Latest news with #BillGuerin
New York Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Wild and Marco Rossi remain at contract impasse as trade possibilities emerge: ‘Only time will tell'
Teams have started to call the Minnesota Wild about restricted free agent Marco Rossi, but even with negotiations on a new contract going nowhere, Wild president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin said Sunday he's not 'dying' to trade the 23-year-old center. That doesn't mean he won't, of course. Advertisement Guerin made clear during a conversation with The Athletic that there's a certain price point he's willing to go to in contract talks with Rossi — and, so far, Rossi's ask has been significantly higher. The Wild have made two contract offers — five years, $25 million in the winter, per league sources, and a shorter-term offer last week. While the five-year offer had previously been rejected (after a bridge counter the Wild didn't agree to), Rossi's camp has not yet countered the Wild's recent bridge offer. The sides are expected to speak again this coming week. However, given that Rossi received the third-lowest ice time of any Wild player in the playoffs (11:08 per game) with most of his even-strength shifts on the fourth line, it's very unlikely now that Rossi would accept a bridge deal and risk being deployed in the bottom-six during the term of his next contract. After the season, he said he was 'very disappointed' with how the Wild utilized him in their playoffs. 'I think sometimes you just have disagreements on where a player is at, and that's fine,' Guerin said. 'And sometimes it takes a little while longer to work through things. But out there, there's this belief that we don't like him or we're going to trade him. 'And look, he's no different than any other player. If we can make our team better by trading someone, we're going to do it. But that doesn't mean we don't like the player. And Marco is a player that we like. He had a good season again. So I don't know where all this is coming from. … Marco's a good player.' THAT'S A WILD OT WIN! 🤩 Marco Rossi wins it for the @mnwild in @Energizer overtime! — NHL (@NHL) April 6, 2025 Rossi ranks No. 2 on The Athletic's Chris Johnston's offseason trade board. He is ineligible for salary arbitration, which would have provided a one- or two-year term, but is eligible to sign an offer sheet with 31 other teams as early as July 1. So there is a pressure point for the Wild to potentially trade Rossi if a contract isn't agreed upon this month. Advertisement 'There clearly is a difference of opinion with respect to Marco's value,' Rossi's agent, Ian Pulver, told The Athletic on Sunday. 'We will continue in good faith to engage the Wild to attempt to reach resolution. We understand that Billy likes Marco, but for how much? And in what role going forward? (That) is the subject of great debate. 'Like the Wild, we believe we have advanced very fair and reasonable contract proposals. What the future holds for Marco and the Wild, only time will tell.' Guerin categorized the Wild's two contract offers to Rossi as 'significant.' 'They don't like it,' Guerin said. 'And that's fine. This is not a knock on them. They feel he's of more value. But to say I don't like him, if you knew what the value of what those contract offers were, you'd say, 'Oh, he definitely likes him and wants to keep him.'' The Wild's five-year contract offer to Rossi for a $5 million average annual value is in line with Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell and Washington Capitals center Dylan Strome. Rossi, on a seven- or eight-year term, is likely looking at comparables like the Ottawa Senators' Dylan Cozens ($7.1 million), Buffalo Sabres' Josh Norris ($7.95 million) and the Wild's Matt Boldy, who signed a seven-year, $49 million extension in January 2023. Rossi, the ninth pick in the 2020 draft, followed a 21-goal, 40-point season during his first full year in the NHL with a career-high 24 goals and 60 points last season. At five-on-five, he was on the ice for 56 goals compared to Boldy's 50 and 43 goals against compared to Boldy's 44. Overall, Boldy followed a 15-goal, 39-point rookie year in just 47 games with 31 goals and 63 points in 2022-23, 29 goals and 69 points in 2023-24 and 27 goals and 73 points last season. Boldy averaged nearly two minutes more per game the past two years than Rossi. Advertisement Calgary Flames 22-year-old winger Matthew Coronato recently signed a seven-year contract worth $6.5 million. It's hard to imagine Rossi agreeing to any long-term deal for less than that, but so far the Wild have shown no appetite to go anywhere in the vicinity. On a three-year term, Evolving-Hockey estimates Rossi is a $5.262 million player this summer. On a five-year term, the site has him at $6.067 million. On a seven-year term, it's at $6.688 million. For being undersized, Rossi doesn't shy away from going to the dirty areas. According to NHL Edge player- and puck-tracking data, 67 of his 136 shots were from the high-danger area (92nd percentile in the NHL), as were 18 of his 24 goals (94th percentile). Guerin