The #mnwild, led by leading scorer Kevin Fiala, is in a playoff spot for the first time since December 6.

Paul Fenton was right about Fiala folks.

Even with Bruce Boudreau and Jason Zucker gone, they keep on going.

— Brennan Klak (@nhlupdate) March 6, 2020

Paul Fenton: GM of the Year.

— Dan Barreiro (@DanBarreiroKFAN) March 4, 2020

Nobody tell Paul Fenton but this is very “game breaker-esque”

pic.twitter.com/ISVX9kCRPV

— AJ Fredrickson (@AJ_FREDRICKSON) March 4, 2020

Who would have thought Paul Fenton would be considered by many, as the GM that got away from the Minnesota Wild… We stood, flabbergasted, when he traded away our prized Mikael Granlund for a former top pick who looked like a shell of what many once thought he would be.

It’s true. You don’t have to watch Kevin Fiala for more than a period right now, to realize he is head and shoulders better than what Granlund was. That’s not a knock on Granlund. He’s considered one of the better playmakers in the NHL…. but Kevin Fiala is proving to be on another level.

Look at the video above. The patience and skill it takes to rope-a-dope that puck around the defenseman’s limbs and stick, while waiting for that hair-of-a-second moment, to flick it blocker-side top corner… well, that’s shit we haven’t seen since Marion Gaborik… or maybe ever.

We were praying for something like this when we pictured Kirill Kaprizov in green and red… but now, Kevin Fiala is our mans and Kaprizov still should be too. All of this possible superstar fortune and bright future for the Wild, has me looking outside for a meteor the government hasn’t told us about.

Meanwhile, Paul Fenton is cussing… maybe laughing… sometimes both, as he watches Fiala blossom right before his eyes, as he views from a TV with NHL Pass. Fiala isn’t his only hit either.

Fenton traded away Charlie Coyle, and got Ryan Donato last season, too. This trade looked better than the Granlund/Fiala deal, in the immediate weeks that followed. More recently though, Donato has been buried on the 4th line a lot of nights and guys like Michael Russo of The Athletic, are still scratching their heads as to why.

I’m a proponent of [Donato] getting more ice time. He entered last game seventh in the NHL with 1.49 goals per 60 minutes and no player with 14 goals in the NHL even comes close to his paltry ice time. So, I’m not defending it. I do think Evason really likes the way the Donato-Koivu-Hartman line is going right now, so he doesn’t want to fiddle with it. But he has also explained that he’s trying to work with Donato on his defensive game and has really worked with him on video on being on the right side of the puck in his own zone. But I give this kid credit: Outwardly, he has been patient, mature and professional. Inwardly, I’m sure he too is wondering, “What gives?”

Michael Russo – The Athletic

Fenton’s 2019 draft is looking damn good too, especially now that Matthew Boldy (1st-rounder) has picked it up recently, at Boston College. Adam Beckman (3rd rounder) has been absolutely dominating the WHL, and was the first player in the league to 100 points this season.

Vladislov Firstov was Fenton’s 2nd round pick and he is 3rd in points for UConn, in his freshman season, and has won the Hockey East Rookie of the Week multiple times. Hunter Jones was the Wild’s other 3rd-round pick in 2019 and he is killing it in the CHL, posting a 2.79 GAA in 48 games. He just saved 40 shots the other night, for his 4th shutout of the season and 30th win.

Paul Fenton was the mad hockey genius he always claimed to be… and he didn’t give a fuck who didn’t see it. He had a plan to get a couple of guys he wanted, and he was going to get them, no matter the cost.

Why? Because he knew what we didn’t. They were undiscovered talent just waiting to be tapped, especially Kevin Fiala. We were the ones who were stupid to think that incoming talent would immediately produce, in ways they hadn’t yet in their young careers. We weren’t willing to give Paul’s dream the proper amount of time to come into fruition.

Well, Paul Fenton being the biggest asshole to strut through Xcel Energy Center since Marion Gaborik, might have affected his longevity in Minnesota, too…

A word on Paul Fenton RE: Kevin Fiala.

The fact that Kevin Fiala is developing into a star before our eyes and that Fenton made a good trade doesn’t change the fact the Fenton treated his staff horribly and managed the team unprofessionally. #mnwild

— Brett Marshall ? (@B_Marsh92) March 4, 2020

Billy Guerin embracing this organization with his stern, but fatherly love over the past few months, probably has a lot to do with the looseness the Wild are playing with, as well. That’s before we even get into the coaching change.

So, let’s give Paul Fenton his due. He knew what we didn’t about Kevin Fiala. But, we shouldn’t feel regret for the relatively quick trigger Craig Leipold pulled, when he moved on from Fenton, just 14 months after he first hired him.

