Mikko Koivu News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/mikko-koivu/ Minnesota sports, but different Wed, 12 Aug 2020 15:56:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg Mikko Koivu News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/mikko-koivu/ 32 32 Wild Face Big Time Questions Heading into Offseason https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/wild-facing-big-questions-heading-into-offseason/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/wild-facing-big-questions-heading-into-offseason/#respond Wed, 12 Aug 2020 14:17:50 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=28680

The Minnesota Wild officially moved into offseason mode, after their season ended against Vancouver in the qualifying round of the NHL Playoffs. General Manager, Bill Guerin, has some big questions he will need to answer this offseason. So to get set up for an offseason full of speculation, Jake Jensen and Seth Toupal sat down to talk about the needs Guerin should be focusing on.

WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST REASON THE WILD LOST 3-1 TO VANCOUVER?

Seth: For me, the biggest difference between the Wild and the Canucks was the lack of a secondary dynamic scorer. Kevin Fiala performed well (outside the penalty box). But the Wild just didn’t have another player who could step up and help him out consistently. One night it was Luke Kunin, another night it was Eric Staal. But nobody did it consistently.

Vancouver got solid contributions from their top guys every night. And all of those top guys were expected to do big things coming into the series, which they certainly did. The Wild’s undisciplined play and lack of speed (more on that later) also hurt them throughout the series. They slowed things down in Game 1, to pick up their lone win. After that, they were left in the dust the rest of the way.

Jake: Echoing what Seth said, I truly believe the lack of a superstar forward (or two) really hurt the Wild in this series. Most notably, up the middle. Vancouver’s one-two punch of Elias Pettersson/Bo Horvat up the middle is significantly better than Eric Staal/Joel Eriksson Ek… (keyword: SIGNIFICANTLY).

Wanna know another reason? Quinn Hughes. This kid is fucking ridiculous. I have never seen anything like him, in my 15+ years of watching hockey. He is one of the best skaters I have ever seen on his edges and is an absolute quarterback on the back-end for the Canucks. It was only a matter of time before he took over the series, and took over the series he did.

WILD’S MOST PRESSING NEED IN THE DRAFT:

Seth: When you look at other teams in the NHL, there is so much impact scoring on other teams. McDavid, MacKinnon, Draisaitl, and so many others. In Edmonton’s case they have 2 dynamic young players. For the Wild it’s Kevin Fiala and friends.

I know Kaprizov coming over will help substantially. But up until the last couple of years the Wild have drafted players that never seem to pan out. The Wild have tremendous depth defensively, but need some help on offense. Center seems to be the most likely position of need with Mikko Koivu’s status up in the air (more on that later). But how about we just focus on getting a player who can provide dynamic scoring and speed.

WILD’S MOST PRESSING NEED IN THE DRAFT: (CON’T)

Jake: The most pressing need for the Wild is obvious, a franchise center. Ever since the team’s inception in 2000, they have been searching every corner of the world for one. Will that player be available at #9 for the Wild? Probably not. If they are lucky, one of Marco Rossi or Cole Perfetti falls to them. I just don’t see any scenario where either of them are available at that point of the draft.

That likely leaves the Wild with a choice between Anton Lundell, Connor Zary, or Dylan Holloway. That is, if they do indeed intend to choose a center. The most interesting thing for me is if Pittsburgh chooses to keep their pick this year or not. That would then give the Wild two picks in the first round at #9 and #15. That could significantly alter their draft strategy. Pittsburgh has until next Monday to make their decision. Top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov should be there at #9 as well.

WILL MIKKO KOIVU RETIRE?

Seth: It would be unfortunate but I do think Koivu calls it quits after this year. Could he get offers from other teams that are closer to the playoffs? Sure. But there is something appealing about playing for only one team and I think Koivu wants to get some overseas time in as well.

Jake: From the NHL? Yes. From hockey? No. My bet is that Koivu returns to his hometown of Turku, Finland, plays for TPS in the Liiga, brings them a championship, and rides off into the sunset. Turns out Minnesota was just a stopgap the whole time.

WILL BILL GUERIN SWING A MASSIVE OFFSEASON TRADE?