denied a report from DailyFaceoff that he asked Philadelphia for Tyson Foerster or one of the Flyers' late first-round picks in a trade for Rossi, saying, 'I've talked to lots of teams about lots of players — not just Marco — and names come up all the time, but there's never been any serious discussion with anybody yet.' The Flyers are in the market for a second-line center, as are teams like the Vancouver Canucks, Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Flames and Montreal Canadiens. Asked if he's gotten much interest so far in Rossi, Guerin said, 'Yeah, teams see this stuff written and they call, but like I said, Marco's a good player and I'm not interested in making our team worse or postponing our team being better. So I'm not dying to get rid of Marco. That's the bottom line.' Most trades this month happen around the draft, which is June 27 and 28, but Guerin indicated he could be active much sooner. 'If we ever did something, I don't have to wait for the draft or anything,' he said. 'But again, that's not for Marco. That's for anybody.' This is a big offseason for the Wild, who are finally unshackled from a majority of the buyout pain for Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. Guerin reiterated Sunday that he is confident the Wild will be able to sign Kirill Kaprizov to a contract extension this summer and said he also will be looking at potentially external additions via free agency or trying to make bold moves via trade. He wants to upgrade the center position this offseason and potentially add a scoring winger. Advertisement One current Wild unrestricted free agent that the Wild may re-sign is veteran left wing Marcus Johansson if they can get the 34-year-old on a significant haircut to his recently expired two-year, $4 million contract. He could be open to returning on an inexpensive contract. In his second stint with the Wild, Johansson has scored 28 goals and 82 points in 170 games. The Wild also plan to tender defenseman Declan Chisholm a qualifying offer if they can't re-sign the restricted free agent before July 1. (Photo of Marco Rossi: Sergei Belski / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Wild GM Bill Guerin: American hockey needs to keep its foot on the gas
The Minnesota Wild are not one of the eight teams that employed Bill Guerin during his nearly two-decade career as an NHL player. But the Wild general manager skated for the home team in St. Paul once. In the fall of 2004, Guerin played for Team USA in the World Cup of Hockey., Before packed houses at Xcel Energy Center, Guerin had teammates like Brett Hull, Mike Modano, Jeremy Roenick, Chris Chelios, Keith Tkachuk and current Minnesota Frost head coach Ken Klee. The Americans beat Slovakia in the preliminary round, and downed Russia in the quarterfinals before falling to Finland in a tight, 2-1 semifinal game. Advertisement Between three trips to the Olympics, a pair of appearances in the World Cup and two stints with the American entry in World Juniors when he was a teenager, Guerin spent nearly 90 games wearing red, white and blue and vying for a medal on various international hockey stages. He won gold in the 1996 World Cup, and silver in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. So, when USA Hockey needed a general manager for February's 4 Nations Face-Off, Guerin was the logical choice, and put together a team that came within an overtime goal of gold. He will serve in the same capacity for Team USA in the 2026 Olympics, which will be held next February in Italy. In early May, as he held his season-ending meeting with the Minnesota media following the Wild's first-round playoff exit, Guerin's bags were already packed for the 2025 World Championship in Denmark and Sweden. And while there were seven Wild players and/or prospects dotting several of the international team rosters, Guerin was focused on his nation first and employer second. 'I put a big emphasis on it. It's not necessarily how many goals you score or this or that or whatever,' Guerin said of the tournament held in Europe each spring. 'It's, 'When are we going to win that tournament?' We need to win that tournament soon. We need our best players going.' Rite of spring The NHL pauses for the Olympics and competitions such as the inaugural 4 Nations Faceoff so that its top players can skate for their countries. The World Championship is played at the same time as the NHL playoffs in the spring, meaning that the rosters for the United States, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Switzerland and others are composed primarily of skaters, defensemen and goalies from NHL teams that either didn't make the playoffs or were knocked out in the first round. Advertisement Among the top players for Team USA in 2025 were former Gophers star Logan Cooley, Frank Nazar and Zach Werenski, whose NHL teams — Utah, Chicago and Columbus, respectively — did not make it to the 2025 playoffs. Wild defenseman Zeev Buium was on a plane for Europe to skate for the Americans just a few days after Minnesota was knocked out of the postseason by Vegas. Other Wild properties in the