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EPISODE SUMMARY

On Episode 12 Michael Russo joins the show to talk wine, travel and a little hockey. The guys give heaps of praise to the Seattle Kraken, preview the NHL Playoffs and make a few big announcements at the end of the show!

EPISODE CHAPTERS

1. (00:00) | Show Intro
2. (04:09) | Episode 12 Wine Selections
3. (09:01) | Michael Russo on Wine, Travel, and life in the bubble for NHL Players
4. (37:18) | The Seattle Kraken knocked it out of the park
5. (44:20) | The Arizona Coyotes are a gong show
6. (47:20) | The NHL Playoff Preview
7. (87:31) | Come watch game 1 of Wild-Canucks with us!
8. (89:15) | Jake’s written content finds a home!

Hint: It isn’t good.

via GIPHY

Even with the team clicking after firing Bruce Boudreau, those around the league are not buying any of the hype the Wild are producing. Having placed the team in the worst tier of contenders to win it all in 2020.

While this may not be a shock to some fans, it is interesting to see how poorly the team is viewed by those in the sport.

BOTTOM OF THE BARREL

The Wild were streaky in 2020, to say the least. One player who was polled even went as far to say they are Jekyll and Hyde. Noting that when their chemistry is on point, they are a tough out. But with so many moving pieces in and around the organization, it is tough to see them put it all together and make a deep run in the NHL return.

“When they’re playing well and feeling it, they’re tough. It can be tough going into Minnesota and playing them. We have also gone in there and caught them sleeping. They seem to play better under the new coach (Dean Evason). They need (Devan Dubnyk) to take the net and play really well at his top level. I like (Alex) Stalock but I don’t know if he can sustain that style of play in the playoffs. That’s a lot to ask. They have the components — a No. 1 D. Good forward depth. I don’t know enough about the new coach and how he’ll play them. Their upside seems limited to me.”

Anonymous player speaking to The Athletic on the Wild

The Minnesota Wild received an average rating of 4.6/5 with five being the worst. Putting them only ahead of the Montreal Canadiens in this panel’s rankings.

However, the ranking may be based more out of confusion than anything. As one panelist, “compared them to a not-as-good Philadelphia Flyers, which isn’t great because nobody seemed to know what to do with the Flyers.”

A lot of these opinions have to do with how the Wild never found their footing for an extended period of time during the season. Beginning the season with four losses and going 3-7 in their first ten games. And while the team did eventually pull themselves out of the cellar with a five-game win streak in December and ending with a 35-27-7 record before the hiatus, it was never enough to change minds. Placing them outside of a playoff position for the second straight year. Until the NHL gave them a reprieve with their return to play plan.

SOMETHING OLD. SOMETHING NEW.

Their streaky nature may have to do more with their transitioning roster than anything. With a roster consisting of aging stars such as Mikko Koivu (36), Ryan Suter (35), Eric Staal (35), Zach Parise (35), and Devan Dubnyk (34), there is a lot of money tied up in those four alone. $30 million of the $81.5 million salary cap, to be exact.

Devan Dubnyk had a bad afternoon after allowing the only two shots he faced for the Blackhawks to take an early lead pic.twitter.com/Ghhf8wDJEh

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 12, 2017

And while they are all performing at admirable levels, the team needs a clear vision for the future. The team is still tied to Parise and Suter through 2024-25, while Dubnyk and Koivu appear to be on their last legs. This appears to be why owner Craig Leipold shook up the existing front office. He fired Boudreau and former GM Paul Fenton and bringing in Dean Evason as coach and Bill Guerin as general manager. Hoping to give the team a more clear vision for the future.

Wild fans are sensing that vision, too. With 23-year old Kevin Fiala leading the team in scoring and other young guys such as Luke Kunin (22), Joel Eriksson Ek (23), and Jordan Greenway (22) all coming into their own. Throw in the eventual addition of Russian superstar Kirill Kaprizov (23) and the team is beginning to shift towards a new era of Wild hockey.

Kevin Fiala good lord pic.twitter.com/LqgWe011F0

— Giles Ferrell (@gilesferrell) February 10, 2020

Now, it makes sense why they may not have been given the respect by The Athletic’s panel that some fans may think they deserve. This strange limbo the team has been in for the last few years is finally taking its toll. And while the transition is beginning, it likely won’t make an impact in the 2020 playoffs. Just hold tight and ignore the noise…for now.