There is a reason why the Nashville Predators cherished Paul Fenton so much. He clearly knows his hockey and he knows talent. He proved that in the short time he was here, and we’ll probably see it continue to unfold before our eyes…

Paul Fenton is that rebound girlfriend who was meant to be. She came in, straightened out your life a little bit and was definitely right about a few of the things she pointed out (boldly) while you were together…… but, she was kind of a bitch and even looking back now, that toxic relationship was never going to last much longer than it did.

Billy is our future. He’s the man we never knew we needed, until he was here…. but we should start looking back a little more fondly on what Paul Fenton did for this franchise.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Some Minnesota Wild news today, and no it doesn’t include the Stanley Cup Final (or anyone we might know that’s playing in it…).  First off, the Wild brought Mike Modano back to the state of Minnesota in a multifaceted role within the organization, as an Executive Advisor.  I’m really not sure what Mike’s job will entail completely, but I do know that regardless of what comes of it, it is a great troll job towards Norm Green and the Dallas Stars.

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Penguins, #mnwild in trade talks surrounding Phil Kessel. @JoshYohe_PGH has confirmed what I reported Tuesday about potential Jason Zucker-Victor Rask for Kessel-Jack Johnson swap. Lots of details in this story + other possible landing spots for Zuckerhttps://t.co/TOM2dZhbQk

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) May 23, 2019

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Let the trade winds continue to swirl.  Today there were reports that the Wild and Penguins were in trade discussions to swap Jason Zucker and Victor Rask for Phil Kessel and Jack Johnson.  Zucker’s name was brought up a lot around the trade deadline during last season and reports were a deal was close at one point, but never got done.  Victor Rask, what more to say other than the Wild traded Nino, and basically got zero (Rask) in return so if the Wild are able to move him it’s basically the white flag waving that the trade was an absolute disaster.  Win some, lose some I guess…  We got knocked out in the first 10 seconds of that fight.

A lot of the discussion I’ve seen today is the idea of trading 27 year old Jason Zucker for 31 year old Phil Kessel…  Is Phil an upgrade?  Would the Wild be walking into another trade robbery like the Nino deal?  There are a lot of moving parts so I looked into some situational stats for both.

Postseason:

Jason Zucker

• 31 games
• 8 points
• -9 +/-

Phil Kessel

• 87 games
• 77 points
• +22 +/-

(Via Hockey-Reference.com)

Big time players show up in big time games and Phil Kessel brings a dynamic to be able to score goals and set them up.  Zucker had an OT winner in the postseason, but he’s pretty one-dimensional and if his speed is taken away, he doesn’t bring the same dynamic as Kessel can.

If this trade goes through, I think it’s a win for Minnesota.  The Wild have done a tremendous job of tip-toeing the line of mediocrity.  For me, I make this trade 10/10 times.  Kessel would bring with him 2 Stanley Cup Rings, 6 playoff hat tricks, and plenty of gas left in the tank.

I took a look back at the last 3 regular seasons and postseasons and compared the two players.

Jason Zucker –

2016-17

• 22 goals/25 assists
  
• +34 (+/-)

Postseason (5 Gms | 1 point)

2017-18

• 33 goals/31 assists
• +8 (+/-)

Postseason (5 Gms | 0 Points)

2018-19

• 21 goals/21 assists
• -9 +/-

No Postseason

Phil Kessel –

2016-17

• 23 goals/47 assists
• +3 (+/-)

Postseason (25 Gms | 23 PTS | +12 +/-)

2017-18

• 34 goals/58 assists
• -4 (+/-)

Postseason (12 Gms | 9 PTS | -5 +/-)

2018-19

• 27 goals/55 assists
• -19 +/-

Postseason (4 Gms | 2 PTS | -1 +/-)

Via (Hockey-Reference.com)

The numbers speak for themselves.  Kessel has played in those big games, performed in those big games, and most importantly won those big games.

Give me Phil “The Thrill”.

Brian Heintz | Minnesota Sports Fan

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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.

.@mnwild GM Paul Fenton: "Bruce is my coach next year. I have total confidence in him." pic.twitter.com/WcXdBXhX1Z

— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) April 9, 2019

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).

Fenton on injured players: Dubnyk, Parise will get better with rest, Koivu, Dumba will be ready by training camp.

Still won’t talk specifics

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 9, 2019

Fenton on injured players: Dubnyk, Parise will get better with rest, Koivu, Dumba will be ready by training camp.

Still won’t talk specifics

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 9, 2019

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

"I'm not just going to spend to spend."

GM Paul Fenton wants to build a younger, faster @mnwild roster pic.twitter.com/lPrUsqMs5B

— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) April 9, 2019

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Wow… if you wanted an exciteable trade deadline in Minnesota you have just gotten your wish. The Minnesota Wild have just traded their best playmaker, in Mikael Granlund, to Nashville for 22-year-old winger, Kevin Fiala. 