tournament were defense prospect David Spacek (Czechia), goaltending prospect Samuel Hlavaj (Slovakia), defenseman Jared Spurgeon (Canada), retiring goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (Canada), defenseman Jonas Brodin (Sweden) and forward Marcus Johansson (Sweden). With Guerin and other USA Hockey higher-ups in attendance for several of the games in Stockholm, the American team did something it had last accomplished in 1933. After just one loss in their seven preliminary round games, the Americans bested Finland, Sweden and Switzerland in the medal round to bring home gold. The finale versus the Swiss, whose international hockey stock is rising fast, was an overtime thriller, with Buffalo forward Tage Thompson scoring the game's only goal. Advertisement 'It was a great experience … and the buy-in from players was awesome. There was a good feel,' Guerin said this week while taking some much-needed time away from the rink. 'The guys wanted to be there, and that's what I've been trying to push is (that) it's a great experience to get to play for your country.' Guerin noted that the 1933 team won gold in an era when rosters had fewer than a dozen players, goalies wore little to no padding, and the forward pass was a relatively new element to the game. 'This is really the first time in modern history that we've done it,' Guerin said. And this gold medal may have come at what is looking more and more like the best of times for American hockey. Guerin pointed out that the American entry in sled hockey — an adapted version of the game for players who have lost limbs or dealt with paralysis — is dominating the world stage. Best of times? Team USA won its second consecutive gold at the 2025 World Juniors and will go for the three-peat when the tournament comes to the Twin Cities in December. Advertisement In April, the U.S. women beat Canada in overtime to claim the World Championship in Czechia. And when they get to Italy next winter, the Americans will be pushing for their first men's Olympic gold since the 1980 Miracle On Ice, while the Team USA women won their most recent gold in 2018. 'There have been a lot of great accomplishments, and the player pool for all of the different categories we play in is having success. It's a good thing,' Guerin said. 'We don't want to take our foot off the gas, though. The World Championships happen every year. We don't just want to say, 'Hey, great, we won one, let's back off.' We want to continue to compete for medals. That's where we are now.' With an eye toward the Olympics, Guerin said perhaps the most important thing key members of Team USA gained this month, in addition to those gold medals, was the experience of playing in meaningful games while wearing the nation's colors. 'A lot of times there are very, very good players that haven't played in meaningful games,' Guerin said. 'We had some guys in that category that really stepped up and proved that they can do that.' Advertisement The process of choosing the Team USA roster for World Juniors will begin in late July in Minneapolis with the World Juniors Summer Showcase, which will include teams from Canada, Sweden and Finland as well as the United States, and will be held at Ridder Arena on the U of M campus. Minnesota Gophers men's hockey coach Bob Motzko is the American coach for World Juniors, for the third time in his career. Related Articles
New York Times
17-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Is Wild coach John Hynes on the hot seat? Could they sign Mitch Marner? Ask Russo and Smith, part 2
We trust you're having a wonderful weekend, and as a treat while you enjoy your morning cup of joe, we thought we'd give you some more reading material. On Thursday, Part 1 of our Ask Russo and Smith mailbag popped. Here is Part 2. Read every single word, as there will be a pop quiz this week to test your knowledge. We wish you a terrific summer, and we'll make sure you have plenty more Wild stories to read before next training camp. It could be a busy, eventful offseason for the Wild. (Note: Some questions are edited for length and clarity.) What's a realistic trade for Marco Rossi look like? — Allan W. Smith: This is a tough one. There should definitely be a good market for Rossi, a 60-point scorer and strong defender who is not afraid to go to the dirty areas of the ice — even at his size. Most of his goals are scored within five feet of the goal, as president of hockey ops and general manager Bill Guerin often points out. Advertisement The Wild could look at what the compensation would be for losing Rossi in an offer sheet (let's say a first and a third for contracts between $4.6 million and $7.02 million average annual value) as the low bar. But if you're trading Rossi, one of the very few homegrown centers you've developed, you probably should aim to get a strong roster player in return, whether it's a scoring winger or another (bigger) center. The Wild have traded a ton of draft picks in recent years, so dealing Rossi for a pair of picks would feel like an underwhelming return. Rossi could be dangled as part of a larger deal, as well. But