Seth: I think the biggest reason that the Wild WILL make some sort of trade is that Guerin has brought a fresh perspective to the organization. The Pittsburgh Penguins won Stanley Cups while he was with the team. He knows what it takes to win, and what kind of players it takes to be a great team. If there are players elsewhere that are available that could bring the Wild to that level, he’s going to go get them. He isn’t linked to anyone on this roster except Kirill Kaprizov, which massively opens the playbook.

Jake: He certainly will try to. Guerin has already been eyeing the trade market for a top-6 center for some time now. He knows it’s the biggest need of the team. He even said so during his end of the season press conference with media members. I think he should at least inquire on players like Jack Eichel, Dylan Larkin, Evgeni Malkin, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Nico Hischier, Max Domi, Rickard Rakell, Tyler Johnson, Anthony Cirelli, and Nick Schmaltz. Guerin knows he needs an upgrade in net as well so they could potentially be in the market for a goalie too.

HOW SHOULD THE GOALIE SITUATION PLAY OUT NEXT YEAR?

Seth: One thing Bill Guerin has been very vocal about so far is that he is eager to improve the roster. He went so far as to single out the goalie position specifically in his recent media session. Let’s face it: Devan Dubnyk isn’t what he used to be. And Alex Stalock has his moments but he is not a starter. Could Kaapo Kähkönen be the guy? It’s probably too early to tell in that regard. So if you aren’t set with Dubnyk or Stalock you have to get someone else. If I were to list the depth chart for next season it would be (outside player) and then Stalock.

HOW SHOULD THE GOALIE SITUATION PLAY OUT NEXT YEAR? (CON’T)

Jake: If I’m Guerin, there is no way in hell I’m coming back with a tandem of Dubnyk/Stalock next season. Statistically, they were among the worst goalies in the NHL. I don’t think either goalie gives the Wild a legit shot at competing in the parity-filled NHL next season. The one intriguing option is just rolling with AHL Goalie of the Year, Kaapo Kähkönen, and making him the Wild’s full-time starter. Personally, I would like to see Kähkönen get another full-season in Iowa and continue to develop down there with a much better team.

So, to answer the question, I think the Wild should buyout Dubnyk, and acquire an NHL goalie via trade or free-agency. Then let Kähkönen marinate in the minors for another year. And then go with a tandem of the newly acquired goalie and Stalock backing up. As of now, there are some intriguing options via free agency. This includes the likes of Braden Holtby, Robin Lehner, Jakob Markström, Corey Crawford, Anton Khudobin, Thomas Greiss, and Cam Talbot should their teams choose not to extend them.

So there you have it. There is plenty to cover and discuss as the offseason unfolds. But also plenty of hockey to still watch. So stick with us and enjoy the playoffs!

Jake Jensen & Seth Toupal | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/wild-facing-big-questions-heading-into-offseason/feed/ 0 Wed, 12 Aug 2020 10:56:24 +0000 Minnesota Wild Fenton: Boudreau Will Coach Wild Next Year; Not Pressured By Leipold https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/fenton-boudreau-will-coach-wild-next-year-not-pressured-by-leipold/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/fenton-boudreau-will-coach-wild-next-year-not-pressured-by-leipold/#respond Tue, 09 Apr 2019 16:20:19 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=14608 Wow, Paul Fenton is one feisty MF-er huh? If you didn’t listen/watch to his press conference today around 10:30, I’ll post the whole thing on the bottom, from Fox Sports North’s YouTube page.

But, he was very clear about one thing. Bruce Boudreau will be here next year and it’s not because of pressure from Craig Leipold (which some wondered). It wasn’t a huge surprise after it was announced that Bruce would be available today. Normally, you wouldn’t have Bruce by your side if he was about to get fired.

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Fenton is clearly upset about any injury reports that have leaked to the media, and then to the fans, because he went over it and back to it multiple times and was audibly frustrated when discussing those issues. He’s smart about it though. He takes the approach that makes the PC media unable to question it: ‘Our game is dangerous and leaking injury specifics or reporting on them puts our players in immediate serious danger.’ – summarizing Fenton’s comments during the press conference (see full video below because FSN kept those parts off of their Twitter feed)

He also gave updates on some of the players dealing with injuries including Koivu, Parise, Dumba, and Suter (most of our team).

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And, what are you going to do with all of these funds during the offseason, Paul?