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Mikael Granlund has indeed been traded from the #mnwild….Kevin Fiala coming from #nhlpreds. Waiting to hear if there's anything else in the deal

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) February 25, 2019

Right now I'm led to believe it's 1 for 1…. https://t.co/qyIgjjs0Sd

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) February 25, 2019

From Nashville's perspective, Granlund can play top-6 right wing and aid a 31st-ranked power play

From Minnesota's perspective, Fenton, who announced the Fiala draft pick, gets a guy he loves, a 22 yo speedster whom he believes can be a 30-goal scorer at least.

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) February 25, 2019

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Alright, so there is some positive spin from Russo but if you look at the Minnesota hockey faithful around the state, there is very little positivity surrounding this deal. I don’t think the fanbase had Granlund as an untradable asset… there just seems to be a large feeling that the Wild didn’t get enough back for the Fin…. It’s coming from all angles. Here is what Hockey Guy Zak has sent me since the deal was consumated… He seems to be going through a whirlwind of emotions. I threw some tweets I’ve seen after too… It’s getting ugly out there.

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I hope Tolvannen is coming with, otherwise it's a terrible deal.

— Kramer Schmidt (@schmidtkramer) February 25, 2019

.@PierreVLeBrun just said on Trade Centre that Fiala/Granlund is 1-for-1. Holy shit that’s freaking terrible.

— Brett Marshall (@B_Marsh92) February 25, 2019

Granlund is about to have his third straight 60 point season. I don't understand this deal at all. Nashville FLEECED the wild pic.twitter.com/44fLxAiOlp

— xTech (@xTechHockey) February 25, 2019

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Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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After a winning streak that gave the fanbase some hope heading into All-Star weekend over a week ago, the Wild slammed everyone back to reality this weekend in classic Wild-like fashion.

TWO division games — TWO division losses | FOUR points on the line — Just ONE point collected

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The Wild’s new GM, Paul Fletcher, was suppose to “tweak” the roster when he took the job this offseason. At this point, if he does anymore “tweaking”, we might as well prepare for a full rebuild in the very near future (which would actually be refreshing).

Let’s just take a look at some of the um…. questionable… things Fenton has done, since taking control less than a year ago as GM of the Minnesota Wild:

 — Allowing Flahr to run the draft and select Filip Johnansson —

If you think Fenton deserves a pass on the 2018 draft because he didn’t have enough time to prepare should look up the word A-C-C-O-U-N-T-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y. Former GM, Chuck Fletcher was fired for many reasons. One of them was poor drafting. If you’re the new boss and you know that fact, why would you let a leftover from the previous regime (Brent Flahr) make your first draft pick? That is fucking insanity… And then, Flahr leaves to reunite with Fletcher in Philly 5 months later… what a joke.

If Fenton wasn’t ready to make that pick himself then WTF was he doing as the assistant GM in Nashville? They must not have been scouting draft classes… ?

Dominik Bokk should have been the selection. Bokk is climbing prospect rankings and was selected with the pick right after the Wild’s selection, by the St. Louis Blues. In the last update from HockeyProphets.com, Bokk jumped from being not ranked up to the #34 forward prospect in the NHL.

To Fenton’s defense, I’m not going to argue with the Aberg trade or the Hunt move. They were solid buy-low gets. Both were relatively cheap and could work.

Paul Fenton got excited when he saw a former Nashville Predator defensemen, Anthony Bitetto. He signed him and maxed the roster at 8 defensemen. Now, Joel Eriksen Ek and Luke Kunin are stuck in the AHL because of that move. It makes ZERO sense. Hunt and Bitetto are both AHL defensemen and it’s quite obvious watching them. At least Hunt fills a need with his heavy shot and offensive prowess (haha I laughed while typing that).

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via GIPHY

[/et_pb_code][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.19.9″]Why would the Wild not want Ek and Kunin getting valuable minutes and experience of an NHL playoff run? The Wild need both players too, because of Fenton’s biggest mistake yet.

— FENTON’S FATAL MISTAKE —
None of the issues I’ve bitched about so far compare to what Fenton did when he traded Nino Niederreiter to the Carolina Hurricanes for the dumpster fire that is Victor Rask. I know Nino was struggling but I feel everyone knew, outside of Paul Fenton, that Rask was terrible. Nino is flourishing on a line in Carolina with Sebastian Aho. He’s potted 5 goals already, including another one on Friday night.

Nino frustrated fans in Minnesota but he was an analytics darling and former 20 goal scorer. Instead the Wild now have a slow, defensive hazard, who did score 20 goals once but there is no fucking way that’s happening again. If Fenton keeps making moves like this the Wild will become the laughingstock of the NHL.

But on second thought, maybe that’s what we need. A nice long rebuild to fix this slow, inconsistent, inept roster.

Also, I know Rask scored last night. I don’t care.

Zak Klosowski | Minnesota Sports Fan[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]