timing is of the essence before July 1, when Rossi can receive an offer sheet. Who says no: Marco Rossi, Riley Heidt, Carson Lambos (or another D prospect not named Zeev Buium or David Jiricek) for good ole 87? Marc-Andre Fleury and Billy Guerin are also great friends of Sidney Crosby's, so you'd better believe they would try to sweet-talk him into this the same way Nathan MacKinnon is. — Connor B. Russo: Connor, buddy, you trying to give me a heart attack? Is Sidney Crosby turning 38 or 28? You don't think that's a tad of an overpay, giving up what the Wild hope are three pieces of the future for a Hall of Famer with one year left on his contract? If Crosby ever leaves Pittsburgh, unless it's to a team like the Montreal Canadiens that drafted his dad and he grew up rooting for, it's going to be to try to chase a Cup with MacKinnon. They're from the same place, they train together, they are having a blast playing together at worlds, and they were inseparable at the 4 Nations. 'It's far from done.' 🤣 Sid and Flower's prank wars will never end. — BarDown (@BarDown) May 16, 2025 Is John Hynes' job anywhere close to the hot seat, and will Kirill Kaprizov ever wear the 'C' as opposed to Jared Spurgeon? — Bryan L. Smith: There's no indication Hynes' seat is close to hot. You'd have to imagine, though, that it'd be important to show progress next season, especially if the Wild make sizable additions this summer. Kaprizov has seen his leadership role increase over the past few years. Part of that, he's said, is his comfort level with English. He's been given more ownership in the team as Guerin gave him an 'A' before the 2023-24 season. If Kaprizov signs an eight-year deal this summer, you could see him eventually wearing the 'C.' But it truly feels like if Spurgeon is dealt or his Wild tenure is done when his contract's up in a couple of years, Brock Faber might be the next captain. Advertisement Faber acts and talks like a captain, plays a monster role with the team and is signed long-term. Kaprizov seems like the perfect 'A' — a leader by example whose voice carries weight when he speaks up. What would it take for the Wild to sign Mitch Marner? And if not Marner, with the Wild looking for a top-six center, who is the best player they could net this offseason via free agency or trade? — Matteo I. Russo: I'd say $12 or $13 million buckaroos, maybe. Not often does a star like this hit the open market, so after Mikko Rantanen got $12 million, you could see the 28-year-old getting at least that. Evolving-Hockey has him getting $12.7 million on a seven-year term if he signs with a team other than the Toronto Maple Leafs. And with every eyeball scrutinizing his every move in Toronto, it wouldn't be shocking if he's ready for less noise and a new start elsewhere. I can see a team like Utah taking a big swing. Or could you imagine him signing in Carolina after not waiving his no-trade clause at the deadline to go there for Rantanen? As much as Marner loved hanging in the Twin Cities last summer with Jake Gardiner and Justin Holl, I just can't see the Wild pursuing him. Barring trades, they only have $16.4 million in cap space after Friday's signing of Danila Yurov ($950,000 cap hit). This includes $2.76 million in dead money for the Zach Parise/Ryan Suter buyouts and bonus overages for Rossi and Faber. It doesn't include potentially re-signing Rossi and Declan Chisholm, and this is with other forward spots on the roster needing to be filled. It just doesn't work in my eyes unless more cap space is created. One name I never hear about: Elias Pettersson. Judd Brackett drafted him. He's at a low point in his career, but it's not often a center with that production history is available at his age. — MNWildWatcher Russo: Funny enough, one of his best games of the season was against the Wild on trade-deadline night (power-play goal, three shots). At $11 million on a long-term deal and with his baggage, I can't see the Wild being interested, though. I feel bad that I seem to be throwing cold water on every idea you all have after you've waited four years for this summer. But money is still tight (they didn't expect Faber would turn into an $8.5 million defenseman, and remember they extended Jake Middleton to the tune of $4.35 million) and the free-agent class ain't sexy. So other than a Brock Nelson pursuit, I just really believe trying to trade for an impact center like JJ Peterka or Tage Thompson makes the most sense. Advertisement Would free agency next summer provide better options for the Wild long-term as opposed to this summer? I know the fans and the front office are itching to spend money. I would just hate to finally get over previous bad contracts just to pick up another this summer. — Lucas B. Russo: Fabulous question because I know even Guerin probably figures his clock starts now and he's tired of sitting on the sidelines and wants to join the frenzy. But you're right: If the right players aren't there this summer, they should wait to spend their money wisely. Now, to answer your question, as of this very second, there are better options. But we also know that some of