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Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/fenton-boudreau-will-coach-wild-next-year-not-pressured-by-leipold/feed/ 0 Tue, 09 Apr 2019 11:20:27 +0000 Minnesota Wild Koivu Sent Back to MN to Be Evaluated after Giordano Hit (2-Game Suspension) https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/koivu-sent-back-to-mn-to-be-evaluated-after-giordano-hit-2-game-suspension/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/koivu-sent-back-to-mn-to-be-evaluated-after-giordano-hit-2-game-suspension/#respond Sat, 08 Dec 2018 01:31:45 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=11648

News broke just a bit ago that Mikko Koivu was sent back to Minnesota (the Wild are currently on a Canadian road trip) to be evaluated by team doctors. Koivu’s injury stems from a hit last night by Mark Giordano, who earned himself a two-game suspension for said cheap-shot.

As you can see in this video provided by NHL.com, Giordano is a little bitch. Even more unfortunate, the early rumors swirling about Koivu’s injury don’t seem to be positive. How could they after this bullshit?

Look at Koivu’s leg. Nothing that looks like that ends up healthy afterward. This is bad news, Wild fans…

Here is another angle of the hit. In this one, you can see that Koivu knows something is bad right away and is obviously pissed off about the dirty hit.

Another Flame Suspended After Wild Game

Ryan Lomberg got all high and mighty last night. Matt Dumba LEGALLY lit up Mikael Backlund and some Flamers took offense to it. Lomberg wanted to play hero. Now he will sit for two games after 2 different 1-game suspensions for this idiocy:

The Wild will start the second of a back-to-back shortly tonight vs Edmonton as we wait to hear about the results from Mikko Koivu’s evaluation.

Eric Strack
Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/koivu-sent-back-to-mn-to-be-evaluated-after-giordano-hit-2-game-suspension/feed/ 0 Fri, 07 Dec 2018 19:31:45 +0000 Minnesota Wild Koivu Extension Latest in String of Bad Moves that Led to Chuck Fletcher’s Demise https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/koivu-extension-latest-in-string-of-bad-moves-that-led-to-chuck-fletchers-demise/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/koivu-extension-latest-in-string-of-bad-moves-that-led-to-chuck-fletchers-demise/#respond Tue, 24 Apr 2018 21:57:41 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=9370

Monday morning, the Minnesota Wild declined to offer Chuck Fletcher a new contract, ending his 9-year stint with the Minnesota Wild. You can read Eric’s breaker about it, from earlier today, off of the original report from Michael Russo and The Athletic. But, I want to talk more about the moves he made that got us here, specifically the unmatched Zach Parise and Ryan Suter contracts, then later sealing the deal with Mikko Koivu.

All three deals essentially sealing our fate with those three until they are in a wheelchair and all of our young talent has gone through its prime.

Sure, part of why Fletcher is out of Minnesota is because the young core he accumulated (via draft, trade and free agency) underperformed to expectations once postseason play began, season after season (Zucker, Brodin, Coyle, Nino, Dumba, Granlund). But, wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t have to rely on those young guys becoming stars in order to take the next step. What if we had some cap flexibility to go and get that goal scorer that could help put us over the top?

Fletcher overestimated the increase in salary cap when he signed Suter and Parise to career deals and that now chokes out most free agent opportunities every offseason. If you watched the playoffs this year, you again saw Parise out of the lineup due to injury (this surprises nobody) and even Suter, who’s been reliable as any defenseman in the league, was lost due to injury for this postseason run.

Chuck’s extension of Mikko Koivu last offseason through 2020 at the age of 35 was his latest in terrible contracts. After a career year in 2017, many fans and some analytics experts cheered. Happy to keep “a home-drafted elite defensive center” in Minnesota for the entirety of his career. Well, isn’t it nice that we are all about warm and fuzzy feelings here in Minnesota.  I’m sure the rest of the Central Division appreciates it. I’m not really sure why anyone is upset when the Wild lose out in the playoffs if that’s how you want to operate in the offseason.

However, some of us here at MSF (Me) believed it was a huge mistake from the beginning. The NHL isn’t a charity. You get paid for what you will bring to the team over your new contract. Not for what you’ve done for a franchise in the past.