Jack Kewitsch | Minnesota Sports Fan

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EPISODE SUMMARY

On Episode 10 the guys preview the schedule for the resumption of the NHL season and declare that it is the best thing the NHL has ever done. They also talk Kirill Kaprizov signing with the Wild, Dean Evason becoming the permanent head coach of the Wild and why Nordy absolutely sucks. Every Western Conference mascot is also rated with some hits and some big misses.

EPISODE CHAPTERS

1. (00:48) | Weekend recap
2. (07:26) | The tannest podcast on the internet
3. (13:26) | Episode 10 Wine choices
4. (18:18) | The NHL Schedule, Kirill Kaprizov signing and Dean Evason being named full time coach of the Wild
5. (42:42) | Western Conference Mascot Mania begins
6. (56:36) | Why Nordy is the worst NHL mascot ever

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EPISODE SUMMARY

On Episode 11 the guys kick back and remember some of their favorite obscure athletes from different sports. Seth pitches an idea for NHL-Seattle’s logo and they cheers Mike Zimmer for his new contract extension. They also tease BIG plans for the next couple of episodes.

The NHL is officially back! In a newly ratified collective bargaining agreement on Friday, the puck is set to drop on August 1st, in a resumption of the 2019-2020 season, and the start of their expanded playoff format. That means Minnesota Wild hockey is back too!

Unlike the NBA, the return to play will be held in two separate hub cities by conference. The Eastern Conference games will be playing in Toronto while the Western Conference games will be in Edmonton. The decision to play in Canada instead of the United States likely has to do with safety concerns with recent spikes of COVID-19 in the United States.

When it goes down

Training camps will open up on July 13th and teams will travel to their hub cities on July 26th where they will be isolated in the bubble. Exhibition games will be held before the August 1st start from July 28th to July 30th.

Updated #NHL Critical Dates calendar: pic.twitter.com/VzKMeGHPEk

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 10, 2020

What this means for the Wild

We already knew the Wild would be facing the Vancouver Canucks in a best-of-five Stanley Cup Qualifier, to start the expanded playoff format, but we now know the dates and times these games will be played. There will be five games to mark the NHL’s return on August 1st, but the Wild won’t be part of it. Instead, Game 1 “on the road” against the Canucks, will be played the next day, August 2nd.

Game 2 will be held two days later, on August 4th, followed by a “home” Game 3, on August 6th. If necessary, a fourth game will be played on August 7th, and a fifth game on August 9th. All qualifier games will be done by August 10th. The times of these games have also been recently released but you need to add 2 hours for the Central Time Zone… so some of these games are going to be late af (starting at 9:30 PM CT).

Schedule to start #NHL Qualifying Round: pic.twitter.com/OxsKS8MKsW

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 10, 2020

GET YOUR POPCORN READYYYYYY ?? pic.twitter.com/Kia6qKuiuv

— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) July 10, 2020

If the Wild are able to make it past the Canucks, they will move on to the first-round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If not, their season will be done and the organization will leave the Edmonton bubble.

Just Win Baby… or not?

While lots of Minnesota Wild fans want to see their team go as far as possible, hopefully hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup in the end… some (like Jack), are calling for the Wild to throw the series, so they can have a 1/8 chance of landing the #1 overall pick in the upcoming NHL Draft. If the Wild lose to Vancouver in the qualifying series, they’ll keep their 12.5% chance at winning the draft lottery.

Regardless of what happens, hockey will be back very soon and that is reason to celebrate.

Sam Sklar | Minnesota Sports Fan

We are creeping closer to NHL hockey returning to the people (and a potential Minnesota Wild playoff run)! We all know that’s what would’ve happened, had the season continued as plan. It’s been proven. 

Formal announcement coming from Gary Bettman pic.twitter.com/3Xq8uuzTeD

— Kevin McGran (@kevin_mcgran) May 26, 2020

Media.NHL.com, the league’s official media outlet, announced Tuesday morning that NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman, would make a formal announcement on the Return to Play Plan for the 2019-2020 season.

The announcement will be broadcasted at 3:30 CT on NBCSN, NHL Network, NHL.com, and NHL social media.

There will still likely be barriers, as Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk made clear to The Athletic’s Michael Russo earlier this week. These barriers are having travel logistics and what will occur if, and more likely when, someone tests positive for COVID-19. 

Even with barriers, this is still a sign of a potential return to hockey for the State of Hockey.