the forwards who are free in 2026 could get extensions this offseason, as the Wild hope to do with Kaprizov. But as of now, the current pending UFA forwards include Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Kyle Connor, Artemi Panarin, Martin Necas, Adrian Kempe, Alex Tuch, Nick Schmaltz and Anders Lee. Are GMs allowed to talk to their players' agents regarding extensions before they are allowed to agree to terms? Or is that technically not allowed? — Tyler S. Russo: Yes. (How shocked is our editor, Jake, that his most long-winded writer gave a one-word answer?) With Ryan Hartman's improved 'attitude,' do you see him in a Wild uniform next year? I was convinced BG would trade him until his playoff performance. — Andrew S. Smith: It does seem like Hartman will be back next year. There was a time during this season that didn't seem like a slam dunk. Hartman's eight-game suspension in February was a tipping point, with everyone seeming to lose patience with him, from the commissioner to the Wild brass. Guerin said Hartman needed to be on his 'best behavior' and there was no wiggle room. Hartman's response and how he played during the playoffs have likely won a lot of people over. If Hartman can channel that side of him — a skilled, smart, agitator and playoff gamer — during the regular season, he's going to be a very valuable piece going forward. 'That is the Ryan Hartman that we need. He played incredibly well. Stayed composed and did not give in to the other team trying to push his buttons,' Guerin said. 'He has that ability. We need him to be more like that than the guy that flies off the hammer. He has that ability and I think sometimes he is frustrated with himself and he just blows a gasket. Which I get. But we need the playoff Ryan Hartman, then the other guy.' Plus, it's not like the Wild should be getting rid of centers, especially if Rossi isn't being re-signed. Advertisement How is Jiricek's rehab going? Is he going to spend time in Minnesota this summer to work on his skating and conditioning? — Anonymous U Russo: Guerin said at his season-ending presser that Jiricek is doing a lot better from his lacerated spleen and does plan to spend the latter part of the offseason working out with the Wild's staff. I know skating was the area he was most criticized about when he was traded to Minnesota, but the Wild are more focused on strength and adding some muscle and becoming sturdier on his feet. So strength coach Matt Harder and his staff will work with him a lot. Same with Buium, by the way. Buium plans to spend a lot of his summer in Minnesota trying to get stronger. Yurov will also come to the United States early, but train in Connecticut with a training staff that his agent works with. I chatted with Iowa coach Brett McLean on Thursday for another story I'm working on, and I asked about Jiricek's time in Iowa: 'He's a big, long guy, and one thing he does really well is he closes and shuts down plays. He can really read plays and close and shut down those plays early. I think with him it's just getting to build his whole game, and I think what he's going to be is a real good 200-foot defenseman that can end plays quickly. And then obviously he's got the skill to break those pucks out and to make those really high-end plays. I think using his length and using a stick will be a real asset for him, and with the size, he should be able to play against anyone.' McLean said he was very coachable, adding, 'He was very honest with us and said how it was challenging coming to a new organization and being traded for the first time and the way we do things, the way we have structure on our breakouts, and things like that. That was a real challenge for him. But he's a great kid to coach. He's got a great personality, and he always wanted to talk to the coaches, which is really good. We saw a huge improvement with him. His last couple of games were really, really good, and so we were pretty bummed out when his season ended.' Will Jiricek make the team next season? — Johnny K. Russo: With what they gave up for him, I've got to think he'll be given every opportunity. I'll be curious to see if Zach Bogosian comes to camp penciled in as the seventh defenseman. It almost feels like Bogosian is blocking Jiricek, and now Jiricek is blocking David Spacek, which is a shame because I've got to think Spacek must want a change of scenery by now. He's always great in international play, and when I talk to guys like David Pastrnak, Radko Gudas and Tomas Hertl, they all rave about him and believe he can be an NHLer. But now Jiricek has leapt him. 'We wanna see him on this team,' Guerin said of Jiricek. 