The extension of Koivu, alone, should have led to Fletcher’s exit. The NHL is a speed league and Koivu is the opposite of speed. His faceoff percentage dipped with the new rule change this season (54.8% or above since ’13-’14 down to 51.4% in ’17-’18) and his pathetic display during the playoff series vs the Jets proves my point. As I said above, there were a few of people who disagreed with me.

So, what now?

The Wild need to re-tool and they need someone who, not only has an eye for talent, but can help develop it.

Paul Fenton is the lead candidate, according to Michael Russo. Not only is he a former NHLer, but he’s been groomed by one of the premier NHL GM’s, in David Poile. If you look at how well Nashville has drafted over the years and how well they have developed their players, it’s easy to see why Fenton, who has been with Nashville since 2003, is the man to beat.

Poile/Fenton have been so good at identifying trade thievery and drafting underrated prospects it’s hard not to get excited if Fenton were to take the job. If he does, it’d be a nice change of pace to see the Wild make some smart hockey trades and get this ship out of mediocrity.

Oh, and please strip the C off of Koivu.

Thanks.

Zak Klosowski (@AldenZacharySki)
MinnesotaSportsFan.com
(Eric Strack also contributed to this story)

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/koivu-extension-latest-in-string-of-bad-moves-that-led-to-chuck-fletchers-demise/feed/ 0 Tue, 24 Apr 2018 16:57:41 +0000 Minnesota Wild Koivu Deal: Just Another Poor Contract by Chuck Fletcher https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/koivu-deal-just-another-poor-contract-chuck-fletcher/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/koivu-deal-just-another-poor-contract-chuck-fletcher/#comments Tue, 19 Sep 2017 21:15:00 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=2753

So Chuck Fletcher signed Mikko Koivu to a 2 year extension worth $11 million. ?

I’ve been monitoring the response to Mikko’s extension and it’s funny how many people are responding with “yeah lets reward our captain” or “he is the definition of the Minnesota Wild”. If Mikko Koivu is the definition of the Minnesota Wild, what does that say about professional hockey in Minnesota?

The Wild have struggled in the playoffs since the magical 2003 playoff run which, funny, Mikko Koivu wasn’t a part of. Mikko signed his “Joe Mauer” type contract in 2011, worth 6.75 million a season. Did he justify the contract he was rewarded with in 2011? You read that article from Hockey Wilderness and tell me what you think.

So what does Fletcher do after overpaying Koivu for the last 6 years? He signs him to another OVERPAID CONTRACT.

Koivu’s not a franchise player. He isn’t Toews, Kane, or Crosby. He is a great defensive center, but he is average offensively. He scored 58 points last season, 40 of which were assists. He hasn’t had over 20 goals since 2010… Yet, fans are okay with Fletcher giving him $11 million over 2 years?

Players don’t get better at 35, which Koivu will be turning in March. Koivu’s CF% (CORSI) has been dropping since 2013 as you can see below. Yes, he goes against other top lines, but he always has! The NHL is getting faster and the Wild just rewarded an aging captain who has given us effort, but no championships.

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People want to talk about his “leadership”…

Every year the Wild go through a huge losing streak. Doesn’t the Captain take blame for that? What about the playoff appearances and failures in his time here? What about last year’s playoff disaster? I’m not saying Mikko should take the blame for all of these, but if we are giving him raises based on his leadership, then aren’t these factors we should consider?

What Fletcher should have done:

The Wild should have let Koivu’s contract run out and re-negotiated next summer. If he is as loyal as everyone thinks, he would be okay with waiting for an extension until after this season. Waiting allows Koivu to try and prove he’s worth that type of money. If the Wild win a Stanley Cup and Koivu has a career year then give him whatever the f**k he wants.

Instead, Chuck Fletcher just gave this team another poor contract, pushing the Wild further from contention with his poor salary cap management. What if Dumba blossoms this year and he needs more cap space than expected? What if Zucker scores 30 goals? It’s obvious the Wild’s GM is only concerned about hurting Mikko’s feelings instead of worrying about winning a Stanley Cup. As a lifelong fan, I think Mikko is great guy and good hockey player, but salary cap management and solid drafting wins cups, not rewarding aging veterans.

Zak Klosowski
Minnesota Sports Fan @RealMNSportsFan
]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-wild/koivu-deal-just-another-poor-contract-chuck-fletcher/feed/ 1 Tue, 19 Sep 2017 16:15:41 +0000 Minnesota Wild