrected for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund. Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund's investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, leverage, imperfect daily correlations with underlying investments or the Fund's other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions. The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The use of derivatives may result in larger losses or smaller gains than directly investing in securities. When the Fund uses derivatives, there may be imperfect correlation between the share price of the Target Portfolio and the derivative, which may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective. Because derivatives often require only a limited initial investment, the use of derivatives may expose the Fund to losses in excess of those amounts initially invested. New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions. Newer Sub-Adviser Risk. VistaShares is a recently formed entity and has limited experience with managing an exchange-traded fund, which may limit the Sub-Adviser's effectiveness. Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is 'non-diversified,' it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund. 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There can be no assurance that the U.S. Government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises) where it is not obligated to do so. Models and Data Risk. The composition of the Index is heavily dependent on proprietary quantitative models as well as information and data supplied by third parties ('Models and Data'). High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund's holdings. A high portfolio turnover rate increases transaction costs, which may increase the Fund's expenses. Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is 'non-diversified,' it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund. Foreside Fund Services, LLC, distributor.
Indianapolis Star
30-05-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Sophomore Ben Canada leads Guerin into sectional semifinals after blowout victory
INDIANAPOLIS — When Guerin sophomore Ben Canada hit a single in the first inning, first-year coach Dave Schrage knew his Golden Eagles was in good shape. 'Ben's the kind of guy who can lead us at the plate and everyone feels off that,' Schrage said after Guerin defeated Lebanon 13-0 in the IHSAA Class 3A sectional quarterfinals. 'When he's up in the first inning like he was today and gets a hit, our guys feed off that. We go as he goes, so we like to make him bat second. If he gets a hit in the first inning, our team feels good and say, 'OK, we're going to score runs today.'' Canada's first hit preceded an onslaught. Guerin (15-12) finished with 12 hits and pitchers Tate Troxell, Luke Gremelspacher and Finn Holden threw a combined no-hitter. Guerin also scored eight runs in the fifth inning. After the game, Troxell said he wanted to win sectionals for the team seniors. The Alabama recruit recognizes that the Golden Eagles' chances of winning start with Canada. 'His presence in the lineup is like no one else on our team,' Troxell said. 'When he's up, we know we're getting our best guy up there and he can compete with anyone. When we have him going, everyone seems to carry on with what he's doing.' Canada finished Thursday's contest 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base. Canada leads Guerin in home runs (6), RBIs (27) and batting average (.431) this season. Canada admitted that he didn't expect to see this much success so early in high school but strives to 'work hard and see what happens.' Canada started playing baseball at 4 years old when his dad, Brian, put a bat in his left hand and made him hit off a tee in the front yard of their Baltimore home. Brian played baseball at Miami University. Canada credits his dad with making him fall in love with the sport. 'When I took over the program in the fall, I thought he was a junior with how he carried himself, then I realized his dad played at Miami,' Schrage said. 'He's grown up with the game, so he has really good instincts.' Schrage called Canada a 'quiet kid' who works hard and said Canada has 'probably taken the most swings in the batting on the team.' 'If he has a bad at-bat, he doesn't let it bother him,' Schrage said. 'A lot of kids sulk, or you can tell it frustrates them, but Ben's just even-keeled. If he goes 0-for-3, the next day he comes back and you wouldn't know.' More: 'Friendly rivalry' to 'good friendship': How these two Brebeuf baseball players formed a bond One key to Canada's success is boundaries. The 16-year-old said he finds time to complete his schoolwork and baseball practice before hanging out with friends. Canada's focus has helped lead a young Golden Eagle squad to the sectional semifinals, where they will face Brebeuf (13-12) at 1 p.m. Monday. 'Winning sectionals would mean everything and I think it would be a really good accomplishment,' Canada said. 'We are returning most of our team next year, but this is the year to do it. It would mean a lot to our school.'