'He will create it. Not me. Yes, we'll have a spot, but how much he plays or where he plays or how high up the lineup he plays, situations, that's up to him. He's got to earn it. But we believe in him. He had a crazy year. But his attitude has been amazing. He's got a strong personality; he believes in himself. We believe in him, and we're just looking forward to him getting healthy and getting back on track.' Advertisement How does Guerin justify no changes in Iowa? Just look at the numbers. — Budman Smith: We'll have a deeper dive on Iowa next week, but you're right. The numbers aren't good. AHL Iowa missed the playoffs for the third time in the past four years — the second straight season under McLean. They ranked near the bottom of the league in goals for (2.79, 28th), goals against (3.49, 29th), power play (13.8 percent, 32nd) and penalty kill (73.0 percent, 32nd). Clearly, something needs to change. Guerin has shown patience, noting that while winning is important at the AHL level, it's also a developmental league, and that includes for coaches. The fact that this is McLean's first time ever being a head coach, having been hired without a search, has led to some growing pains. It's unfair to pin everything on him. By all accounts, players appreciate his positivity and work ethic. But for the Wild to have such a touted prospect pool, there needs to be more emphasis on improving their program in Iowa. There were only a few bright spots this past season, with Hunter Haight's strong first pro season being one of them. Judging by Guerin's answer in his exit interview press conference, it's important for Iowa to show some improvement next season. If it's not heading in that direction, we could see some changes made. I know injuries/cap played a part, but did the Wild totally botch the season for Jesper Wallstedt? Got off to a horrible start by telling him to find an apartment and then sending him down immediately. Can his struggles be pinned to that or did he just simply struggle playing behind a terrible Iowa team? — Aaron B. Smith: The failed idea of a three-goalie rotation definitely didn't help, though Wallstedt took his share of the blame for how he handled it in a recent, candid one-on-one. Wallstedt admitted he didn't effectively 'land' mentally in Iowa until Christmas, but that was only part of the problem. Wallstedt suffered three injuries, including a concussion and a groin issue. He struggled with consistency. And, yes, the team in front of him wasn't good. From talking to him and his coaches and staff in Iowa, they truly believe this will be a critical learning moment — something that'll help Wallstedt bounce back quicker if he deals with similar issues in the NHL. It's too early to give up on Wallstedt, who has been labeled one of the best goalie prospects in the world for years. He's only 22. But he's not just going to get handed the keys to the Wild net. He's going to have to earn it. The strategy that has probably never been tried before, putting a 60-point scorer onto the fourth line, with the third-fewest minutes, has proven to be not too successful. How come there isn't more discussion about the coaching staff being responsible for the playoff loss? — Hans F. Smith and Russo: It's easy to second-guess after the fact, or from where we sit up top, but coaching decisions certainly played a part in the loss — and it wasn't just putting Rossi on the fourth line, though the staff probably felt that was justified with him being on the ice for two critical goals against in the series. Advertisement The coaching staff's insistence on sticking with Freddy Gaudreau and Gus Nyquist on the third line was curious. You couldn't argue they were 'going' and producing. Hynes said Buium played in a six-on-five situation late in Game 1 because, if you didn't, why even put him in the lineup? Then the Wild sat Buium for overtime after his double minor in Game 4, even on the power play. Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy was surprised the Wild didn't put a traditional checking line together against his top line of Eichel, Mark Stone and William Karlsson when they heated up late in the series. Instead, Hynes kept rolling his top line that included Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, not using his last change during Game 5 to get them away from the shutdown defender in Karlsson. As Hynes put it, the staff spends 'hours' debating and breaking down lineup decisions. And it's up to players to execute on the ice. But with Vegas looking beatable and the Wild feeling they had the better of the play for a good portion of the series, every decision is going to be magnified. It isn't the first time, either. Remember the Wild's decision, with Dean Evason as coach, to start Marc-Andre Fleury instead of Cam Talbot against St. Louis in the 2022 playoffs? Evason started Fleury in Game 2 against Dallas in the 2023 playoffs after Gustavsson's brilliant performance in a double OT win in Game 1. Finish the sentence: 'Next season will be considered a failure for Guerin if the Wild …' — Kevin K. Smith and Russo: Don't win a first-round series. It's time. It's been a decade. The buyouts are almost completely off the books. There are no excuses. Guerin hopes to significantly improve his team this summer, and there's pressure that comes with that. This first-round series loss to Vegas might have felt 'different' to players and staff, because the Wild felt they 'deserved' to win. But, at some point, you have to get over the hump here. Let's not forget they also almost missed the playoffs after being the league's point leader in mid-December, which would have been a massive collapse. It took a Joel Eriksson Ek goal with 22 seconds left in the season finale to clinch a postseason berth. How would the tenor of this offseason feel had the Wild missed the playoffs for the second straight year? What would Kaprizov think? Advertisement I know Yakov Trenin has underperformed, but where did Guerin envision him playing in the lineup? Paying $3.5 million for fourth-line minutes seems like a waste of salary cap space. — Matt M. Russo: They envisioned a Marcus Foligno-Hartman-Yakov Trenin checking line when they acquired him, and that he would be a top penalty killer. While he played third line for most of the year, you're right. There's no way Guerin signed him to a four-year deal thinking he'd play fourth line at times and play the second-fewest minutes in the playoffs. I was surprised Hynes, especially since Trenin was portrayed as his guy from their days with the Nashville Predators, didn't elevate him more in the playoffs when it was pretty clear he was playing the best we'd seen from him. Maybe it was the weight of the contract. Maybe it was that big guys often take a bit to get going at the start of the season. Maybe it was the new system. Regardless, the Trenin we saw down the stretch and into the playoffs is the Trenin he must be during the life of his contract. Not only was he physical, but his pace of play and, yes, speed were impressive. More of that, please. Any buzz on new naming rights to the arena? Who/what would you like to see? — Dominic L. Russo: Starbucks Center, of course, with a personal press box barista at my beck and call, ready to brew me an Americano anytime I snap my fingers. Joe is hoping for Diet Coke Arena since nobody in the world drinks more Diet Coke in a day than him. He makes my coffee habit look like a kindergartner. All jokes aside, they're still negotiating the rights and are at a critical juncture, so I've been given no hints other than that those giant Xcel Energy Center signs will still sit atop the outside of the arena until June 30. I'm 67 and plan on living 'til 97. That's 30 years. Can you guarantee at least one Stanley Cup for the Wild before I die? — Nicethings R. Russo: I've covered two dozen Stanley Cup Finals and 30 NHL seasons, and neither of the teams (Minnesota and the Florida Panthers) I've covered won the Cup while I was covering them. (Though I was on the ice after the Panthers won the Cup last June.) So … no promises, but I do admire your health and anticipated longevity. (Photo of Mitch Marner: Claus Andersen / Getty Images)
CBS News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Minnesota Wild sign 2022 1st-round draft pick Danila Yurov to 3-year, entry-level contract
The Minnesota Wild have signed center Danila Yurov, their 2022 first-round draft pick, to a three-year, entry-level contract on Friday. Yurov has played in the KHL in his native Russia for the last five seasons for Metallurg Magnitogorsk, with 41 goals, 47 assists and a plus-41 rating over 209 career games. He had eight goals in 61 games in the playoffs, winning a Gagarin Cup championship with Metallurg last year. Yurov, who won a silver medal with Russia at the world junior championship in 2021, was the 24th overall pick in the NHL draft in 2022. The 6-foot-1, 176-pound Yurov will have a prime opportunity to make the team at age 21 with a strong training camp next season, with the Wild's center depth currently lacking behind Joel Eriksson Ek. "Center's a very difficult position to play as a young player. We'd like to see him there, see how he does and then we'll go from there," general manager Bill Guerin said. "Just like any other young player, defensively you really have to want to play a 200-foot game. That's going to be really important for him, especially where our team's at."
Associated Press
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Wild sign 2022 1st-round draft pick Danila Yurov to 3-year, entry-level contract
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Wild signed center Danila Yurov, their 2022 first-round draft pick, to a three-year, entry-level contract on Friday. Yurov has played in the KHL in his native Russia for the last five seasons for Metallurg Magnitogorsk, with 41 goals, 47 assists and a plus-41 rating over 209 career games. He had eight goals in 61 games in the playoffs, winning a Gagarin Cup championship with Metallurg last year. Yurov, who won a silver medal with Russia at the world junior championship in 2021, was the 24th overall pick in the NHL draft in 2022. The 6-foot-1, 176-pound Yurov will have a prime opportunity to make the team at age 21 with a strong training camp next season, with the Wild's center depth currently lacking behind Joel Eriksson Ek. 'Center's a very difficult position to play as a young player. We'd like to see him there, see how he does and then we'll go from there,' general manager Bill Guerin said. 'Just like any other young player, defensively you really have to want to play a 200-foot game. That's going to be really important for him, especially where our team's at.' ___ AP NHL:
